So here’s the deal. I’m a first year at San Diego State University studying accounting. I’ve been here for over a month and I’m having mix feelings. Although I do love SDSU, I’m considering transferring to a community college back in my home, San Francisco. I can’t really see myself being at SDSU for 4 years. I’ve joined a good amount of organizations on campus, I go to all the events, and I go to alot of the parties so it’s not like I’m not trying to get involved. I haven’t really found people that I would kick it with outside these orgs. On top of that, I’m really missing home. Is it a good idea for me to transfer to a community college next semester, and try to aim for UC Berkeley or UC Santa Cruz or even San Jose State University. I came into college wanting so desperately to move far away, but now I’m missing home like crazy.
Give SDSU a chance but CC is an excellent option for you.
@TheSwimmerPoet - I remember many of your posts over the past several months, and you always seemed really torn about attending the school. I hope you’ve talked with your parents, advisers you respect, RA, and SDSU academic advisers. If you haven’t, you need to asap. If you don’t feel comfortable talking with your RA, you can talk with your Residence Hall Coordinator. They are there for you. Also, the counseling department is a great resource to use. They have wonderful workshops, and the Center for Well-Being is a place to relax and get away from the stress of school.
With my kids, they always make plans to come home a couple of times during the semester/quarter, especially that first year so they don’t get too homesick. Even the students who transition into college easily get homesick, too. If you do go to a CC for a couple of years before transferring, it might give you the time you need to really research the various universities to see which ones would be a better fit for you.
It is really hard to transfer into SDSU as a non-local applicant (seriously, it is a more difficult transfer target than most UCs for non-local applicants) . Since you are studying accounting, a true Biz programs (vs managerial econ) is a good idea. UCB, UCLA and UCI and UCR are the UCs that have the programs. You can use this link to find the transfer GPA for biz major to each campus.
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfers-major
Keep doing what you have been doing, go back to the places where you click with people… Give SDSU a full year to sink in. It is a really big school with lots of people and won’t feel like home until you move out of the dorms this May - then you’ll miss it. If, next October, you still want to leave, apply as a Jr transfer everywhere you like. I get the feeling you won’t want to leave.
Good luck.
I agree with above posters and give it a year at SDSU. Transitioning to College for many students is difficult and homesickness is very common. You have few choices if you want to continue studying accounting in regards to the UC’s as @NCalRent noted in the above post. If you are still unhappy at the end of the year, then consider continuing your education at your local CC and use TAG or TAP for your target UC’s.
Not sure if you are a Basketball fan, but definitely consider attending some the Aztec Basketball games. Great fun and a good way to get into the SDSU spirit with your fellow students.
Good Luck.
@TheSwimmerPoet I understand the dilemma you are going through. I went to SJSU (Fall 2014) as a biomedical engineering major and while I was surrounded by many people and joined many organizations, it just did NOT feel right being there. I spent a whole year at SJSU, feeling miserable and pretending to enjoy it so my friends and family didn’t worry about me. To put it plainly, I wish I didn’t wait so long.
After my freshman year I confessed to my parents and friends about my true feelings towards SJSU and told them that I would be coming back home to go to my local CC. While not everyone understood, they were really supportive and it is honestly one of the BEST decisions I have made in my life.
The minute I got to my CC and spoke to my counselor I told her my situation and told her that I wanted to switch from an engineering major to accounting. My counselor was really supportive about my decisions despite wanting me to stick with engineering. She gave me the whole lecture about how UC’s just do not offer many options for accounting compared to CSU’s.
So with my counselors help I decided on pursuing an economics majors at all of the UCs I am applying to, and of course accounting to the CSUs that offer that major. While econ and accounting differ greatly, some schools have concentrations and/or minors for accounting.
I am unsure whether other factors of my transition from CSU to CC made me look so highly on CCs, but from my personal experience it truly enhanced my quality of life. I enjoyed learning the material more at my local CC, I felt more supported by counselors/professors/classmates, and most importantly I was not miserable being at school.
Now, I am in the process of applying for transfer to various UCs and CSUs (I have my TAG submitted for UC Davis Managerial Economics major) and I couldn’t be happier and more excited for transfer.
If you do decide to go to community college remember these things:
- Find a counselor who knows your story and that can ACTUALLY support you.
This was one of the greatest things to happen to me. Without my lovely counselor, I wouldn’t have even really known about TAG and which classes to take when because there are so many intricacies for transfer applications.
- Keep an open-mind. Yes, you may think you are fully committed to your major and classes but that is not 100% true. You can change your mind about your major or just even about a math class.
- Research potential schools. The whole reason you are at community college is to figure out where you ACTUALLY want to go (at least for me). Don't be scared to talk to college reps and advisers about UCs, CSUs, private schools, etc. They are really there to help you and answer your looming questions.
- Get ready to explain! Things are going to change. A LOT. Whether that means seeing your parents more often, or bumping into someone you know from high school. While it is nice to see old friends, it gets old having to explain your "story." Of course, you aren't obligated to tell them, just know that people are curious and want to know what happened.
I hope this super long post actually helped. Message me if you have any questions. I know how it feels to be homesick and to want to come back. I wish there was someone to tell me that community college is actually a really great option and not something to be ashamed of. Good luck and I hope you figure things out! If SDSU works out I am truly happy for you! 