Well, regarding post #3, can’t say I agree with you, since I’d be insulting myself 
Definitely weird that you weren’t accepted to main though; your stats seem on-par to me. Good luck finding your path.
If you were my son I’d advise you to withdraw and find something else to do.
My 21 year old never went to college and is completely self-supporting. He lived at home for 3 years, worked (ALOT) and saved money (ALOT). He moved to another part of the country to pursue his dreams.
Figure you out - best thing you can ever do. And don’t expect your parents, professors, or anyone else to do it for you. You are the captain of your own ship. I think you’ve given this satellite campus a fair chance. Time to move on. It’s nuts to keep taking out loans for it, imho.
@lostaccount I’m not holding anything against you; you can only infer so much through an online post (and it’s easy to misstate or misinterpret things).
Me saying that Penn State main campus chooses partiers and socializers over truly smart minds wasn’t meant to be a summary of the entire admissions decisions. I just meant that I know, for a fact, that they did choose a few partiers and socializers (I knew these people personally from high school…I was close with them) over truly smart minds who had fewer extracurricular things on their resumes. Of course there are tons of fantastic students who started out - and graduated from - Penn State main campus. But I am also telling you, for a fact, that sometimes students with more extracurricular/social activities are chosen over students with higher academic numbers.
One of my best friends from high school who ended up also going to the same branch campus as me had even higher academic numbers than I did. However, he had no extracurricular activities on his record and only sent one letter of recommendation. And he was denied from main campus and told to start at our branch campus, just like me. The admissions process is more than just looking at the most intelligent students.
Thanks for your responses, and yes, I agree that it does make sense to take a leave or cancel the semester because I’m wasting money otherwise.
@cardinal2020mom I’m not a partier either. I don’t participate at all in that lifestyle and have no interest to. I have always been independent, have had very few friends (and I’m satisfied with that).
And thanks for all the other responses again as well. Up to this point I haven’t yet felt like I have taken control of my path…I just kind of went along with what was expected because I didn’t know what I was doing. I am a first-generation college student so no one was able to help me much.
Now I am at the point where I’m tired of settling for situations that make me unhappy. I want to take control of my path and start working towards my career aspirations.
The thing is, I feel like I might be OK at Penn State main campus. I hear great things about it there. But I need to get there first, and this satellite campus has derailed me. So I will evaluate my options and maybe enroll somewhere else and then transfer to PSU main when I have met the requirements.
Don’t give up on yourself. If you do, so will everyone else. You’ll get there. Make your decision and move on. Looking back will only waste your time. Get to it.
I don’t get the two views.
@“aunt bea” I probably wouldn’t get some things about you either.
As I indicated in other parts of the post, the quality of the administration, instructors, courses, campus, and my academic results are what has made me unhappy. Not the lack of a big social life. I just wanted to mention that as well.
As this thread continues, don’t forget the loan repayment starts 6 months (for federal direct loans) after dropping below half time status. Taking time off or withdrawing/dropping too many classes can start the grace period clock.
Touché.
You need to reevaluate and see where you would like to go. If you are unhappy at your present uni, you really need to research your next school well. Good Luck!
You are getting to end of your satellite campus stay, but seem focused on why it is not the place to be. Yes, if you actually do what you need to do … you will be on Penn State Main campus next fall or maybe spring and you will have lots and lots of professors to choose from.
But you have to go to class. You have to go to the advisors office not to complain that you have outgrown the satellite campus but to put together a concrete plan on how to take all the classes required for transfer.
And yes, you have to attend and do the work in all classes, not because it is fun, but because it gets you to the next place. Do you do your laundry because it is fun, or because it provides you clean clothes to wear.
If you check all the boxes you will be in University Park … and a big university is absolutely a playground for the mind. Interested in astronomy, take a class. Interested in politics in China, take a class.
You do know that you need some formal academics to be able to function in higher level classes. Astronomy is all math-physics based, sure you can read Nature or wikipedia, but if you are math and physics trained there is much more to understand. Similarly political science has a core body of knowledge that you have to digest and understand to be able to understand and participate in political debate at an academic level.
Sure you could take time off and find yourself or start in a new school or whatever. But you really need to treat your depression and buckle down.
Being only in the top 25% of your class, likely because you did not apply yourself in high school, is why you did not get into main campus. Your friend with no ECs, not sure, but maybe his stats weren’t that great, or there were some issues with his recommendations. And no ECs for a flagship university … makes it hard.
Apply yourself properly and you will be rewarded with a good academic experience.
All the other approaches, working, switching schools, whatever … they are actually appreciably harder than
just doing what has to be done. Advisor to put together a plan, syllabus and professor meetings to get through each class, lots of studying and doing the dang homework, reading the assigned reading, writing the essays, whatever.
138 puts you right in the spot where you can do great things … but see … .most of us work hard and focus too.
Good luck.
I believe my loans are private loans through Citizens Bank so they function differently than federal loans. I have to check on those details.
@PickOne1 Thanks for your response; I acknowledge that I need to step up my motivation in order to complete necessary things. The problem with finishing out this semester and then going to main campus is…it probably won’t happen because I have received lower than a C in a few classes critical to my major. My transfer would likely be delayed. Plus, the simple fact of having poor grades on my transcript bothers me and I have convinced myself that I want to start over. My perfectionism will not allow me to look at those grades there. I would rather start a new 4-year plan and dedicate myself to getting all great grades.
