I don't enjoy college the way everybody else does, why?

<p>I'm currently a sophomore at my state university, and I just don't know what to do anymore about the way I feel.</p>

<p>I like my school, but I am envious of my friends from home and their college experiences. Nothing here seems to match up to what they've got. Even their day to day average things seem thousands of times better than mine. I feel like I have nothing to contribute when we talk about school, and I just hate how jealous of them I am.</p>

<p>I just don't feel right, I like it here, but I want so much more, and as much as I would consider transferring, I can't afford a school that I'd dream to be at. I feel slightly anxious at school, and almost bipolar. One minute I feel fine and confident, the next I feel homesick and depressed. I miss home (even though it's an hour away) more than anything, and I've heard "maybe you should commute", but home without my friends who are all away just wouldn't be the same.</p>

<p>I just don't know what to do, I'm afraid to transfer and don't want to get my hopes up to find out after all that effort, credits wont transfer or it's still too expensive.</p>

<p>Dave, I can’t tell for sure from your posts. Are you unhappy with the social side of college? Specifically, friends to eat with, someone to hang out with on weekends, things to do on campus? And/or are you unhappy with the academics (maybe in the wrong major, classwork isn’t what you expected it to be, etc.)? Do you belong to any clubs or groups on campus at this time? How are your roommate relationships? Do you have a job on campus, and how is that?</p>

<p>One thing I will tell you is that other people may be talking up their college experiences, but it may not be as great as they say (or as exciting as their Facebook posts). People want to make things sound great when maybe they aren’t. And some people who are actually having a lot of fun have terrible grades, and either will end up dropping out or graduating with low GPAs and poor job prospects.</p>

<p>I went to a big state university, and had a lot of the same feelings you are having now. Sometimes I hated my classes, I had a hard time picking a major, and got locked out on the room draw sophomore year and ended up in a dorm way across campus from the people I hung out with freshman year. I joined one campus activity that took a TON of time and did it sophomore year, but decided I didn’t want my whole life to revolve around it, so didn’t do it after that. I can’t say that everything cleared up miraculously in junior year, but it did get better. I found a significant other that year, and got settled into my major and made more friends through having more classes with the same people. Senior year I was reunited with my freshman friends in co-op housing, and we finally mostly had that great time you are supposed to have in college. But I remember some really, really fun times… and some really lonely, frustrating times when I wondered what I was even doing there (and why did everyone say this was such a great school anyway?!?). So you aren’t the only one in this situation, even though some days it may feel like it!</p>

<p>I like the social aspect - for the most part. I have friends here that I enjoy hanging out with, but I compare them to my friends from home, and I don’t connect with them like I do with my friends from home (my roommates are all part of my group of friends). Their interests are just sort of different from mine, and I just miss my amazing friends.</p>

<p>I’m currently a business major, my classes are mostly 400 student classes, but I want a career outdoors later in life, so I feel like I’m barking up the wrong tree. But at the same time I’m trying to play it safe and get a versatile degree.</p>

<p>I’m not doing any clubs or anything at the moment, but I am looking for a job at the moment for this semester. </p>

<p>The thing that kills me though is that I know my friends aren’t talking up their experiences, they’re pursuing and excelling degrees they’re passionate about, friends they love, and schools they absolutely cannot stop talking about. Their job prospects are also incredible, they’ve really got it all planned out.</p>

<p>I just want something more, but I can’t make a decision about what I should do, and if I could I don’t think I’d be able to go to school on the other side of the country (I would love the west coast, right now I’m on the east coast) being that far away from home and my girlfriend.</p>