University really really sucks so far

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>My professors are godawful
The university is old and the facilities are dreary just to be in
I have met maybe 2 new people (half my own fault, but seriously how the **** does this work, going to class and going home again each day? I don't live in a dorm that I can meet new people in or anything)
I hang out with my old high school friends
I drive to school each day
I still live at home.</p>

<p>Its exactly like high school. And its getting ****ing crushing and I don't think I can do it for 4 years even though I really like what I'm studying. If I don't get accepted to transfer away for next fall I don't know what I'm going to do.</p>

<p>Maybe I was naive to think this would be different from high school</p>

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<p>Why don’t you apply to live on-campus next year?</p>

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<p>what DCHurricane said but dont do it if will financially break you.</p>

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<p>You could also get a job that interests you. From my experience, food service stuff (waiting, ice cream scooping, barista etc) can be fun. The environment lends itself to making friends with coworkers a lot better than, say, your typical office.</p>

5

<p>^
I’ve had part time jobs all throughout high school. The one I have this summer I’m working mainly with older people so its hard to meet anybody, but the money is too good to pass up.</p>

<p>@DCHurricane
It just seems strange and my friends would find it strange because I live less than 10 minutes from the campus. The school is right in the middle of the city. I think its just that I need a change of scenery from the same city after 18 years. I need a fresh start.</p>

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<p>You don’t know how many people are going through the same thing…</p>

<p>I am in the same position as you are right now; chilling with the same people from high school, and eating sh***t on the weekends. My social life is really not that bad, but I know it could be so much better if I was in a university out of this city.
I have met people, but everyone seems so lifeless in this city (probably because they have been commuting to school and working for what are supposed to be the best years of one’s life) that I rather just stick with the people I have known for a while.</p>

<p>So my advice to you is this:
Try to enjoy what you have right now, and do as best as you can in school.
Transfer out, and start living life.
You are only this young once, so make the best of it.</p>

<p>And yes, college is an awesome experience. You just have to go to the right college, and not commute to school. </p>

<p>By the way, I’m transferring next semester.</p>

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<p>^</p>

<p>Thats cool. If I don’t get in to the school I applied for…well I don’t even want to think about that.</p>

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<p>You’re naive to think that college is supposed to be some kind of “experience” like in the movies. Most people go to college and get an education. If you’re so intent on something like how college is depicted in the movies, join a frat or sorority.</p>

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<p>I’m also stuck in a situation where I’m not at a school I want to be at (that said, I’m not commuting, so yeah, I have it good).</p>

<p>But, here’s the thing.</p>

<p>YES, one should always be actively taking steps to improve one’s situation and attitude - getting good grades, filling out transfer apps, whatever helps, helps.</p>

<p>HOWEVER, you seem to be suffering from some flawed logic. </p>

<p>Life is full of many, many choices, and oftentimes things don’t go perfectly. We are conditioned to feel like we have been “wronged” when life hands us things we don’t expect - we always look for EXTERNAL things that we have no control over to ‘blame’ - the college is boring, the people are boring, the city is lifeless, I need a “change of scenery” etc. - these make us feel justified in our internal feelings though those feelings may not be directly attributed to those things we say they are. It is a way of running away from feelings rather than a way of confronting them. </p>

<p>It seems to me that your problems at college would be greatly alleviated by dorming, if feasible. If not feasible, then your problems would be greatly alleviated by joining some clubs and activities, spending more time on campus, etc. (Heck, tailgate into a dorm and do all your studying in the lounge until 1 am…then if you don’t meet anyone, you can safetly say you wouldn’t meet anyone at any college!). Yes, college is like HS - there’s class, there’s people, there’s hw, etc. How much it is like HS is ultimately up to you. You can wean yourself from your HS friends and start to meet new people, or you can not. You can pick up a new hobby, or not. Etc.</p>

<p>Yes, perhaps the college experience would have been EASIER someplace else. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible where you are. And perhaps working harder for it, will actually make it all the sweeter.</p>

<p>So, again, an attitude change is not contigent on going to a different school etc. Learning to deal with a situation that we didn’t expect will make us stronger people. Life will continue to hand you great disappointments, surprises, etc. It will hand you your last choice option again and again. And sometimes you won’t be able to run away from it, and sometimes your last choice is going to be, I didn’t get a job, I didn’t get the raise and I really needed that money to pay my electric bill, my house burned down, etc. So. Start practicing, I say. </p>

<p>Anyway, goodluck on your transfer app, I sincerely hope you get in. But if you don’t, remember that all is not lost. As Captain Planet would say, the power is yours…or some bs like that ;).</p>

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<p>^</p>

<p>I do appreciate the above post. I have to say that my problems would NOT be alleviated by dorming. Mostly because this university is right in the middle of the city. Nobody lives in the dorms except the international students, mostly Asian kids. I have nothing against Asians, they just tend to stick to themselves and speak their native language a lot of the time. I spend a lot of time studying late at night on campus but the place is a ghost town in the evening, because everybody goes home.</p>

<p>Meeting new people is hard because as I said, everyone who goes here lives in the city, and they hang out in the high school cliques they came from. Its hard to ‘break into’ a new group of people who were friends from high school.</p>

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<p>Unfortunately, I’m not sure there’s much you can do about this. The standard college experience you were expecting doesn’t really exist at commuter schools (and why would it, if everyone just goes home after classes?) If you want to find friends, pretend you just moved to the city for a job or something, and do what you would do then.</p>

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<p>Makes me realize how terrifying it will be for me to go to a huge state college in a complete different part of the country with no relatives near me. But if college isn’t about pushing your comfort zone, I can’t see how I could get through it.</p>

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<p>How about joining a couple of student groups or clubs (even if it sounds a little artificial) where you might meet some new people? If they share an interest of yours (frisbee, poetry, music, whatever), they are already well positioned to add to your network.</p>

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<p>@Composed last semester I went from East Coast to West Coast. No relatives whatsoever, no friends whatsoever. Now I’m back home.</p>

<p>There were a lot of reasons I left, but sometimes I do remark how much more involved at my old school I was compared to now. I kinda HAD to be part of it, whereas here I can go home whenever I feel like it. I’d say embrace it man. It’s an adventure, especially if you’ve never been to that area before.</p>

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<p>are you at at a Jesuit school in NY by any chance :P</p>

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<p>No! I’m in Canada skater girl</p>

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<p>College isn’t about pushing your comfort zone, it’s about getting an education that will prepare you for a career. Or, if you’re rich and a career isn’t an issue, it’s about the love of learning.</p>

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<p>Why precisely do you have authority to declare what college is and isn’t about?</p>

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<p>No no no. College is about being challenged to be better than you are now all while getting out of your comfort zone and meeting new people. breaking out of the norm to be something in life</p>

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<p>To the OP –</p>

<p>I feel very similarly to you.
I’m still living at home, I’m still hanging out with just my high school friends, etc.
It’s a bit discouraging at times.
I guess you just have to bite the bullet and meet people if you’re unhappy, though.
If you haven’t already joined some organizations/clubs, maybe you should.
Maybe you should strike up conversations with people in classes more.
I know how hard it is, though…I mean, like I said, I’m basically in the same situation as you.
It feels kind of pointless sometimes.
You look around and see people jabbering away about how much fun they’re having, and then you feel pretty crappy because you aren’t having any fun whatsoever. I know that college is more than just fun, but fun is part of it, isn’t it?
Oh well.
I guess you just have to do put more effort into talking to people if you’re unhappy.</p>

<p>EDIT: Oh, you are hoping to transfer? Well, good luck! I hope it’ll work out for you.</p>