<p>I am currently a second year biology student at UCSB. I am a very indecisive person and keep talking myself in circles about whether or not to transfer out.</p>
<p>I never wanted to go here because I never thought I would fit in. I enrolled anyways and had the most awful year of my life my freshman year. I hated every moment of it. As a second year student, I am feeling far more adjusted but am still depressed and feel really uncomfortable here. I have a lot of trouble connecting to students here and have little to no actual friends, which has caused me to become very depressed. Most of the time I fantasize about being back home and transferring elsewhere, like Cal, UCLA, Davis, or UCSD. </p>
<p>There are a lot of things to consider. I am doing very well here as a biology major (3.8 gpa) and have tons of access to professors, internships, volunteering, and research positions. I am also an honors student with priority registration. I am concerned that transferring elsewhere might limit the amount of extracurricular opportunities I have. Does anyone at UCSD, UC Davis, Cal, or UCLA know how accessible extracurricular opportunities are at their respective schools and how feasible is it to have over a 3.6 GPA? (as a biology/premed major)</p>
<p>Transferring would also mean I would have to go back to community college for a year, which may turn out to be a bad thing, as I would no longer have priority registration and it is often difficult get classes at community colleges. However, a benefit would be that I would get an extra year to finish up my classes and could spend my last two years studying abroad (I won't be able to at UCSB unless I stay a fifth year.)</p>
<p>I am also wondering if it is even worth it to transfer; I am not sure if I would be happier at a different school or not. In my current state of mind, I feel that I would be happier elsewhere because I would be surrounded by more motivated and like-minded students at a different school. However, I also know it's possible that it may simply be my own fault that I haven't been able to make any friends at my current school. Anybody who has transferred due to similar reasons have any advice regarding the social front of things?</p>
<p>It seems to me that I will likely finish up my degree within 2-3 years and it would be better for me to be somewhere that I am actually happy, even though the most convenient and successful option for me is certainly to stay here.</p>
<p>I think you’re making a huge mistake. To be completely blunt, are you sure that it is the school and not a personal problem? </p>
<p>College students are more or less pretty much the same everywhere. I can’t imagine that transferring will make magically make things better, esp. if adjusting is hard for you.</p>
<p>One more thing…UCSB may have a lot of partiers but you must remember that these are some the best students in the country. The other UCs will not be radically different.</p>
<p>I’m not really sure. Normally I get along with people quite well and make friends very quickly. However, here the only people I meet are partiers and a lot of times people ignore me or are completely shell shocked when I tell them I don’t like to drink, smoke, or party. </p>
<p>A lot of the time I feel like I’m surrounded by idiots, I’m amazed some of the people who go here got in in the first place considering its reputation.</p>
<p>I don’t know your situation, but I intend to agree with the previous poster.
There are plenty of smart people at UCSB, despite it’s party school reputation, it is highly ranked and well respected. College population varies, but between the schools you’ve mentioned it is pretty much the same.
If it were me, I would just do what I came to school for - study… for a few more years and then move on with my life.
It is obvious that you are depressed, but don’t let it control your life.
My little sister had a similar problems when she was a senior in high school. She even attempted suicide… but we worked through it and now she is a happy and content 20 year old.
I suggest that you see somebody, a councelor perhaps? There is no shame in it.</p>
<p>I see why you are not comfortable with UCSB and I always got the same feeling which went even stronger at the moment I was rejected from there. People say it’s a party school. But then the offer from UCSD came to me.</p>
<p>Are you in Santa Catalina? My sibling is also a bio major and had the same experience. He left Santa Catalina and switched to some on-campus dorms (I’m not too knowledgeable about this) and is much happier.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your responses. I am still pretty undecided. It just seems like I should not allow myself to remain at a place I am so unhappy at, despite all the opportunities that I have.</p>