<p>You said: " In my gut, something tells me that none of the other schools I got accepted to were meant to be if I didn’t pick it the first time."</p>
<p>That is really silly! You **chose **a set of schools to apply to because you thought they were a good fit. But you were so hyper-focused on Knox that you stopped thinking about how any of these other schools could be great for you. There is no PERFECT school for any student, but there is a set of schools where that student could be really happy.
I don’t think there is any harm in re-applying to a few of your favorite schools as a back-up plan in case your feelings don’t change. That will take some stress off of you because you then have a backup plan in place. Then you can focus on trying to improve your situation where you are. I suspect that getting involved in some activities that you enjoy will change things. Your situation is fairly common - not feeling as enthusiastic about your school as you had expected. It takes time to make new relationships and to find the set of people you will really click with.</p>
<p>Actually, Knox was never my first choice. I really never had one. It came down to Knox VS Wheaton in the end (with Clark being the third choice). It wasn’t an easy decision. I have a thread on it if you would like to see. Looking back though, I don’t think Wheaton really has a open curriculum like Knox or New College. I think academically, Knox was a good decision. I was really never hyper-focused on Knox. I would have never thought I would have ended up at Knox. Before I visited, Clark was my number one pick.</p>
<p>No sense in being miserable. Apply where you think you’ll be happier, try to make it work at Knox, and see what’s possible and how you feel in April.</p>
<p>Thank you Early_College for being so frank in your assessment of your first trimester at Knox. You’re quite brave. Many of your observations were also noted by other student review posts I’ve read about Knox.</p>
<p>early_college, You will have some opportunity after break to have a new start- pursue theater even if you haven’t gotten a part before -take any opportunity in theater if that is important to you. Join clubs, maybe tone down your “very big personality” some . Good luck.It’s hard being a teenager and going away to college.</p>
<p>At most places, there are precious few students who are willing to do all of the necessary backstage things a production entails. See if you can get involved doing sets, lights, costumes, props, program, publicity, etc.</p>
<p>It is basically a term where you put on two plays and that’s all you do for the ten weeks. However, freshman cannot do it. I will get to do it senior year though (they do it every three years). So, there really isn’t going to be much theatre wise I’ll be able to do next term. I’m not into the technical side, never have been. I am taking a theatre class though. I may volunteer to usher, so we’ll see. </p>
<p>I have really toned it down a lot already. My original orientation leader didn’t want me, so they gave me someone else. But the orientation director told me that she was surprised that I was so quiet and mannered. A lot of it had to do with the facebook group, but over time, people will forget about it. People already have. They don’t talk about me anymore.</p>
<p>I am not a theatre person so much anymore although i used to build props and make costumes in my day, and I imagine that if you are serious enough about performing to be spending money taking college classes, I expect you want to earn money someday performing. Your employabilty will go way up if you know how to do something besides recite lines.
I know big time rock stars who do their own set up and take down for shows if needed, the theatre isn’t any different- performers may need to do their own make up, and even lighting and sound in a small company.</p>
<p>early_college, get off this board NOW!!! I’m serious. I’m sure any Knox student can figure out your identity with very little effort. (Heck, I was able to figure out your identity in about two minutes and I’m not exactly the most tech savvy person.) </p>
<p>It’s all too likely that your posts will be read by some other Knox students and the athletes especially may not like what you say. Your suitemates may also be less than thrilled. Posting here is NOT “flying under the radar.” IMO, your posts may also impact your ability to make friends. Some people may not be willing to invest time and energy into making friends with someone they know is contemplating transfer. </p>
<p>So try to make Knox work and submit some transfer apps in case you just can’t but avoid posting anything the least bit negative about Knox here or anywhere else where your classmates and other Knox students might read it.</p>
<p>Everything I have said here, I have said at Knox. I’m very vocal/frank about my feelings (which yes can be a bad thing), yet I know countless others who feel the same. Yes, it would be easy to identify me. However, I highly doubt any Knox student (freshman especially) will read this especially the athletes. My suit-mates know how I feel. All of my friends at Knox know I am thinking about transferring. There isn’t anything I have posted that would surprise people.</p>
<p>I know this may sound a bit blasphemous here on CC, but keep in mind that college does not have to be the social time of your life, nor does your college have to be a perfect fit. Way back in the dark ages I turned down an ivy for a lesser known LAC that had a particular academic program and a flexible academic approach that let me double major in two very disparate subjects. Socially it was a bit of a drag. Very preppy, sports, greek oriented. Not my scene. However, I have never regretted the decision. I got the academics and the teaching I wanted. I made a few good friends, got involved with some ECs I loved, and pretty much ignored the rest of it. So go ahead and investigate transferring. But, if you love your classes and the program consider that it is OK not to love the social scene. Nothing is perfect, you have to decide whether it is perfect enough.</p>
<p>Ok-to summarize–kids are talking about you, they don’t want to be around you, school personnel have asked you to move to different groups, you don’t think athletes read message boards, you say what you think no matter what, you have an excuse why you can’t do everything that has been suggested for you to consider for the past year on this board and everyone else is the cause of the problems you are having? </p>
<p>I think it’s time to step back and really look at what is going on. I would suggest setting up a meeting with one of the counselors on campus to figure out why you have no friends and why this is so difficult for you.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for posting!!! I must say, I grew up in the midwest, and found them to be largely “close minded liberals.” Not everyone there is that way, obviously. But, enough that when I moved to southern California was a very welcome change. At least in California, I got the open minded liberals. Now I am in the bible belt. I had wanted out of the bible belt. But in recent years, going back to the midwest to visit family and such, I think perhaps I will not move away.</p>
<p>I definitely think you should get your apps in now to transfer. How about Austin College? I think it is similar to Knox, but, in the south.</p>
<p>I agree with mini & with Imkh70. No need to be miserable. Small LACS can be gossip mills. No need to be miserable. Consider a fresh start. Obviously starting the facebook page wasn’t the wisest decision.
