I’m a US citizen that moved to India for college after graduating HS. I’m currently going to an engineering university for Computer Science & Engineering. It’s not an IIT or anything, but it’s decent nonetheless. However, I’m not finding the instruction style here very useful. It’s just very unorganized and chaotic.
So, my question is that if I were to complete my first year here, how easy would it be for me to transfer to a good US university? I wanted to know what I should be focusing on this year. Good grades? Extra curricular activities? Keep in mind that I’m not a genius or anything, but I do get decent grades.
I also have an interest in Korean culture. Going to college in Korea would also appeal to me because tuition there isn’t nearly as expensive as the US. Do I have any good options to do that?
Sorry if I’m asking common knowledge questions. I’m just not very familiar with these topics. Thanks!
You need to focus on your grades. That is what will matter most when you apply for transfer, and what will matter for the rest of your life when you are requesting that foreign transcript every time you apply for grad school or a job that requires all of your transcripts. Do not be surprised if you must submit that transcript, but you end up starting your program over entirely at a new university.
Frankly, if you really hate it there and it is not too late to withdraw without generating a transcript, that might be your best bet. Remember, you will need to send your foreign transcript for formal evaluation by an organization such as http://www.wes.org/
Thanks for the reply.
I actually had a 2 year gap period after highschool, so I’m really torn. A part of me is saying that I shouldn’t waste any more time transferring universities and to just tough it out. The other part of me is saying that I’m not going to be able to make it 4 years. The situation here is much worse than I was expecting it to be. Technology is pretty much non existent. There’s no online system for grading. They don’t even let the students use technology in the classroom to aid learning. I was surprised when they had us sit for two hours during a “chemistry lab” hand copying a packet of labs. What kind of learning is that!? It’s 2016, do photocopiers not exist? Are we just supposed to ignore the phones in our pocket? In that situatio, a student had to sneak a picture of the labs with their phone and share it online, so that everyone could copy them at home.
I could just go on and on about the problems. It’s incredibly frustrating, but it’s made me really appreciate the schooling we have in the states. I know people there also complain, but I don’t think they realize how hard other parts of the world have it.
Is it very likely I would need to restart the program or is it possible that I could just slip in the second year? I could probably do really well in terms of grades since the pressure is on me now.
I would start by contacting US schools you might be interested in. Explain your situation and see what the options are. Based on what you say, it’s unlikely your experience in India is going to improve much. Given your level of frustration, I’d say, consider cutting your losses and returning to the US as quickly as you can.
It seems that as time passes, my experience is only getting worse. Students are immature. Instructors don’t show up for lectures and move them up a couple of hours causing a lot of inconvenience. Faculty is very rude and I don’t feel comfortable asking questions. One of my instructors told me to re write a whole lab because I had crossed off a mistake with a pen…
But, it seems like I can’t get out right now due to my situation. I will definitely leave next school year. Here’s my plan:
I need to make the most of this year, learn as much as I can, and refresh my memory on certain subjects. Then, I will go back to the US and depending on whether or not I receive credit for going to this university, I will try to do CLEP for subjects I have learned.
My main goal is to go to a good university where I can learn comfortably with lots of resources. Right now, I’m looking at University of Michigan. My high school grades and ACT score aren’t great, but they aren’t too terrible either. ACT was 23 and HS unweighted GPA was 3.4. Weighted GPA was 3.6. So, I most likely won’t get directly accepted. I’ll probably need to get some credit from a community college and try to transfer.
As someone who is not very familiar with this whole process, can someone give me some advice on if this is my best option? I want to waste as little time possible getting to actually pursuing my degree.
How much can your family afford to pay? Transfer students don’t get much aid. If your parents are still in the US you might want to start your search in whatever state they’re in.
We have a residence in Michigan. Looking at the in-state tuition fee for UofM, I think it’s manageable, but I’ll talk to my family about it. I’m currently paying around $9,000 here which to me seems like a rip off. I could go to a much better college for that price.
Un-enroll before generating a transcript. Attending a Michigan community college would be more effective, as your current classes may not transfer, are costly, and not well-run.
(I know India has a huge problem Other instructor truancy).
I’ve tried to explain this to my parents, but they don’t want to send me alone. Due to just getting settled in here, we’re not in a position to leave right now. I’ve convinced them to go next year. They told me to just stick it out for this year. I guess if nothing else, I can treat it as preparation for getting my degree. Maybe I could test out of a few classes when I do get there. Would generating a transcript hurt me in any other way besides the fee?
If you have generated a transcript, you will need to have that transcript formally evaluated, and you will need to present official copies of that transcript every single time you apply for admission to college as a transfer, to grad school, and for jobs that require copies of all of your transcripts. For. The. Rest. Of. Your. Life.
It really, truly is that simple.
If you intend to leave that university, if you can manage to do so without generating a transcript, you will be better off.
If you already have generated a transcript, then be sure that you follow the steps necessary to be able to have official copies for the umpteen times in the rest of your life that you are going to need them.
Unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to withdraw anymore. On the bright side, I guess I could use the transcript to my advantage in some situations maybe. For example, I could talk about my experience studying abroad, how I adapted, what I learned, etc.
It’ll be good for for your intervie, and for your 'why transfer’essay. However most places will only be interested in the grades you got they won’t care if you have a good reason for that D or C. Yes, even if it’s a ‘pay for grades’ school. So, make sure you have A’s.
Actually, I’m just going to withdraw. They changed my whole schedule today. All of my classes and teachers got switched around. Also, I couldn’t believe what I witnessed in the chemistry lab today. They instructed students to suck the chemical solution into a pipe with their mouths in order to measure it… They stressed wearing lab coats, but there was no eye protection to be seen.
Also, I witnessed my programming lab instructor making up complete BS. It was very obvious that she didn’t know half of what she was talking about. Whenever someone asked a question, she came up with a completely nonsense answer. It was sad to see the other students taking her seriously and writing things down. They will most likely end up missing a few questions on the exam due to her incompetence. People are getting scammed for their money.
Anyway, I’m glad that it’s over. I’m probably not going to be able to go back until next year, so I guess I will just self study for now. I’m lucky my family is so understanding.