So I’m seeing a lot of posts regarding lonely freshmen second-guessing the college they have chosen to attend. I’d like to start off by saying that although I’m a freshman, I’m not lonely - I have a lovely, diverse group of friends; I get along great with my roommates, and I love the city/environment I am in.
However.
I’m not sure if the college itself is the right match for me, academically-speaking.
I’ve tried talking to my academic advisor, and she suggested that I take more classes to challenge myself, but I’m concerned about the quality, not the quantity. The program itself is somewhat fast-paced and I’m taking 6 courses, yet the academic classes feel boring, and nothing seems like new information. Every assignment feels like it’s just busy work and that I’m not really gaining anything out of them. I understand that freshman year comes with a lot of “core” classes, but it feels like by this point, I should have learned at least something new or interesting. I’ve even sat in on some upper-level courses, and while the course materials seem somewhat more interesting, the student discussions and assignments are just as bland as they are now. I’ve also looked into supervised independent study, but it’s only available for juniors and seniors.
Is it me? Did I enter college with my expectations set too high? Am I complaining too much about the little things? I really want to love my college, because I love everything else, as mentioned in the beginning, but time and time again I just feel miserable with the academic aspect. 
Does anybody have suggestions on what I should be asking myself in order to decide if this is the right college for me? Or maybe questions I can further ask my advisor? Or just advice in general? Thank you 
A lot of this is probably because you are a freshman. Students arrive at university with a range of preparedness. They don’t want to lose the students who are not quite as far ahead. Classes will get more difficult and more interesting as you get into your upper year classes.
You probably should talk to your professors, particularly in subject areas where you are most likely to have an interest. They can suggest additional work that you might like, and they can also suggest classes that you might want to take in future years. They might be able to suggest research opportunities. Most if not all professors are much more advanced than would be needed to teach a freshman year class, and they can suggest ways to make things more interesting.
You posted that you are in college in Germany. What university? What is your major? German universities are quite different than American schools.
@TomSrOfBoston I study at one of Germany’s top 10. I plan to major in Political Science/International Relations but haven’t officially declared it yet.
Have you spoken with the profs in your field to explore potential internships or volunteer work that might set you up for future career possibilities? If your classes aren’t that difficult, you probably have some time to do outside activities that could be more interesting and have long term potential for you.
My kid found the European uni she attended for a semester as a directly enrolled student to be kind of like that, too. She found the material less robust and class discussions somewhat lackluster compared to her US college.
I agree with speaking to your professors about this, it perhaps may give you more perspective on the future.
Thank you for your answers and insight! I’ve decided to wait past freshman year before deciding if I want to transfer, and I plan to speak with my professors as well.
Can you add a minor in something you’re interested in? Perhaps a language or music to keep yourself amused while you continue to work in your “real” major.
I definitely second @stradmom’s advice regarding volunteer/internship opportunities–if you were a STEM student I’d be saying “get involved in research” and this is the same case. Also seconding the suggestion from @StPaulDad. Foreign language in particular (as a second major or a minor) will definitely help a Political Science/International Studies student in the long run, especially with the fluency and deep vocabulary that comes from academic study of a language.
I’d second the idea of gaining experiences outside the class. But my suggestion is a bit different because I would recommend (at least considering the possibility of) choosing additional experiences or classes that add a skill set/ability that is unusual for someone with your “major” or focus of study. So I might reverse the situation described by GoatGirl19". For example, if in the humanities, you might seek out as much math or CS or related experiences possible. I’d normally say if in STEM consider a second language but if you are in Germany, you already have at least one and probably many under your belt-and if you are staying in Germany being multilingual won’t set you apart. But that’s the general idea-to develop a skill set that brings desirable skills to settings that need them but where students often lack them.
If you want the kind of engagement you refer to, the odds are low that you will find it in a German university: for the most part, it’s not what they do, and especially not in the first year when you are being put through an assembly line. That is not a random analogy: a body of knowledge has been identified as being the essentials for the degree you are pursuing, and in a very traditional mind set, that knowledge is being imparted to the students.
I will be happily surprised if your professors will have much to offer. This is part of the trade-off: near free tuition- but much less interaction (esp at the lower levels). That is both practical (providing interaction costs) and philosophical (as above).
@lostaccount & @GoatGirl19, your ideas of doing things outside of the course are good, but almost certainly would have to be outside of the university. It would be very unusual for a student to be able to take classes in another discipline. In Germany, as in most European universities you typically apply directly to a specific subject course, and the structure is very restrictive (usually no options in Y1, a few choices from a shortlist of relevant classes in Y2 & Y3; but often independent study if there is a Y4).
Thank you all for adding to this! It’s all very helpful advice, considering how I’m the first in the family to attend a 4-year univeristy (and internationally, at that).
I’m currently taking two foreign languages.
@collegemom3717 Yes, that’s correct for most all European schools. However, my particular program is interdisciplinary and based off the American college structure, so the engagement and such is there, I’m just not sure if the academic content and opportunities themselves are up to par!
Okay, so new question: I’ve been reading some old threads and other sources, and the consensus seems to either be 1) Stick with the school, maximize your opportunities
2) If the school isn’t fulfilling your academic needs, then it’s time to transfer
If after my freshman year and I still find things too easy, how do I decide which path to take?
And hypothetically speaking, if I were to be the “big fish in a small pond,” what would be the cost-benefit analysis of this? I realize college is a time for both personal AND academic growth, and I just want to be able to get the most out of my time and education!
No, your expectations are not too high. Are all of the courses you are taking part of a prescribed set of requirements that you need? Are there honors-level classes that you can take?
At many schools, freshman can take upper-division classes with the permission of the instructor and/or if you have met some of the pre-requisites (or if you can make the case that you have things in your background that meet the same goals as those pre-requisites.) Perhaps this might be an option for you?
And while it is indeed the case that supervised independent study classes are generally for juniors and seniors, if you can get a faculty member that is willing to work with you, you might be able to do that (I know that my D did a 2-quarter independent study last year as a freshman). She also took classes with both upper-level undergraduates and graduate students as a freshman.
And while @collegemom3717 may be correct about the issue of the trade-off between cost and professor-student interaction, it is often the case that professors might be willing to think outside the box and work with a motivated student that wants to put in the work. My DH is a professor at a large public university and I know that he would welcome that kind of interaction with students. After all, professors are people too. (And one hopes that they have chosen to become teachers because they enjoy teaching.)
If, on the other hand, you feel that the overall atmosphere of the school is not “intellectual” enough for you or that you will not be challenged enough moving forward, perhaps you might indeed want to consider a transfer. The fact that you didn’t find discussions in the upper division classes particularly stimulating doesn’t bode well moving forward. I know that this was a very important criterion that my daughter used in picking a school and it has served her well. Being a big fish in a small pond can get pretty old pretty quickly. You need a pond that is large enough for you to grow with plenty of fish of varying sizes.
I don’t know what the timeline is for schools in Germany, but the application dates and deadlines for transfer students tent to be later than they are for freshman applicants. Might you want to consider applying now for next year rather than waiting another year?
How long is your program? Many European programs are shorter than American programs (3 years rather than 4) and tend to be less broad and more focused on one’s major field of study. Is this the case at your institution?
My program is 4 years.
Thank you for your insight @LoveTheBard! Your (and everyone’s) advice has added a lot of perspective. Now I have a better idea of what to do/where I want to be.
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