Even though the primary problem is probably a maturity issue, there is no need to deal with all this emotional baggage in such a small, fairly isolated setting. Transfer & learn from your past mistakes. Good luck !</p>
<p>I understand what you’re saying 1012mom. I just want to be happy. I have nothing against Knox. Like I’ve said a million times, I love the school academically. I want it to work. I really do. </p>
<p>Steve- There is more to my story then what has been said in the past year. I’ve been posting on CC since my freshman year of my high school. Kids talked about me in the beginning of the year, they don’t anymore (to my knowledge). Some Knoxies were very mean to be honest. I talked to the dean of students (in charge of orientation), and she even said it was wrong what happened.</p>
<p>One should never judge a book by its cover or in this case facebook. I have only known one person from CC. She was the salutatorian of the 2009 class from my high school. The majority of CCers are students at top schools and parents. There isn’t as many college students here, and I would highly doubt anyone from Knox (athlete or not) would still be posting. I do know a Knox student whose mother posts on CC though. Besides her, none of my friends at Knox or high school have even heard of CC. </p>
<p>I have an excuse on why I can’t do everything suggested? Um, CCers told me to pick Knox. I obviously listened to their advice. They told me not to apply to Simon’s Rock. I didn’t. There is a lot to my story that you obviously don’t know about. I know what I did wrong this past term, but you learn from your mistakes. I have taken everyone’s advice to heart. I’m still not sure if I’ll actually apply to transfer. I may want to see how January goes first. </p>
<p>lmkh70- I am from Georgia, so I’m from the Bible Belt. I also lived in South Florida for ten years, so I know an opposite culture as well. Illinois is very liberal even at this rural midwestern school. When Obama won the election, kids were screaming outside my dorm. Yet, I just don’t find them any more accepting/open minded than my Georgia peers. It is a different type of judgmental though. I can’t imagine going back to the South (excluding Florida), but I do know Austin is really liberal (for Texas that is).</p>
<p>Alexrod- I started the facebook group to get to know my class. It has really come in handy even today, and a lot of people did thank me for starting it. It just escalated from academics, so that’s when the problems started to occur.</p>
<p>Early College- hi again and thanks for posting. We’ve been wondering about you!</p>
<p>I will offer you a heretical thought- the open curriculum, the trimester system, all these things you are so focused on- they are just gravy or the frosting on the cake. My guess is that what has made you happy at Knox is the intellectual stimulation. So if you’re going to transfer-- don’t get caught up on the trivial stuff. At the end of the day, if you have to take some distribution requirements (is one class in geology or astronomy going to kill you? And you will probably find it fascinating) that doesn’t seem to me like a reason not to apply to a particular college.</p>
<p>So figure out if you can afford to transfer-- and if so, cast a wider net than last time including some bigger universities where you won’t feel as socially isolated if you happen not to click with the students in your dorm.</p>
<p>Then- push “send” on the applications, and forget about them. Jump back into Knox with both feet, see if second semester is better (and for most Freshman it is) and keep your focus on academics. You may or may not meet your “peeps” at Knox- but you are there first and foremost to get an education- and you are doing that! Which is fantastic.</p>
<p>Blossom- I understand what you are saying. My ideal school would have all those things (open curriculum). I would be open to schools which are more broad though. The open curriculum is one thing I like about Knox. New College is even more open than Knox. It would really come down to financial aid packages again like last time. I wonder if Knox’s will stay the same (I know it depends on how much my dad makes ). </p>
<p>I still think part of the problem is that I don’t know where to start. I agree that maybe I should cast a wider net. I did consider adding American in there, which is a lot bigger than Knox. But I don’t know what type of schools I should look at. Should I apply for more prestigious college’s? I really don’t care if I attend a “prestigious” college, but I felt like last time around, Holy Cross was my only big reach school (they wait-listed me). </p>
<p>I think it’s going to be hard to just apply. There are day’s when I think I’m crazy for thinking about transferring because I love the academics so much. It’s a hard thing to do. It’s one thing to talk about transferring (what I’m doing), and it’s another thing to actually apply. I think it will take a lot for me to actually do it. I really want to make Knox work. Thanks for the advice!!</p>