The title of my thread is (quite predictably, I will admit) the crux of my problem: I just don’t know where I belong! I chose this forum as opposed to, say, the transfer forum, because it seemed like the people who frequent here would be the most help/best understand where I am coming from.
I am, technically, a transfer student; I have ~64 credits that are coming with me. They do not add up to an Associates, nor do I plan on getting it before I go. I am transferring to… somewhere (depends on acceptances, auditions, finaid, etc.) in Fall '11.
But, I am also semi-non-traditional; I will turn 25 right about the time school starts, and my previous educational history is anything but typical. (Went to college straight out of high school, but dropped out after my first semester for various personal reasons. Spent a few years working retail until I looked around and said, “What on earth am I doing here?!” Still working at the same place while I take classes at a community college, and lessons at a local music school, and prepare to transfer to a four-year school.)
Then again, I am both transferring and switching majors. I plan on spending four years at my chosen institution, and I want in many ways to be treated like any other student, and have the normal college student experience. I am doing the best I can on my end. I am going on the college visits (although I am driving myself, even to the one nine hours away, and going with an older friend as opposed to my parents), I am collecting stuff for my future dorm when I see it for a good price, things like that.
I suppose the problem is less that I don’t know where I fit - I know where I am, and what I want, which little box to check means less to me in and of itself - than that the schools aren’t quite sure which umbrella (if any!) to put me under that won’t leave me getting wet on one side when it rains.
I have just recently gotten to the point of talking more extensively with actual people, as opposed to trying to represent myself with forms, and, as I suspected it would, it has gotten a little better. I got to have a nice discussion with an admissions officer on a recent visit to Millersville U. ¶. He said they really do like people who are outside the norm, but almost by definition they are not prepared to handle it as well as they are the fresh-out-of-high-school crowd. He told me that basically the reality (there, at least) was that I could have the things I want, but I have to advocate for myself. For instance, they may make weird faces when I’m not looking, but sure, I can request to live in the freshman dorms. And I won’t be automatically invited to freshman orientation, but if I ask, I can come. (The community college I go to right now wouldn’t let me, and required you to register online, and didn’t even give a name/number for you to talk to a person, so I couldn’t ask “Why?” I got lucky and had an easy out to that one, my sister was required to go, and had to have somebody with her, so I went. They also call the just-graduateds “First Choice” – as if I wasn’t feeling marginalized enough!)
So, mostly the point was for advice and support. Anyone out there dealing with the same things as me, and have some tips? Any schools that were particularly good at dealing with this kind of thing? The best I have dealt with thus far was Berea, in KY, they actually seem to appreciate my different-ness. Or maybe you don’t have any experience but have some ideas anyway. Or maybe you have no tips, but can tell me it gets better when you finally get there. Anything is good 