Be grateful for what you have rather than brooding about what you don’t.
Temple is your bird in hand. Before you go chasing after the ones in the bush, give it s try. Not costing you that much.
If you really want to reset, it means gap year and going through the very stressful application process that you skipped last year see if Temple will give you thst option and still let you keep the package. Transfers rarely get the same opportunities for financial aid and merit. That’s the choice you have—give Temple a go, and attempt to transfer if still not to your liking, or take the gap year and spend part of the time reapplying.
I know several kids who started with a school they planned on transferring from to get to their dream, higher ranked, etc. They typically fall in two camps:
- Open minded to actually liking and thriving where they are - and they tend to do just that.
- Predetermined to no enjoy the experience - and they don't.
Up to you to make that choice. Temple is a fine school with a solid reputation.
Well first off congrats on a high school career that you’re proud of. Not all kids remember to pause and savor their accomplishments. Looking forward there are a couple standard responses plus one just for you.
1 .There is no perfect school for anyone, so it’s quite likely that Temple will be as good a place as any to jump in. You’re not going to be the smartest or dumbest person in the room, most of the people there will be from your region and familiar enough that there won’t be culture shock, many students love the place, etc etc etc.
- You haven't got a better idea what else you might want but you do know you can totally afford this option. Bird in the hand is real, and Temple is large enough to offer most programs so if you veer from math to govt to theater you won't have to transfer and lose your money.
- This is responding to the "...I find myself feeling the same weight... I’m just gutted." I'm with @inthegarden : take a little time and make sure you're clear of the depression issues before making big decisions on this. If your feet are not under you and you try jumping into this major life change while off-balance there's a good chance you can end up right back where you were. Talk to someone and deal with the depression. It's worth taking the time to squarely address each of them in turn because while there are resources at major universities to help with this, it's really hard to tackle mental health issues and still commit fully to the college life. The school will probably give you a deferral for it if you call and there's a good chance you needn't lose your scholarships, but you have to take the step to call. Good luck.
Well, to be honest, you’re actually in a very good place right now, but you need to continue taking meds and doing therapy. The key ingredient is to resist the urge to keep thinking “if only I were somewhere else, then I would be happy.” First, you don’t know that. Second, it would be very costly and stressful to find out, and you could end up in worse shape than before.
My advice…start school with zero expectations. Sign up for classes and just take it one day at a time. When things get hard or stressful, and they will no matter where you go, talk with your parents and your therapist about them.
Have you gone to orientation and picked your classes or are you going right before classes start? You might feel a little different after attending orientation. Also, if you go, I really think you should get yourself to the counseling center early on so that you have someone to talk to there. Regardless of it you go to Temple or elsewhere, you need to take care of your mental health.
While Temple is a great school, that doesn’t mean it’s a great school for everyone. But unless you want to take a gap year, give it a go. With your scholarship it sounds as if it won’t be a huge financial investment. If you’re mainly taking gen ed classes then hopefully those are classes that can transfer elsewhere for you if you decide Temple is not the school for you. I don’t know about Pitt but I know Temple gives way more merit aid than Penn State so keep that in mind if you’re thinking about transferring to one of the other large PA schools as opposed to the smaller less costly ones in the other system (Bloomsburg, Kutztown, WCU, etc).
Funny how this all comes out a few weeks before school starts, huh? Also the OP didn’t say if she is clinically depressed. Sounds like normal fears and second guessing but you had a plan in high school and accomplished it. Congrats on setting a goal and actually making it happen. You only applied to one school in this crazy college climate so you are a bit of a risk taker it seems.
But, I am not buying it. Most kids are very happy “after” they land. Any job during school a few hours a week plus summer job will cover the $4,000. Also books are placed way to high in money
There are great used books, pdf version on line for cheap.
You can also transfer during school. My daughter went 2 years and then the study abroad in junior first semester. We knew it was coming but decided to transfer so she took off the next semester and back packed in South East Asia. It rejuvenated her. She transferred to another school and got the Presidential merit $30,000/year.(so it can happen) She very happy and now a senior.
