<p>I'm currently a student at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. I never thought I'd end up here. I've always been a very strong and passionate students, and Ball State is thought of as Indiana's mediocre school. During the final months of my senior year, I was stressing out like crazy choosing between Ball State and Indiana University Bloomington. I ended up picking Ball State because of a huge scholarship I got through the school's Honors College and because they have a really great up and coming program for my major (theatre).</p>
<p>However, now that I've been here for awhile, I'm realizing that I'm not very happy here. I'm not miserable, but I'm not happy. I don't feel challenged. I feel challenged to get the grade, but I don't feel challenged to learn. I'm not surrounded by my kind of people- not intelligent, funny people who inspire me to be the best me I can be. I have to pick a very specific focus in my major (theatre directing) which means I'm not getting a lot of experience doing the other things I love (acting, writing).</p>
<p>At IU, I would be focusing in "Acting and Directing" and could take classes in playwriting. When I toured both schools a few times last year, I remember feeling much more at home in Bloomington. I was excited and felt like I could discover great things there. I didn't get that feeling so much at BSU. The people seem to be more my speed (a good friend of mine is an Acting and Directing student there and shares a great bit with me about the program and the atmosphere/people).</p>
<p>Now, at IU, I wouldn't have the large scholarship and the tuition is more expensive as is. I could realistically graduate from BSU with an excess of funds, while at IU I'd graduate with my fair share debt. I do want to go to grad school eventually too.</p>
<p>In your opinion, is it worth it to transfer?</p>
<p>(This was also posted in a few other forums.)</p>
<p>It looks to me like you should transfer. That wouldn’t be the right choice for everybody but it sounds as if you’ve thought this through carefully and this is how it comes down. Will your credits transfer to IU, or will you have to begin as a freshman again?</p>
<p>Lots of people decide to transfer – you don’t really know a school until you’re studying there, and college students are at an age when they’re growing and changing so fast that what was right last year isn’t the thing anymore. Unless it means taking on an immense debt, I’d go to IU, if I were you.</p>
<p>Hello!</p>
<p>I’m so sorry to hear that you are not pleased with Ball State’s program. That’s very unfortunate. I just had my theater education interview there last Saturday, and was very pleased with what I noticed about the theater program. Everyone is different though, and I think if you are personally not pleased with your college, you should consider other options. Whether that includes just evaluating your program and deciding to continue on with your education at Ball State, or transferring to IU or another institution. Ask yourself, why aren’t I pleased? Is it something that can be fixed? Can I speak to the Head of the Department? Is it something I’m not doing right? Is it something that my program does not offer? Etc etc. Really evaluate the pros and cons of the entire program. After you do that, ask yourself similar questions about IU’s program. Can you participate more in IU’s theater? Can you be a more well-rounded theater student at IU? Can you get tuition paid for, or at least loans to cover it while in school? Etc etc.
Ultimately though, it’s what YOU want. Ball State has a wonderful program, but it may not be so wonderful for you. Everyone expects different things when they go to college, and if you’re not happy, then you’re not happy. It just might not be the perfect fit for you like you may have expected. </p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>