To start off I’ve been to like 12 schools through my whole academic experience. And now I’m at a university that I really don’t like, but I attend here due to finacial issues. It’s a commuter college to with mostly adult students.
My high school I went is very prestigious, and we’ll for the 3 years I was there I didn’t have any friends. And most of the people that I went to school with ended up going to Mines, Yale, Darthmouth etc. They have Teslas and pretty much whatever rich kids have.I was always treated like an outcast by the students and teachers. And the people that I knew (we didn’t ever hang out or anything in high school) who ended up coming to the same college as me ditched me. They only decided to hang out with me for like a week till they found other people that went to my hugh school. After that, no one has contacted me.
So my issue now is that my school pretty much sucks. The clubs they have don’t really meet up, the academic advisors, registrar aren’t helpful r well put together. They don’t know what they’re doing. They have screwed up a lot with my stuff, they only time they were helpful was when I told them that I’ll be transferring from the school.
I did tour this school before I came here and didn’t like it, but I didn’t think I would attend…
And even my younger siblings make tease of me for attending this school.
I know no one here, there’s no social life. And my family and I are struggling financially. But I pretty much go to school for free here.
The teachers though are one of the only good things about this school.
If I decided go anywhere else, I wouldn’t be able to afford. At times I do feel like dropping out, but it’s not an option.
I know that people say that it doesn’t matter where you got to school, but I think that only matters to some extent.
I mean like the graduation rate at this school is 27%.
And I find it a struggle to actual do my school work; I feel worn out emotionally.
I’m a college freshman, and starting my 2nd semester.
Are you willing to share the name of your current school ? Would be helpful in order to offer meaningful advice with some context.
It’s Metropolitan State University of Denver
It’s Metropolitan State University of Denvrr
So you make your social life outside of college. You tell your siblings they’ll probabaly be in the same boat so they can put a sock in it. Free college is great. Your family can’t afford anything else. You make lemonade out of lemons. You’ll graduate debt free.
I had zero friends at my college. My whole social life revolved around my work friends. Get involved with volunteering in community activities, or a job, or a church group, or maybe take an evening art class,etc… College is first and foremost a place to be educated. Get educated, and make your social life outside of school.
I’m a college freshman 2nd semester too, also flat broke, so I feel you homie. You know what great about kids like us though is that we have no debt. My friend goes to UIUC, 10k in debt after one semester and absolutely hating it there cause he says he doesn’t vibe well with the kids.
My 2 cents are to be grateful for what you have. We are living the dream. Also, forget that graduation rate. The kids do poorly by messing around, which is why the rate is low, it’s not some lottery where they only pick 25% of the kids to graduate. Just work hard and enjoy harder
10K already after 1 semester, wow…And yeah I also figured the graduation rate is due to the kids not taking school seriously
Also, if the profs are better than anything else, why not see if you could get to know them better. Work with them in some capacity-maybe a independent study-might open up a whole 'nother world for you.
OP: Make the best of your current situation & earn outstanding grades while being debt free. Working hard & earning excellent grades should boost your self esteem. This is your life & your opportunity. What others think is irrelevant as you have presented it in this thread. Worrying about what others think is a common maturity issue–especially for those in their teens.
Maybe you need a change of pace. Finish out the academic year & then consider getting a full time job for a couple of years in a different state where you can become a resident & attend college for low in-state rates. Florida should be considered. Resident tuition is about $6,400 for an academic year at the major state universities.
You need to realize that you are in control of both your mood & your future. The harder you work, the happier you will be.
Is it really hard to get an independent study, especially as a freshman?
Are you in the honors college since you’re attending tuition free? Might you be able to join the Honors community (perhaps even the honors dorm?)
You can of course explore transferring. If your family is low income, Colorado College “meets need” - it might be worth it to send an application. However, be warned that lots of kids there are wealthy. The college IS well-run but look into their scheduling since it’s one of the ‘one course at a time’ colleges.
My high school counselor recommend it, but I didn’t think it would be worth it. I was considering Colorado College but was told by a college counselor that it’s really expensive. But I’ll consider both options again.
I am familiar with Colorado College. In my opinion, it would not be a fit for you even with full financial aid.
I like the idea of looking for a part-time job or a volunteer experience outside of the college community as a vehicle for making friends. I also think you should try to identify one person in each of your classes who looks like a possible friend and make an effort to engage with that person. It doesn’t matter if you don’t gel with most of the kids – you just need a few social connections to make it through. Good luck!
Academically and socially? I do think their academic system is a bit weird. I’m not sure if I would have a hard time with that.