So I’ll soon be entering into my second year at my current college and for some time now I’ve been worried that I may have chosen the wrong college to attend. Originally I was interested in my current college because I felt that it was pretigious and had the resources to ensure I would get funding for research and internships. My first semester there went well enough, I threw myself headlong into partying and making new friends. However, before my second semester began I found myself dreading returning and my unhappiness only continued to grow as the semester went on. I had hoped that after summer break I would be excited to start again in the fall however, if possible I’m even less enthused about going back. The school is very small and in a small town in the middle of nowhere. I find it stifling. It’s impossible to get out of the campus bubble due to the town size and I hate that I know almost everyone after only one year. The small class sizes have also been an issue as I find I do better with lecture than with discussion. Additionally I feel like the vibe on campus doesn’t really do much for me. I have a group of friends, however, beyond them I find that the values and goals of the student body can be quite different than mine. This all leaves me wondering if I should try to transfer to a different college for my spring semester. My current school does have a program that I’m interested in and if I stay I can always try to graduate early. However, by graduating early i would feel like I wasn’t really getting the college experience. But I dont want to spend four years at my current school.
Should I try to transfer? Is the college not being a good fit a good enough reason?
College not being a good fit is a perfectly fine reason to transfer. You will do better in your classes if you are happy at your college/university.
Pretty much no matter where you study, by the time you get to junior and senior year, a lot of your classes are going to be discussion-based. Even at big state Us. If you want a lecture-based education, you are going to have to be really careful about your choice of major and educational institution. You might want to consider going abroad instead of studying in the US.
Think about taking a semester or a year off while you work through the do-I-want-to-transfer thing. That will give you more time to look at all of your options. There really is no good reason to start your second year and try to transfer halfway through it. Lots of courses assume that you will have semester 1 and then semester 2 of that subject, and different institutions break up the topics in different ways so the courses often aren’t compatible.
What is your major? What are your grades like so far? What can you afford? Those are the three big questions you need answers for. They will determine where you should think about studying.
Transferring can be the right answer for some, especially if you are truly unhappy where you are. . But keep in mind that it can have many implications. Financially, it can be difficult to get the same level of aid as a transfer student (if that is an issue) as merit aid is hard to come by. Socially, it can be hard as many friendships are formed freshman year when everyone is new to the school. Just be certain that if you transfer that you think it through and make a move that will work for you.
Another option might be to take your junior abroad or at another college in the US that has a program for visiting students.