I’m a second semester freshman in college and I’m very unhappy with my current situation. I’ve barely made any friends and the friends that I have made just hangout with their own groups of people and only talk to me when it comes to school. I spend almost all of my time doing homework and I go home most weekends. I tried joining clubs and I’ve made no friends from those either. I’m really depressed and lonely, I cry almost everyday when I’m at school. I feel like I should transfer to a school nearby home so I can just commute next year. The thing is, I feel like if I transfer I’m going to be giving up a really good opportunity because the schools close to home aren’t as good as the school that I go to now. I know that a website isn’t the best place to turn to, but any advice would be much appreciated.
All I can say is two things, others will hopefully offer some other ideas. One, on top of not having made friends, you’re probably homesick. Feeling homesick (which is a depression kind of feeling) is going to make everything else feel unbearable. Homesickness can get better, and then you will likely be able to hang in there and eventually will make friends. Secondly, of the people who have gone through this, so many who push through are so happy they did. Goodness, there was a great thread recently - I wonder if you could somehow find it…it was someone in London, I think who was miserable, and just wanted to go home. She updated the thread later to say she was SO happy, and loved being there. Point is, it can, and likely will get better. Oh, also, there was recently a thread with isolation, I think in the title (search for it) where people gave ideas to the poster on how to improve the friend situation.
Ok, ok, one more thing. 
Just know that neither staying nor transferring is about who you are. You can ultimately be the same happy, successful person you would’ve been with either choice.
Best of luck to you.
This is a tough time of year and you may feel overwhelmed with exams or in need of a spring break. Maybe you could do some research and hold off on decision making for now. Many kids find that after a while, they miss school when they go home on break. I know a girl who was miserable the first year and then wound up applying for grad school, just to stay! Study at the library, not alone in your room. Stay in town for a weekend or two. Hang in there- you got into that school because of your drive.
@captain1233 I would stop going home every weekend. You need time to adjust and you can’t do that by going home. You say you’ve tried clubs - what clubs? Something you are passionate about? Maybe try again… at some point you will meet like minded students and develop friends naturally - it does take time. It takes time to develop friendships, and I guarantee you are not the only one feeling that way - people often hide their true feelings and can be more lonely than you think! Hang in there! Talking to a college counselor can also be a great resource - they deal with this situation all the time and can help you think through your options.
A lot of clubs don’t meet enough to really harbor a relationship. This may be an unpopular opinion, but have you thought about a sorority? They sometimes get a bad rap but there is more than meets the eye to sororities. For one, if you did join one there is absolutely no way you will be friendless. And not only are you guaranteed to make friends, you WILL make life long friendships. They also focus on school work and scholarship. You must maintain a certain GPA. Lastly each sorority has a philanthropic focus. When you are out helping others you tend to feel less sorry for yourself.
@Goolia66 Or fraternity…
Or a job? Getting a job for the weekend will keep you on campus and you might meet some friends.
Right @Fishnlines29 . Not sure why I assumed female.
It can take time to settle in and find your groove. Going home almost every weekend is unlikely to help you feel part of campus. Not everyone sticks with the same friends they made freshman year. Things do shift around; there will be opportunities to break into and make new friend circles.
Getting a paying job, or a volunteer job or tutoring job is a good idea. One of my kids met a lot of people by doing some informal tutoring/homework help in Spanish. Another one of my kids met a lot of people when she started to work.
I’ve noticed the school one of my kids attends is already looking for students to help with admitted student days, then upcoming orientations in the summer.
I agree with the suggestions of seeking out counseling. Hang in there. Transferring is not guarantee that the problems will be solved.
How is your course of study going? Are you getting good grades? On track academically?
OP, I’m really sorry things are so tough. You are definitely not the only college freshman to have this experience and it doesn’t mean you aren’t a likeable person or that there’s something wrong with you.
You say that you’ve made hardly any friends, and that the friends you do have hang out with their own groups of people and only talk to you about classes. Have you tried asking those friends if they’d like to do something or other with you on a weekend? Maybe they stick with their own groups because they don’t feel like anyone else wants to do anything with them, but they might still be interested in going to a movie or something with you if you asked.
The other thing I would recommend is, frankly, that you learn to love your own company. I’m not saying it’s easy to feel good about doing things by yourself when everyone else seems to have friend groups that they hang out with, but it’s something you can start trying to do. What do you like to do? What are you interested in? Focus on doing things that make you happy and fulfilled, rather than on chasing down potential friends through clubs or other activities. In the end, we all have to be our own best friends and we all have to figure out what fulfills us, and you should start thinking about that now. Maybe your weekends can be spent mastering a particular skill or learning about a new subject. You are a smart and interesting person – you wouldn’t have been accepted to college if you weren’t – and you can be good company for yourself! (And once you learn that lesson, maybe others will learn it as well!)