Thanks in advance for taking the time to check out this post! I really wanted to bounce these ideas off of some folks and I’m not sure who in my real life is right to talk to about transferring at this point.
I’ve just completed my first year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and I’m actually currently on campus taking summer classes (my mindset was “trying to graduate ASAP”). While of course every moment wasn’t perfect, I had a great freshman year compared to some of my friends and various horror stories from the internet. However, I’m just not happy with my college life, and I’m debating whether there’s anything I can do about it here or if I should attempt to transfer. It’s too late to apply for the fall semester, so I would be looking to transfer for Spring 2018.
I am a Sociology and Political Science double major and Psychology minor, and I’m pretty happy with that subject matter. The departments at U of I aren’t the best ever, but many professors are quite esteemed and as a whole the programs are fine. However, it’s frustrating to me because it seems like I have to take 300- and 400-level classes to learn about specific topics that interest me and engage with professors (compared to TAs or graduate student instructors). I also haven’t been able to do anything outside of the classroom in terms of career/professional development, and of course getting a “real” job after graduation is a huge concern. I don’t see myself with any options at this point. Most research opportunities are in the engineering school and the major networking events are geared towards the business students, which are the two most emphasized/lauded programs here.
U of I is also a huge party school (probably the most true thing when comparing the college admissions lore to my experience) which has been really fun, but is also problematic for me personally. This past spring semester I spent more time partying than I intended and my grades/GPA took a hit compared to fall semester. I know I should probably “just say no,” but it’s hard to do so when going out, alcohol, etc. is a cornerstone of the campus culture. I plan on regulating myself a lot more this upcoming fall and studying more, but there’s also not a ton of other things to do. It’s hard to get off campus without a car, and on campus activities are limited. Some nights I would find myself going to an orchestra concert followed by apartment parties or bars. I have been incredibly lucky to make close friends in a student-run theatre group and my sorority, but a large part of socializing in both circles involves partying. I don’t know how to get away from that.
Between AP credits and maximizing my course load each semester, I only have three semesters left at U of I. Is it worth it to just buckle down and finish my degree here, or should I try to transfer somewhere else? Ideally, I would want to attend a school in a city/with easy access to a city, strong career services, a wide variety of courses (at all levels) in the social sciences, and not a party culture. To me, it would be worth it to spend more time in undergrad if I truly enjoyed it and had employment or grad school options upon graduation. On the other side, I am an Illinois resident and am receiving a combination of scholarships and financial aid that has made college essentially free thus far, so leaving would be a sacrifice of those resources. My parents are supporting me (and are happy to do so), but cannot afford to pay for college on their own.
Thank you again for reading this remarkably long post and for your input on my situation. I’m always happy to offer advice too! 