I am currently into my second semester of freshmen year. I am a student athlete at a very small liberal arts college (around 2000-2500). I had a lot of trouble adjusting first semester. I hated playing my sport and i really hated college in general. I was very homesick at first but counseling got me through it. i adjusted but still wasn’t a fan. I planned on transferring at semester. I decided to stick out the year.When my mom asked me over break what i was thinking of doing i told her i guess ill stay. but being back, all my feelings that i had last semester are flooding back.
i new college life was never going to be for me. I am a fan of casual drinking and staying in every once in a while. my classes are alright, nothing special. I just feel like this isn’t the right fit
Even though i think i am just going to hate college in general i am contemplating transferring to a college in my hometown. If i am going to be miserable i might as well be miserable closer to home. But is that a good reason to transfer
Money wise it would be a bit more expensive. The schools prices are very similar. I am currently on both academic and athletic scholarship. All i pay for is room and board. I would get decent money academically at the other school and i could commute, to save money, but that could inhibit my ability to make friends. I know if i really wanted to transfer, my parents could swing it and i could work to help pay some.
I just don’t know what to do. I don’t feel comfortable. I had a really good experience in high school. I wasn’t the most popular but i had good friends and just really enjoyed my experience. I don’t have that same feeling here. My friends are shallow, my roommate is materialistic. I am not being challenged here (i feel like a genius here but that isn’t saying all too much). My sport isn’t fun anymore. I can’t tell if my reasons for wanting to transfer are legit enough. Any advice would be awesome.
Ps. i plan on applying to the school anyways so i am not stuck here.
Seems like you gave a shot in your current institution and it didn’t work out. Although in your transfer essays your reasons won’t fly but its a completely understandable reason.
“My sport isn’t fun anymore.”
If the only reason you are at your current college, is your sport, and you don’t like your sport anymore - or at least you don’t like it there, then you have an excellent reason to transfer.
Living at home won’t automatically mean it is hard for you to make friends. You just might have to work a bit harder at it. But if it is a local university, surely a whole bunch of people you already know are there.
I read this and literally thought I was reading my own story. I went off to college about 45 minutes away from my house - I planned to make friends to last a lifetime and have the greatest experience ever. I was in for a rude awakening. My school, like yours, was a small liberal arts school. I struggled with being homesick as well, I was home way more often than I should have. My classes were okay, I was preforming fine. I just knew that it wasn’t the right fit for me. I had an amazing high school experience, I was an athlete and school was easy… I often times think about how much I miss it. Anyways, by October I knew that my school wouldn’t be the right fit and made the decision to transfer. Like you, I transferred to a local school in my hometown and commute from home. The hardest thing for me has been the lack of independence. Making friends is a bit harder, but nowhere near impossible. Does your school have a large commuter population? Mine does… Sometimes I miss my old school and living away from home. Living back at home can be a real pain sometimes, but I am thankful that my parents have allowed me to continue living at home. Overall, I am glad that I decided to transfer, my mental health is much better and I am saving a ton of money. I think that you have solid reasoning for transferring.
I hope this helped and please don’t hesitate to message me if you would like more information about my experience. I wish you all the best.
Agree with everyone else. Why not be someplace you are more likely to be happy?