Going to school for basically free is a privilege not a right. You are very lucky to be in your situation. Many would trade with you in a heartbeat. Taking a gap year now would serve no purpose. Taking on loans that will make you starting life later harder is just not a smart move on so many fronts.
Be glad for what you worked hard to achieve.
One way to squash this attitude is quickly becoming involved at school with clubs and things of interest to you. Becoming part of the school’s community.
With these stats you will certainly have been admitted to the hones college and have housing at 1300, which is a fantastic residential community. Have you visited? Met your roommate? Chosen classes ?
What exactly worries you about Temple - too closeose to home? Too far? Academics?
What is the source or cause of your depression ?
Is it Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) ?
There is no way to know NOW that you are at the wrong school. At the very most, you’ve been there for a week, but it looks like classes doesn’t even start until 8/25. You can make this experience as good or bad as you like, but sheesh, give it a chance.
I have a D who is a senior at Temple who absolutely loves it. Her HS stats were higher than yours and Temple was her safety school (financial and academic), but she loved the school spirit and was so impressed with the students she met when she visited.
TU students have a lot of pride in their school, and D loves being in Philly, has had excellent professors, great internship opportunities, and has wonderful friends. The honors program at Temple is awesome, too.
It sounds like you are really unhappy with how you handled your college search process. Regret is a lousy feeling. But that doesn’t have to mean you ended up with a bad outcome.
You are obviously a very capable student, and you are going to a school that has lots of opportunities – especially for someone like you.
Do you think you could refocus your “I want a do over” sentiment from the college itself to how you invest yourself in the experience? Instead of just enduring it (as you did your college search), can you find classes and activities that excite you? It’ll be work, and you may need to engage your therapist to help you stay the course. If you still want to transfer, you’ll know that you’ve given Temple the best shot (which other schools would want to see too.) You may love it! Temple is a great school in a fun city. Don’t start being sure you’ll leave, though. Give it your all!
Intersting alumni. Mark Levine & Marc Lamont Hill. Bill Cosby & Ted Bundy & Salvatore Testa. Hall & Oates. Tina Fey.
OP: I suspect that your primary issue is connected with your depression moreso than your school destination. Consider taking a year off & working in a different region of the country with a different climate to see if you suffer from SAD.
By working & living in another state for at least one year, you should be able to establish residency for tuition purposes.
@Publisher Unless the OP’s parents move to the other state too, right now, OP won’t be able to establish residency in another state for tuition purposes within the next year.
@kidncatz: Wouldn’t that vary by state ?
Also, I am not sure what you mean by “within the next year”. It would require at least a full year of working & living in the target state.
P.S. I am most concerned about OP’s state of mind, and I am not sure that spending time in North Philly is the best route to take for one suffering from depression.
Also assuming a lot that an 18 year old can just pickup and move somewhere else on her own, etc. If my daughter told me she was all the sudden taking a gap year and moving to another city I would tell her… No your not!..
I don’t think it’s helpful to try to diagnose OP online. If they have a counselor they should make an appointment to talk with them. If they don’t have one they may want to think about getting one.
It doesn’t sound like OP’s parents can pay for college, so the assumption that they can just go get merit at a “better” school and transfer there is unrealistic. Unless OP takes a leave (a medical withdrawal or other approved leave of absence) they’ll be a transfer and transfers don’t get much aid. If they take a medical leave and can retain their freshman status there’s a chance they can get merit elsewhere, but if they need a full ride or close to it they’re more likely to end up at their local cc or commuting to a state school.
OP, if you can answer the questions in post 27 it will help us give you advise. What’s your EFC and how much can your parents actually pay without borrowing?
“Buyer’s remorse” is common. Why not give it a try and see how it goes?
@Publisher For the vast majority of states, in-state residency is determined by the state of residence of the parent(s) for the past 12 months. In order for the OP to gain instate residence in another state by August 2020, her parents would need to move immediately (August 2019) to that state
I am not sure about that. If OP relocates to a different state & is self supporting for at least one year & changes driver’s license, parents state of residence should be irrelevant. Nevertheless, these matters are determined state by state.