Considering transferring

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am currently a freshman in college. My school is on the quarter system, which I really dislike. The quarter system has the pros of letting us change classes often, which is good early on when you're still trying to figure out what you want to study and when you're in a class that you hate, so it's over more quickly. However, it has some drawbacks, including a heavy emphasis on 2 or 3 tests making up your grades for a quarter. I've only been here for one quarter, but I've found it difficult to make connections with professors due to the short length of our time with any professor. It also seems to me that we have more work here, since professors try to squeeze as much as they can into any quarter, since quarters are about 5 weeks shorter than semesters (This notion I've gotten from talking to friends at comparable Semester-based schools). The result I've found is a culture of studying that focuses on cramming. In a semester, the students have more time to absorb all the information, while I feel that the quarter system is forcing me to cram a ton just so I can make decent grades.</p>

<p>I've been thinking about transferring to a semester-based school, which I think would be a better fit for me, as it fits my studying style more, and I feel it would provide me with more opportunities to participate in clubs without feeling like my grades will suffer. And I would consider transferring to a school a bit closer to home (I live in the Northeast, while my current school is in the Midwest), which would make travel a lot easier and cheaper. Plus, I would consider trying to transfer into an undergraduate business school, since that's my intended major. I would also look for a school with more clubs and intramural sports that I am interested in, since I've had a tough time finding those things here (the sports I like don't have intramural teams, and a LOT of the clubs you have to apply into)</p>

<p>However, the truth is that I don't hate my school. I don't love it, either. I like the people here, the I like the setting of the school, and my grades are good. The thought of going through the application, decision, and adjustment processes again scares me. And since my school is on the quarter system, transferring credits won't be easy, and I really want to graduate on time and study abroad.</p>

<p>It's a tough decision to make, and I know it is my decision to make, but what do you all think?</p>

2

<p>I agree that that the quarter system has the pros and cons that you mention. One way to deal with it is to take fewer intense classes in a quarter so you have more time to absorb the semesters’ worth of material: no more than 3 + a mick. It will keep you sane and give you time to develop relationships with faculty. Trying to take the same number of intense classes that you would have taken if you had semesters doesn’t make sense.</p>

<p>Because you aren’t finding the sports and activities you have loved in the past, you may have to try finding some new one that you haven’t done before. I realize that’s not hugely satisfying but it’s really your only option right now. At a minimum, it is a way to connect with people, learning something new and get some exercise. </p>

<p>Finally, many freshman find the reality of their college experience to be quite different from the experience they expected (especially if they were expecting a ‘dream school’ which is, as it turns out, just a dream). The disconnect can be disheartening - until they have time to develop a new set of more realistic expectations. Changing schools can be a change for the better - but because there is no control group, there is no way to know if those folks would have found their niche at the school they were originally in if they had given it more time. Rather than decide now, why not invest yourself totally in the current school and decide at the end of the year if you want to continue?</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the advice, M’s Mom. A concern of mine right now is also if I should just apply to transfer since many schools don’t offer spring admission, and I wouldn’t want to transfer after my sophomore year. If I were to submit applications for fall admission now, I wouldn’t have to decide until the end of this school year. What do you think?</p>