<p>The title pretty much sums it up. I am a freshman at a university in North Carolina where I am involved in many extracurricular activities including baseball, rugby and ROTC. I have met a lot of people but feel like I cannot call any of them friends. I don't feel at home, I'm confused about what I want as a career (nothing stands out for me, I just chose a major that I thought might interest me) and I am continually asking myself why my parents have to spend so much money (more than they have) for me to do something I am not enjoying in the least. They say college is supposed to be one of the best times of your life but I have found that there is never anything fun to do. I don't want to live with my parents forever and I don't want to work at a fast food chain but despite trying to remain optimistic, I can't understand why I would want to be here. Should I keep going to college?</p>
<p>Side notes: I am a good student making mostly As and I am not shy, but I don't feel welcomed here. I try to remember that only 5% of the people in this world get a chance at a college education but despite trying to not take the opportunity for granted, I am not happy always having my head in a book and never having fun.</p>
<p>If you’re really a freshman, you’ve only been there about a month. You may just be having some trouble adjusting to the new environment. Look for some additional activities where you will meet people and do fun things.</p>
<p>Honestly, your post is a little suspicious, because if you are really a freshman it would be unlikely that you would have chosen your major, or even that you’d have very many grades yet.</p>
<p>First of all, I’d say give it time. I assume you have been there for less than two months? Some people take longer to feel at home than others. Second, dropping out of college is not going to be better. Even if you really hate being at school, are there really any better alternatives? Plus, the value of a degree should be the reason you stay in college, if you can literally find nothing else. </p>
<p>To make your current life better, I’d suggest just trying something new. Join a new club, enroll in a class you wouldn’t normally take, go Greek if you still can, just try something you wouldn’t normally try. Once you discover something you really enjoy, you’ll have more fun. :)</p>
<p>It takes time to make good friends…and you’ve only been at college for a few weeks. Friendships will develop over time, thorugh activities and classes you will find kindred souls. Don’t worry about a major yet…the average c
ollege student changes majors at least twice, so a lot of students obviously go in to college thinking they have it all figured out…but really don’t once have such a wide range of opportunities available to sample. One of my sons started out as a finance major…he was doing well but didn’t love it, now he is majoring in public policy. Another of my sons started out as an international marketing major…now he is majoring in behavioral economics. Neither knew that their current major even existed when they were seniors in high school picking their “major.”</p>
<p>Lighten up on yourself and your expectations of yourself at this point (obviously keep up the grades) and let things evolve for a while.</p>
<p>I’m a parent now, but I can remember, in vivid detail, the adjustment period I had as a Freshman. My negative feelings about school started with an uncompatible roommate. As soon as I made a switch at the semester break, things all changed for the better. Touch bases with your RA and then go talk to someone at the counseling department. The school is competent in dealing with these issues. You are not alone. Good luck.</p>
<p>You seriously think it’s hard adjusting to college? Give me a break. There are so many more difficult things to do in the world and you should really just suck it up. The last thing you should do is complain on CC about it.</p>
<p>boyzx3 and jshain, thank you for the encouraging words.</p>
<p>Tomwolfe, You should read threads before you post. I stated I did not want to drop out and work a crappy job and I try not to take the opportunity for granted. I was simply looking for tips to adjust quicker. Secondly, you really don’t know people’s situations by reading a paragraph about them, dont criticize when you’ve never been in their shoes. The most you should do on these forums is offer constructive criticism and advice, as the other replies have done.</p>
<p>A lot of people hate college early on. I hated my school for the first few months, but I met the right people. College is about finding out what you want to do, plenty of people don’t know what they want to do until a year or two into school. Don’t be so dramatic. There are plenty of threads about this.</p>
<p>Tiff, you contradicted yourself in saying that I am being “dramatic”. You state that a lot of people feel the same way, so evidently it’s not being “dramatic,” and instead a common feeling. I have read multiple threads concerning people not enjoying college but I considered my unique in that I am becoming involved with everything I have time for and I still don’t feel comfortable. I think I’m being misunderstood in the fact that I am not whining (although, I agree my first post came across that way) I’m just trying to see what other people have done with similar freshman experiences. There are multiple routes for me outside of higher education and I am using this thread (and many other conversations with my family/advisors) to decide whether I should go down these paths or obtain a degree at this point in my life.</p>
<p>^Being dramatic in your sentiments and sharing those sentiments with many people are not mutually exclusive. But, I do get what you are saying. Consider whether you will regret not having a degree later if you drop out, and what your attitude would be like when it comes to perhaps trying college again at a later time.</p>
<p>Nothing I said indicated that I didn’t read your post, but ok. It’s funny to look on the college life forums and see all these people complaining about living away from home for the first time. Do you think it’s hard moving to another state to go to college? Try my situation: I’m a senior in high school and I’m living in Wroclaw, Poland, in a small communist-era apartment and going to a Polish high school for the year. I don’t understand the language at all and I’m completely uprooted from all of my comfort zones. I felt homesick for the first few days I’ve been here, but after two months I’m not at all because I sucked it up and realized that I decided to do this and I have to live with my choices - now I love it. You should do the same with college. It’s not as terrible as you think it is.</p>
<p>collegekid278, ignore tiff90, she really contributes absolutely nothing to these forums and thinks she’s always right.</p>
<p>it takes time to adjust, that’s for sure. you definitely need to keep giving it a chance, but what i was wondering is if there’s a specific reason you’re not clicking with the people in ROTC or rugby or your other extracurrics? if you can find a reason i’m sure it’ll help. it’s weird because my best friend out here is someone i would’ve never hung out with in high school, and originally i didn’t really give him a chance but as soon as i did, i realized that he was one of the coolest people i’d met. it takes time though</p>
<p>I think you just need a group of close knit friends. Have you ever thought about joining a Frat or other club? It is a great way to meet people with common interests.</p>
<p>You’re right. Giving advice to people by citing a similarity and offering an opinion based on experience, to a poster who is obviously a little “antsy,” is not contributing to this forum. Offering advice to someone is obviously not benefiting anyone else. You are so insightful.</p>
<p>you’re worthless. was that line necessary? no it wasn’t. you don’t need to be so condescending. your advice was complete ****, and in every thread you come off as a pompous, all-knowing hooker who has clearly gone through every single experience prior to the age of 25 and knows everything this world has to offer.</p>
<p>get off your high horse and get a reality check you dumb ****</p>