<p>ive posted this question other places...but please help me if you can:
thinking about going into law...politics...nonprofit. currently attend duke. hate the town. hate not being bale to do volunteer work because i dont have a car. very depressed there second semester although i am a "scholar" but money isnt that big of a factor. accepted to columbia and said yes but am having last thoughts. any advice? please throw tough questions at me...i feel like ihavent thought this through enough.</p>
<p>Well, it's a different place, and you already know that. Culturally different, setting is different, curricula are different, and volunteer opportunities are different. You already said you hate stuff at the first, the other is very fine place. When you get there, you'll likely find a couple of things you miss, but why not give it a shot? (assuming you can afford it.)</p>
<p>Hmm. questions:
Have you given Duke a fair shake?<br>
You talk about not doing volunteer work because you don't have a car and hating the town. I don't hear a lot about unhappiness with the academics...I would think about what you don't like about Duke and make sure that you feel the situation would be different at Columbia.<br>
I went to a small LAC my first two years of college. At that time it was a girls school. Loved it academically, hated the small town, hated the social life. My freshman roommate transferred, I had a terrible sophmore year and just wanted out. Transferred to a state U, lived in apartments, did my own thing. Got a good education, got my diploma but never had the social part of being in college. Still glad I transferred though.
So....is it more hating the small town, or not fitting in, or not liking the academics?
Will it be different in a different place. Consider carefully whether it is your attitude/effort or that the school is not a good fit. Kind of like deciding whether the person you are in a relationship with isn't a good fit or whether you are not giving it your best effort. Only you know the answer to this one...</p>
<p>Having "last thoughts" could be an indication that you want to stay where you are. But you should realize that very few decisions are 100%, so if you think Columbia will meet your needs, don't worry that you can still think of reasons why Duke might be ok. There will always be pros and cons to each.</p>
<p>If this decision-making process seems like it might help, you could try it. <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=51596%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=51596</a></p>
<p>transferbansfer
I really don't know anyone who went to Columbia, but I imagine Columbia has a fairly intense student body and a challenging social world to figure out. If you just have a gut feeling that living in NYC would bring you inner joy and a big lift, I have no problem with following your instincts for parental advice. Durham is no NYC.
My son is also in your class and Duke is not a perfect fit for him either, but he did find a very good friendship group, does some volunteer work in Durham and has no car, and he is involved with two ECs at Duke that work for him in terms of making him feel at home and happier. I also almost transferred out of a very southern school not much like Duke actually..my freshman year because culturally it was just too much of a stretch for me as a military brat with a very eclectic history. I stayed. The more I got into the community and worked as a volunteer, the more I attached to the college and town. Instead of leaving, I just invested more into my classes and teacher relationships and tried to not expect too much out of my peers. I did make great friendships with peers over time but I ended up sort of changing friendship circles till I found my comfort zone. My teachers ended up meaning a great deal in my life and world.<br>
Anyway..I am not suggesting you stay but if you go, you will still need to do the above hard work of investing your sweat equity and volunteer time at Columbia..that is stick it out until you find a set of friends..which can be lonely for a while, and invest in an EC that is meaningful and connects you with people or brings you into work for causes that feed your personality. To make a college a home, you have to give it your love and care and wait for returns that come later.<br>
I am wondering about your statement that you were depressed second semester...and if you are being specific and honest with yourself about why you felt unattached to your college second semester..academic issues of not fitting or were their personal issues of not feeling a match or a fit? Do you have a history in high school of being happy and feeling a part of a school and a part of a circle of peers? Is your dissonance a reaction to Durham or a part of your personality and outlook? (Dissonance can be a strength in many ways in life and the arts but it is good to know whether it begins in you or comes from external factors.) Many of us aging boomers also remember some rough semesters in our college years where we felt disconnected or unsure of things. Find someone you trust to talk this over with. Good luck making a choice and making a home for yourself when you decide on a college to call your own.</p>
<p>The academics are not likely to be much different. I doubt there is anything academically signficant that Duke offers that Columbia doesn't have (and vice versa). So go where you'll feel most comfortable and challenged, and do well.</p>
<p>im an incoming sophomore and im thinking about going to law school. i felt unhappy there because there was no way to go out and have a great time on the weekends. there was no way to do volunteer work that i wanted to do because i wanted to do. i dont like the town and i want to make a college home. i see myself making a home in new york because i want to live in the northeast. the only thing is i have an established eputation at duke because im very involved with extracirriculars...
help!
'transferbansfer</p>