Plus, I have heard of people who did this, decided to dedicate themselves to school, and then loaded up a lot of courses in order to transfer/graduate early.
I am fed up with this driving 30 minutes to go to ONE class a day crap at my current satellite campus. I intend to start fresh and load up my schedule with working towards my career visions.
The purpose of gen eds is to weed out the people who refuse to do things just because it doesn’t interest them.
The people you are competing against in getting a political science career are the kids who are just as passionate about political science and hate gen eds as much as you do. The only difference is that they bite their tongue and make A’s in them anyway.
But like you said, you are content with continuing a part-time job while learning about things online. If that’s your goal, you can do that now, without attending school.
Don’t know what’s ironic about partiers going to flagship schools. Intelligent people usually have time management skills to balance academic and social life. It’s not sad that Penn State chose students that can speak 2 languages, were on varsity teams, and played instruments over you. They put in the work in high school and now they get to enjoy themselves by partying it up in college, that’s how it works.
@OhSorryYo Um…I put in work in high school, graduated with a 93% GPA, never had a grade worse than a C, played 2 years on the varsity golf team, played 2 more years on my golf team in college at the satellite campus and earned All-conference athletic and academic awards (and we won back-to-back championships).
I don’t care what other people do in college. This post is about my path.
@OhSorryUYo says “They put in the work in high school and now they get to enjoy themselves by partying it up in college, that’s how it works.”
No, Not true at all in the US. There are countries where that is how it works. Those countries have cram school and highly competitive, if not crazed, secondary schools and lousy colleges where students simply party. That isn’t the way we do things here in the good 'ol United States. Universities are serious places where good students are academically oriented. That isn’t to say that none party but it is not the case that a good high school record paves the way to a partying existence in college. That is the mentality of a different country or of loser students in the US.
And while I’m at it, this is also not true:
“The purpose of gen eds is to weed out the people who refuse to do things just because it doesn’t interest them.”
The purpose of gen ed requirements is to ensure students are educated in a broader range of topics than they would be if they just took the courses in their major. It has nothing to do with weeding out anybody. I do wonder where @OhSorryUYo got his/her experience with education. Seems like probably a different sort of system.
First, kudos to you for recognizing that the path you are on is not the one for you. Sometimes that is the hardest partt!
Here are a few ideas from someone who is further along on the road:
- Seek out some help at the main campus of Penn State. There is someone in admissions who advises potential transfers and can fill in answers for some of the questions you have. You can call admissions at Penn State, ask to set up a transfer advising appointment and get some specific guidance. Bring your transcript along with you. Having someone sit down with you may change your feelings about your progress to this point and help point you toward the next steps you need to take.
- You may need some counseling or a life coach to help you figure out how to do tasks that are not appealing. Behavioral counseling works wonders! As a mom, I often have to talk myself through things using self talk like "I can do this," so I can complete necessary tasks. I also studied Zen Buddhism and the book, "Cut Wood, Carry Water," to learn about taking pleasure in completing the simplest tasks in life. Mindful meditation also helps with this.
- I have run into many uninspiring people. They seem to pop up regularly no matter which college you attend, your major or your place of employment. The challenge is to keep doing good work even in that sort of environment... and then like you are doing, figure out the next path so you can continue to grow and reach your goals.
- It is helpful to always have access to a mentor. Someone you respect who can guide you along. Once you get to your 3rd or 4th year of college, professors seem to reach out more. One professor approached me at that point and asked me to TA his classes. That made a big difference in reaching my career goals.
- Take a break and do something totally different for one year. For example, you could contact Vail Resorts and work in a resort in the western USA. They always need help during winter and summer season. You get a free ski pass with the job. Some of this work is manual labor and you can get experience in doing what is needed versus doing only what you prefer. I am sure there are many other options for this kind of employment if you start looking.
- Peers are important. Surround yourself regularly with the best people you can find.
I hope these ideas are helpful and I wish you good luck in your future endeavors. You will be surprised that it will all work out and you will look back on this time as simply the path you took to get where you need to be.
Nice resume @MrElculver2424, you seem to understand that ECs have a bit of importance
“But I am also telling you, for a fact, that sometimes students with more extracurricular/social activities are chosen over students with higher academic numbers”
^ so what is that? You post numbers like IQ and GPA like they mean everything and yet you could only get accepted into a branch school. It seems to me like you’re a little salty with what you earned with your high school achievements. With all that internet “research” that you do, you should have been able to find out that, surprise! big universities like ECs.
@lostaccount I never said anything about paving a way to a “partying existence” What? What even is that? I said those who did well in high school, are able to get into good universities, and are able to party or SOCIALIZE (maybe you’ll understand my point if I use that word instead) with like-minded people. They GET to, they don’t have to. The thing with people like you is that if someone were to mention “partying”, you automatically assume that’s all they do. You’re being overdramatic and I don’t even understand how you got to that conclusion from my statement, no experience in it perhaps?
also, the gen eds. thing was satire. Wherever @lostaccount got his education from, probably did not focus alot on teaching how to read in between the lines.
- You can’t "start over’. Your grades will count…and your class credits will count.
- Talk to a counselor/psychiatrist about OCD or the like…perfectionism is interfering with your life in this ccase.
- The branch campus might not be for you.
@lostaccount Thank you.
@windbehindwings - I’m printing out your beautiful post to refer back to myself!