<p>I am a freshman and I have been at my school for a little over three weeks now. I have had an awful experience so far, I socially feel like I am not fitting in with the people, the party scene is not what I was hoping for, the academics are extremely challenging and very overwhelming. I just recently went to the counseling center at my school and was told that I have moderate depression. It makes sense because I have cried everyday that I have been here and have really started losing motivation to get my work done and I cannot pay attention in class. </p>
<p>I was hopeful in the beginning, I am part of two clubs, I have been introducing myself to people, and trying all the things that people recommend I do to try and get more adjusted. But no matter what I do I constantly have the gut feeling that I am in the wrong place and it makes me feel very scared and very trapped. </p>
<p>My original goal was to work hard and focus on my grades this semester so that I could transfer, but as each day goes on I start feeling more and more scared about staying here for the rest of the semester. I have started to fall behind on my school work and now I am worried that my grades wont even be good enough to transfer schools. I am so incredibly confused and I just don't know what to do. Would leaving college mess up my future?</p>
<p>I am sorry you are having a tough time right now. If it is past your school’s official “drop date”, and you leave school, you need to understand that at this point your family or you could end up owing the school for the entire semester’s worth of tuition and room/board. At this point, it would be better for you to muster every ounce of courage you have, and go to every class. Make regular appointments at your school’s counseling center to get help during this semester, and make up any work you have missed. The counselor you work with can communicate with professors so that they will understand you are having difficulty and things can be salvaged. If you wait much longer, your grades may not be salvageable, so work on this immediately. Sometimes in life, things don’t turn out exactly as we expect or hope; you have to learn to persevere and make lemonade from lemons. The experience of going to college and meeting new people, learning new things, will be important no matter whether you transfer or not down the road. Look at this as a part of your journey and try to make the most of it. Eat well so you stay physically healthy, get some exercise, and try to relax a little about things. Just do the best you can, and give yourself some more time to begin to get used to things as they are now. Find something you enjoy about each day, whether it’s the funny conversation you had at lunch, or the great lecture a professor gave. Just make the goal of finishing the semester so you don’t take a financial hit. You can decide whether to return to school or not at the end of the semester. Good luck!</p>
<p>^ Great advice. At the same of that you try mightily to keep up in classes (could you drop or withdraw from at least one to lighten your load?), find out immediately if you can drop the entire semester, get out of your housing contract, and minimize any financial hit due to your documented medical condition (depression, adjustment disorder, or…?). Call financial aid counselor and your academic advisor to find out. Then, you’ll have full info upon which to make a decision. BTW, immediately meet with each of your profs to discuss your progress. You’re going to be OK. </p>
<p>Also, consider contacting disability services. With a diagnosis of depression, you might be entitled to some accommodations for your class work to help you salvage classes you are getting behind in. </p>
<p>The diagnosis of depression is being tossed around to lots of freshman right now at many universities. Take it with a grain of salt. For most people, going from high school to college might be the greatest social adjustment they ever make their entire life. New friendships take time to develop. </p>
<p>You’re observations are correct, the majority of the people at your school will likely be from the south, mainly the Carolinas. These are good people, but you’ve likely never met people like them and they’ve never met someone like you either. Realize and take advantage of this opportunity to get to know them and you’ll grow as a person and be wiser for the experience.</p>
<p>I would suggest you make sure you know the answer to this question: what do I want to get out of my college experience? You’ve focused entirely on social aspects in your posts. Do you have academic aspirations?</p>
<p>You’re social aspirations seem to be describing what one might typically find at a university with more than 10,000 students. You’re at a university with under 3,000. A large university will have greater social opportunities and greater flexibility in majors as well. </p>
<p>The university has already collected their money from you for the semester. Therefore, if I were you I would definitely not consider dropping out. I would stay. Learn from your professors. Learn how to study. Learn from your peers. Learn how to make friends from strangers. If you transfer later, you’ll need all of these skills anyway.</p>
<p>If you haven’t told your parents how you feel, now would be a good time. This is one of those situations where sooner is better than latter.</p>