To transfer or not to transfer?

<p>I am currently at JMU and I want to transfer to VCU. </p>

<p>I started at JMU mainly because it was affordable and I liked the campus when I toured it as a junior, however my interests have changed GREATLY since then. I now realize that I want an urban campus and I dislike the party/white reputation JMU has. I also decided to room with a friend, ignoring everyone's advice against it. I regret this. We have the exact same friends and the unspoken competition that has formed between us is unbearable. I am afraid I will have to spend the next four years dealing with the tension. If I stay next year I will have to live in a suite with her and two other girls on campus. </p>

<p>I want to transfer to VCU because I will appreciate the environment better. Arstier people, more diversity, downtown Richmond, etc. There are a few problems with VCU however: I will be living in the downtown area of the city I grew up in (not much of a problem because home is about 20 minutes away and I don't mind it), the "prestige" is less than JMU, and I will be spending a good portion of my life in Richmond, until I can afford a larger city. </p>

<p>I am also incredibly sad to be leaving the friends I have made currently and scared about making new ones at VCU. I also have the opportunity to study abroad spring semester of my sophomore year at JMU which is something I really want to do. </p>

<p>I just need ADVICE. I could be happy at both schools, however the situation with my roommate is scaring me. It's not the only reason why I want to transfer but it's a BIG one. Please help!</p>

<p>Is a new roommate not at all a possibility? </p>

<p>It strikes me as awfully extreme to leave a college because of a roommate.<br>
I’ve got to believe that other students have roommate issues, and that some swapping could take place.</p>

<p>If you want to change schools, change schools. But don’t confuse that with wanting to change your roommate.</p>

<p>Like I said, there are other reasons to transfer bedsides my roommate. I don’t like the reputation of my current school and I don’t like the environment. There isn’t anything about the current school that I really love, and inspiration is important to me and I find my current school a little uninspiring. I have made good friends however! I am afraid I will not have the same experience socially at VCU.</p>

<p>Apply for residence at Cabaniss Hall. You’ll absolutely make friends. Such a great community. It was absolutely mega.</p>

<p>[Cabaniss</a> | Residential Life and Housing | Virginia Commonwealth University](<a href=“http://www.housing.vcu.edu/halls_villages/cabaniss.html]Cabaniss”>http://www.housing.vcu.edu/halls_villages/cabaniss.html)</p>

<p>I can’t imagine why you believe that you are locked into living with this current roommate. Look around for other housing options. Surely they must exist. With that resolved, you will be better able to determine whether the other factors are strong enough to make a transfer necessary.</p>

<p>Why do you care about the “party/white reputation”? Will that affect where you can get a job after graduation? Provided you are getting a decent education at an affordable price, and you are being prepared well for your future career, any “party/white reputation” is meaningless. Once you are working, no one care about where you went to college unless your college has an unusually strong reputation for excellence within your career field.</p>