Look, awhile ago I got accepted into some great schools and got a bunch of rejections from even greater schools. Fact is, between the rejections and the financial aid not working and absolutely no support from anyone I’m going to my safety school. I thought I was over all of the rejections and I figured going to my safety would be fine, but the closer I get to the first day, the more I’m dreading it. I know this sounds stupid/pathetic, whatever. I’m sure it won’t be so bad when I get started, I just hate that this is what happened. How did someone else in this situation accept the fact they’re going to their safety?
While I have not experienced your situation first hand, I know people who have. Whatever your safety school is, there is a reason the school exists. There is a draw, and people want to go there. It’s just a matter of finding what that draw is and indulging yourself into it. I implore you not to move in with the “this is my safety school” mindset. You’ll be happier with a more positive one. If in the end you decide the school is still not right for you, just keep your grades up and there is always the transfer route. Best of luck.
My daughter had to go to her least favorite option and was determined to be miserable . And she was for the first semester because she she set herself up to be.
And then in spite of herself she found some wonderful friends and realized that life wasn’t so bad. Graduated three years ago and stepped into the perfect job in the perfect location. Still gets together about once month with 6 besties from school who chose to stay within a few hours of each other.
You can choose to be miserable or you can choose to go to college grateful for any opportunity for an education and looking for friends instead of looking at everyone with sustain simply for being there.
Getting a college education in this fine country remains a privilege and if you can get one that you can afford, try to appreciate that. You may not be getting the glamorous brand name you might have been seeking, and you may still be hurting from the experience of being rejected for the first time in your life and that is tough. The bottom line is still the bottom line, you will get out of it what you put into it, no matter where you go.
Every college has some great opportunities, some great people, and some great professors. Maybe you won’t find them as readily as you would have at another school (although honestly, I doubt it) but you can still have a great time.
Blasted autocorrect. I meant distain of course. You will find plenty of people in a similar state as you at your school. Many bright students can’t afford more prestigious schools or who applied to the wrong ones or who want to save money for grad school.
It’s okay to feel disappointed that you didn’t get what you want. That’s completely normal. But you’ve had your time to grieve, and now, it’s time to pick yourself up and start looking forward to the fantastic opportunities you will be able to get–opportunities that many young adults can’t even dream of. Start looking for what your school has to offer and challenge yourself to take advantage of as many of them as you can.
If you want to challenge yourself academically, then look to see if there’s an honors college or honors classes. Look to see if you could eventually take graduate level courses when you are an upperclassman. Are you able to skip lower level classes with AP or transfer credit so that you can start taking more advanced classes? Are there seminar style classes that let you delve into a topic with a smaller group of like-minded individuals? Look for research and internship opportunities on or near campus and start working towards them. If you really don’t like the area you are in, you can apply for summer internship or research programs in other cities or at other universities. Do you want to study abroad? Start looking into how you can make that happen. Some schools have exchange programs with other universities or can help you set up internships in other cities. Look into what clubs are offered and what events are throughout the year. If you’re not satisfied with them, maybe you can start a new club or join the student government to start to plan bigger and better events next year. If you really are ahead of the pack academically and socially (which is what many students may, sometimes erroneously, think when they go to their safety school), then you’ll have the time to get a job, which will give you the opportunity to meet more people, get some work experience, and save up money–perhaps to help with a fun spring break trip!
Be proactive about it, and work hard to make your life the experience you want it to be. It’s okay to sometimes feel like the grass is greener at another school, but not if it prevents you from having a good time where you are. And you can have a wonderful time where you are, and your school can help you get to where you want to be after you graduate, if you work towards it.