Help!! Want to get that "real" college experience

<p>sup guys, been lurking the forum for a while now, with random questions i've had about college, but this is my first post.
Anyway, currently i am about to start my 3rd quarter this fall at the community college I have been going to since january of this year. I graduated high school early (in december) and started college the month after that.
So I've ALWAYS wanted that REAL college experience. You know, meeting new people, living in dorms, partying, and just starting that whole new chapter in life. Ive always wanted to go to UCSB or Chico (or another school that has a great social life and that great college feel, but mostly UCSB), but since I am going to a community college now, I have to transfer. I am just worried that I am not going to get that "real" college experience if i am a transfer student. I am going down to santa barbara this weekend because my friend is getting situated there because he is going to start school this fall at SBCC. I have been there before and love it there.
My friend even told me that if your a transfer student you miss out on the whole social part of it and when you transfer there by the time you junior year comes, there is no/not as much partying/etc. I'm now thinking if I should just transfer to SBCC altogether next year and then go to UCSB after that? My main point is that I am really worried I wont get that college experience if i transfer to SB. Can someone clear that up for me?
sorry for the bad spelling and grammar lol i know this is a college forum but im in a rush so dont judge lol</p>

<p>If you hang out with people in your classes, you’ll likely end up partying less, yes. Once people get over how exciting it is to be away from home and able to do whatever they want, they settle down and stop caring about that sort of thing as much, and start focusing on their studies. If you don’t mind hanging out with people who are younger than you, you’ll still be able to party - it’s just a matter of finding those people, as they likely won’t be in the same residences or classes as you. However, you’ll want to be careful about it, as you’ll be adjusting to a new school and higher-level courses, and won’t want to let your grades slip too much, as that should still be your primary focus.</p>

<p>It sounds like you just want to have the partying experience. I have two kids in 4-year universities-UCD and SUNY Buffalo. They go through the “social” aspect during the first week of freshman orientation and meet their peers and dorm mates in activities scheduled by the RA’s. Most of these kids are 17, 18 and 19. Usually, Housing puts new freshman on the same dorm floors so they are all in the same boat, new and seeking age level friends. </p>

<p>Transfers aren’t really in the same category because their housing is usually in a different area than the freshmen. Also, a lot of the kids change their housing requests to apartments after the first year. </p>

<p>The students spend time together their first year bonding and learning their way around the campus, doing laundry, and developing study groups based on their major and where they live. “I’m in Tercero and my BF is in Segundo” Once that newness is over, they get down to studying because they are there to get an education and, consequences of too much partying at a UC or SUNY will decrease their grades causing no financial aid or being dismissed by the uni.</p>

<p>I’m going to transfer next year.
I’m 22 years old and I’m done with the whole partying scene. I’m glad I got it out of my system during my years at community college. Bars and going out to eat with friends is a lot more fun really. When I’m trying to say, is that you’ll probably get over it once you actually transfer and/or turn 21. Depending on how long it takes you.</p>

<p>You know, I’m not trying to be rude, but to be blunt, I don’t think partying experience is a good reason for transfer. And coming from my experience who spent the entire first semester in college in a constant and valiant struggle against the sobriety, it’s nowhere as good as they it sound, and you get tired of it quicker than you’d assume. Random sex and binge drinking sounds all good and fun, but they’re exhausting, detracting, and most of all, pointless in the end, and most people realize it by the end of their freshman year. There’s a reason why college society looks at upperclassmen hanging around in frat parties with disdain. </p>

<p>That being said, unless party scenes is an exclusive part of ‘social scene’ you’re talking about, there’s still a lot of room for socializing even when you’re a transfer. You can still partake in club activity or befriend people in your dorms, and do stuffs with them. And if you ask me, that’s truly the best thing about college social scene; there is no mainstream, large group of ‘cool kids’ that are center of the social life. You meet and chill with people you want and are able to relate with. If you’re out for drinks, taverns and pubs are far better than frats to begin with, and that’s something you can enjoy much more when you’re past your partying stage of college life.</p>

<p>being a transfer student, how is it when u transfer to the UC though? will i still get to live in dorms? get the social experience? meet new ppl? will more people around me be in my same situation. thanks for the input guys, made me re-think</p>

<p>When I was in college, my friends and related party scene was all from the contacts I made in the music performance groups I was in at the college–all for no credit (tho by audition only and very competitive). Later, I also made a lot of friends through both an honor society and the college newspaper. For the honor society the friendships and “college experience” wasn’t from being in the group but from VOLUNTEERING constantly for the different projects–blood drive coordination, habitat for humanity, park clean-ups, etc. I really never hung out with my freshman dorm mates after freshman year except for the one who also was in a music group.</p>

<p>My daughter is in college and has never done the dorm thing–and she has a gazillion friends–through college choir and musicals. Also thru her part-time job she made friends and also church and other volunteer activities.</p>

<p>My son is in college and he doesn’t hang out much with his freshman dorm/hall mates. He rushed a frat (I was actually really surprised) and moved into a geeky but party-heavy frat his sophomore year. So again, the dorm has little to do with his social life but the frat ended up being a hang out spot. He also has a girlfriend and hangs out with his girlfriend’s friends. He goes to a UC.</p>

<p>I can’t say this enough–join clubs, groups, musical ventures, newspaper, environ groups, etc and get involved. This is where 90% of your friends and party invites will come from–NOT the dorm.</p>