<p>Hey everbody...I have been a lurker here since...I guess my junior year in high school? Anyway, I am now a freshman at a top 15 LAC. I am not here because I wanted to go here, but because I was well, I hate to say it, but forced to come here by my parents because of an extremely generous financial aid package. I have no idea what I want to do with my life (I had wanted to take a year off after high school, but that was a no-no to my parents.) and I feel as though I lack focus. Most of the people at my school now are extremely bright and focused, that's what got most of them here in the first place. I just feel like I'm not getting the most out of being here. I'm not taking advantage of opportunities that I know I should not be wasting. To get to the point, I've been thinking that maybe I should go finish the year at a community college (People have said that NJ pays everything for top HS students going to CC...) and try to figure out what I want. Maybe even stay there next year and then transfer to a more prestigious? school. Although, I don't even know if I want that. I guess what I want right now is to figure out who I am, what I want, and where I am going. I think I can do that just as well at a community college as I can here (and...for less money). What do you guys think?</p>
<p>sounds like an ok plan. Although going to ccc is somewhat depressing for most people and it's not really the place where u'll find a lot of motivated people w/ clear goals in life. </p>
<p>I don't really understand too much about lac schools.</p>
<p>I think you should stay, as most people go through the same thing during their first few semesters in college. Sure, CC might save you some money, but then you have to go through the application process all over again and may end up in a school you may not even like. Give it some time, I'm sure things will change once you start seeing ways to match your interests with careers.</p>
<p>Your chances at transferring to a "more prestigious" school will be better if you can do well at your LAC, anyway. So give it some time. You can always transfer as a junior when you need to declare your major, or take a year off between sophomore and junior year and then transfer... What school are you at? (might be one I'm looking at)</p>
<p>yes, do tell us what school you're at.</p>
<p>heh i wasn't going to say at first, but then i remembered how ummm annoyed i get when other people don't say what school they are talking about/currently out...SOOO in order to not be hypocritical - I'm at W & L</p>
<p>hey hindsight, i'm also from jersey, going to a top lac, and was thinking about the same thing. i think, however, i'm going to stay put and finish the year here. it's not that i hate it (i go to colby btw), it's just that i'm not getting any financial aid. i'm going to apply for transfer to tcnj. we'll see.
anyway, to your "dilemma." i feel like community colleges are undervalued in new jersey, and the nj stars program does in fact allow you to attend one for free if you graduated in the top 20 percent of your class, which i assume you did if you're at w & l. i see no reason, especially if you're unhappy at w&l, not to consider a community college. as long as you do very well (maintain a 4.0 or very close to it), i'm sure you'll be able to transfer into a "good" school. also, you could possibly qualify for free tuition at tcnj or rutgers afterward too. something to consider. good luck with everything!</p>
<p>Oncearunner, I have a couple of friends at TCNJ (although you probably do too since you're from NJ) and they seem to really like it...most of them are in the honors program and they have honors housing and everything and I'm guessing you'd probably be in that batch too. The only person I know that doesn't really like it is this one kid who didn't get into NYU so I think he is bitter heh Yeah, I hate how communities colleges tend to have just a negative stigma where we come from. The seem to be so much more widely accepted and used to their fullest advantage in a lot of other places. It's not that I hate W & L either. I just feel like it's not where I belong...it's not where I'm supposed to be. If anything, I feel like it's a wonderful school and I'm incapable of using its many resources... maybe I'll come back after winter break with a clearer focus? I think I partially am getting frustrated because I haven't been able to get into any of the classes I want so I'm like...ummm then what's the point? I'm so jealous of all those people who are taking classes that they are truly interested in lol</p>
<p>Yeah, from what I've heard, most people at TCNJ seem to really like it. Of course, by not going there right out of high school, I missed out on the opportunity to pay just 4000 a year and get a free laptop, but tuition is still less than half of that of Colby. If you really feel that strongly about W&L, I think you should consider the community college route until you have your head on straight. My biggest problem now with the TCNJ thing is the supposed greater prestige of Colby, but when I think about it more, I keep going back to the fact that it really doesn't matter. Besides, very few people in NJ have heard of Colby anyway, and TCNJ is really a pretty good school. Good luck with everything!</p>
<p>Hindsight, what about discussing with your advisor and parents the possibility taking a semester (or two) off? You ought to really consider the whether you really ought to give up your admission at a really good school to figure out what you want, if you don't have to. What if you figure out that you were really better off there? Or hate community college or the profs or other students or being at home etc. And the fact that you might not be able to transfer to a better school later.</p>
<p>Perhaps your parents thought that once you were at school you'd come around, if they understand that those feelings haven't gone or have even intensified, they might come around.</p>
<p>Mhc48 - Yes, I think my parents definately thought that I would come around and be happy after being here... I also think that they now see how that was a mistaken assumption to say the least hehe </p>
<p>I had mentioned maybe taking a leave of absence to try and figure things out, but then I was like "Well, shouldn't I just stay then and take enough classes so I can transfer out?" At this point, I feel like there really isn't a major here that I find appealing. I do love the small LAC feel, but I really hate how I feel as though there are not enough options...and when I do find a course that might be interesting => I get waitlisted everytime lol For this term, and next term...I did not get one of the classes that I wanted except for calculus because there's like a zillion 101 classes for that. I was talking to a senior and he was like "How do you think I feel? I'm a senior and still can't get the classes that I want." That made me think twice about whether that's what I wanted. I just don't see the point of paying to go to a school to take classes that you are not really interested in. The frustrating thing is that I KNOW I want to get out NOW, but most school don't take mid-year transfers. I guess that's why I wanted to just go to a CC now and make my move for a fall transfer. I feel like there's not one perfect solution that is jumping out at me right now.</p>
<p>Don't waste your time looking for the perfect solution, because you'll have graduated from W&L and moved on before that hits you.</p>
<p>Examine why you really don't fit at the school? Are you carrying residual feelings about being forced to go there? In that case the issues may have nothing to do with W&L, and everything to do with your parents, and getting some stuff worked out with them.Was this your first choice? That certainly could be tainting your view as well. Find out what exactly about W&L off puts you, and why. Your solution could be as simple as waiting out the freshman year angst, which is common, or switching into a new major, or, yes, transferring schools. I'd recommend finishing at least your first year before you even think of transferring out.</p>
<p>Regarding the CC, don't worry, they get a bad wrap everywhere. But I spent 3 years at one here in MD, before I transferred into NYU-Tisch, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. My situation was different, of course, because I took a gap year off after HS, experienced ALOT, good and bad, and went to college when I wanted to. It makes a huge difference attending college when you're ready, versus when your parents, or even your friends, want and expect you to. College is too important to allow even parental expectations to govern. Often our parents believe they know whats best, but the last think you want to do is waste thousands upon thousands of dollars, not to mention 4-5 years of intense work, simply because your parents want you to. Its you that has to live with the fallout, and so be smart, really dig deep into where you are, how you got there, and what you want, discuss it with your parents, and make the best decision for YOU, because when it comes to your education, thats the only person that matters.</p>
<p>Hindsight, I would just like to point out one more benefit of staying at your current school, at least for now. The longer you are there, the more you will learn about what you want in your next school, should you ultimately transfer. I have felt that I wanted to transfer out of my large state school since the beginning, and while those feelings have not changed, my desires for my next school certainly have. The school I consider my top choice now is somewhere I did not even apply for freshman admission, and I am applying to a different college within my second-choice school. So just be cognizant of what a learning experience your time at W&L is, an experience I don't believe you could get at a community college.</p>