<p>Every week I am obsessing about a new university.</p>
<p>I applied to 4 universities as a transfer.</p>
<p>The top 2 are really good, but if I get in, I fell like I would turn them down, since I felt the atmosphere was more cut-throat/pretentious/superficial. If I get in though, I am not sure what I would actually do. At the lowest I applied to, I would have my friend. At the others, I would be alone (until I made friends [which is quite hard for me]).</p>
<p>Any ideas of what to do?</p>
<p>I am scared I will make a decision once the time comes that I grow to regret or realize that I was in the honeymoon phase about it....?</p>
<p>You sound like half the students I’ve talked to about going to college. There’s fear of the unknown in going off to college, and one of those unknowns is will I fit in academically? and another is will I make friends?</p>
<p>Almost all of the people make friends when they go off to college. There’s a lot of reasons for this, but you’re going to be spending 24/7 with people your own age who share the interests of people your age. Almost all first years have to live in a dorm. Lots of times dorm people keep their doors open and people peek in to see how you’ve decorated and what you’re doing. There are a lot of open doors on a dormitory floor that you can just knock, stick your head in, and strike up a conversation. The school itself sets up programs to help first-years get to know each other. You might not get straight A’s, but you almost certainly will make friends, perhaps the most important friends of your life. </p>
<p>Not everyone who goes off to college fits academically at their college. Some feel the school is too easy or class discussion is mediocre or tests are not challenging. Others wonder what planet of eggheads their peers came from and why they know so much more than you. This is where visiting campuses and classrooms is so important. Sit in on a discussion class or two. Professors usually don’t mind if you ask them before class starts. If you do your homework, you can usually be 70% sure you’ll fit academically.</p>
<p>If you cannot get to the campus during class sessions, talk to the AO about your concerns. Look at the average GPA and SAT/ACT scores at the school. Don’t let someone talk you into going anyplace where you don’t feel you’ll fit.</p>
<p>Having said all this, some first-years each autumn hate their choice for the first couple weeks to couple months and then all of a sudden something clicks for them and the place begins to feel like it fits them socially. Often there’s a new friend involved. So be patient, especially if you’re an only child.</p>
<p>What’s your current situation? Are you in cc or college? Do you have a major? Did you start knowing you’d transfer later or is this a newer decision?</p>
<p>I have known I was going to be a transfer student for about a year and a half. For a while, i wanted to attend a college near my house, then a private college near that, and now i am looking at public schools…but it freaks me out that I have changed my mind so much.</p>