I’m a junior at an Ivy League school (majoring in CS), however I’m considering transferring somewhere. It’s been quite difficult socially for me and I’ve been struggling with focus and motivation, which I believe is largely driven by a lack of interest in what my school has to offer academically and extracurricularly (and I really don’t feel like I fit into the general vibe/culture on campus, which I’ve tried to change, but to little avail). I feel like if I stick it out for three more semesters, majoring in something I don’t particularly enjoy (but don’t really have time to change), it will be miserable and difficult. But I realize it’s hard to transfer at this point and my grades aren’t great (3.0 gpa) - I’d probably have to take an extra semester or entire extra year to complete enough credits at another school to transfer there, but some might not even allow that? Are there any schools that allow senior-year transfers? Would it even make sense to consider it at this point, or should I stick it out and graduate where I am (with an Ivy League degree, even if it’s painful)?
Stick it out. Your career doesn’t need to be related to your major. Find something that makes you happy outside of academics. Get regular exercise. The next 3 semesters will go by quickly. Not everyone loves the college they attend.
Could you get the classes you need if you spent your senior fall abroad or on a domestic exchange? Two more semesters with a complete change of scene in between might be a more tolerable concept than three more semesters where you are, and still yield the same degree.
You haven’t described your finances. I think for me, the out-of-pocket would influence the decision. After all, you can get a job with a computer science degree from anywhere. If I were full-paying for that Ivy, I think I would seriously considering not going back this spring - take the spring semester off (get a job and take a break and regroup), submit transfer applications, and start as a junior transfer at an in-state public U in the fall. It would only be one extra semester in that case, and those four hopefully-happier semesters would still cost much less than the three full-pay Ivy semesters. On the other hand, I had fantastic financial aid at the Ivy and transferring would mean taking a financial hit, I’d think harder about sticking it out.
But I do think that if you want to transfer, I think it makes sense to take a LOA this spring so as not to get all the way to senior status and have to put the additional time in anyway to meet a new school’s residency requirement. And taking a semester off wouldn’t immediately burn the bridge of going back. Taking a LOA to regroup and consider your options isn’t that unusual and isn’t necessarily a bad idea.
What’s your home state? Is there a public U there with a solid CS program, where you think you’d be happier?
I’m from New York and not on financial aid
You need to be working with counselors in the career center about your future. If you don’t enjoy CS then I imagine you haven’t been doing the independent projects that stand out when you apply for full-time work after graduation, perhaps are not doing summer internships. This is going to make it harder for you to find work after college; employers that care to look will gravitate towards those entranced by the field.
And it doesn’t get better once you graduate. Even if your Ivy CS degree opens doors to a job, a lack of motivation is going to stop you from spending the extra time it takes to get promoted (or perhaps even retained). CS jobs are not a 9-5 job.
Well, you’re paying a lot per semester if you’re not sure this is what you want.
I do agree, though, that it’s hard to tell how much of your discontent is about the school, and how much is about the major.
Maybe look for a blended major - either at your current school or not - that would incorporate the CS training you’ve had so far but round it out with background in another area? For example, a lot of schools have cognitive science majors that include a CS sequence but also explore psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and philosophy. A lot of CogSci grads still work in CS or adjacent fields like UX, as long as they’ve acquired the necessary skill-set. There are also various CS+X majors at a number of schools, where the core CS curriculum is blended with another concentration of interest.
But it’s hard to tell from your post what you would like better in a major or in a college. Also hard to tell whether you could be dealing with some depression that depletes your ability to enjoy pursuits and situations that might not be fundamentally wrong for you at all. Life isn’t a race - if you need some time for self-care and reflection and research and exploration… that can be a better choice than forging grimly ahead and missing a lot of the payoff that you’re theoretically there for. There’s value in an ivy league (or any) degree, sure; but that’s not the only value you’re supposed to be getting for your 70K+/year.