Hi. So I am a freshman at west chester university, political science major. In high school my first choice was Temple, but I didn’t get in (reasonably so as my grades were not very good). I applied as a transfer a few months ago and got in to Temple now. I know temple is a better school and their liberal arts specifically is much better than wcu. I love wcu but I am a freshman commuter and I unfortunately don’t have any “real” friends besides my good friend from highschool (who is also transferring from temple) who I occasionally talk to. (With money being tight I will still have to commute next year if I go to temple but junior&senior year I will be able to live on campus with my friend). I have a couple “friends” from classes at wcu but I never talk to them outside of our classes. I have tried clubs (college dems) but still haven’t made any real friends. I feel like I do everything I can as an introvert to open myself up but it just doesn’t work, and within the last couple weeks I have begun to feel lonely. I feel like I need a fresh start, especially with temple being my dream school since I was younger, but at the same time I’m unsure if I should leave wcu and thinking about it really makes me nervious. Any advice is appreciated
It’s tough as a commuter. I suggest making friends with work colleagues if you have a job. Or volunteer. Join other clubs. Join a gym. There are other ways to meet people besides in classes.
You don’t say what you’re interested in as a non-scholastic endeavor…WCU is known for its music programs, everything from the Incomparable Marching Rams marching band to its ensembles. If you play an instrument, joining an ensemble of any type on campus is an instant group. WCU is also known locally for its theater productions, so there’s a need for set creation, lighting, promotions, pit band where needed for musicals, etc - so much goes on behind the scenes for those efforts and it creates natural teams aligned toward common goals.
Temple’s got the Diamond Marching Band and a ton of student clubs. The most recent Temple grads I know are obsessively into all things high fantasy SF and they found their peeps there. Temple has a math club, a Be The Change club that serves the local community…Check out the TU Public Advocacy Club, or volunteer for the campus newspaper.
You can do all those while commuting. Get connected and started in your first 2 years so that when you’re in your junior/senior years you can move up into the leadership roles as current leaders graduate.
I’d say, why not try Temple? If you end up liking it enough to stay, you stay. If not, you should be able to return or transfer back to WCU. But no matter where you go next term, use this as a restart. Join more than one club/organization, including at least one that tends to be a real time-suck (newspaper, drama - even if all you do is help build sets - band, Greek life, club sports, scifi/gaming club, etc.) and do more than just show up for meetings. Volunteer to do stuff for the clubs you are in. This gets you around the same people over and over, and that can help you begin to make friends.
In addition, consider getting a part time job on campus, or at a local business where a lot of Temple students work. This can also help you meet people and spend a lot of time around the same people, which can lead to friendships.
In your classes, consider forming a study group with random other students for 1-2 of your classes. Meet somewhere to discuss the work in the class once per week, and this may help you maximize your potential for friendships via your classes.
Do several of these things, all in term 1, in the first weeks - get yourself out there and in situations where you are seeing the same people over and over outside of class. This can help you feel more comfortable with them, and it can help you form friendships.
thanks for the advice guys, I’m still super nervous to leave wcu