<p>So, I made some very basic mistakes in the college admissions process; I applied to various institutions, visited the most prestigious one, convinced myself that I was in love with it, and put down the deposit without a second thought. However, since the day I got here, I've been having second thoughts. I'm not fitting in here at all, and I cannot seem to connect with any one. I've gotten involved with clubs and activities, go to events, eat with people at meals, hang out in common areas, and go parties, but nothing is clicking. The school I'm at just isn't what I'm looking for in terms of academics (which are excellent, but far too much preference is given to STEM fields) or socially (parties are bland and repetitive, very little school spirit, too small), and to top it all off I'm paying way more than I should be to be this unhappy. I honestly cannot see myself coming back here for another miserable semester. I tried getting in contact with some of the schools I was admitted to last spring, but most of them won't take me until sophomore year. I've considered transferring to my state flagship, but I'm not sure how much better a fit that will be and I don't have time to visit before next semester starts. Anyone have any advice?</p>
<p>Chill. Take difficult courses, and get strong grades. You can transfer to a school like Berkeley, Stanford, NYU, Notre Dame (if you’re looking for a strong social life).
I don’t think you should be so upset with where you are, really try to make the best out of the situation and stay positive. Even if you’re only going to be there for a year, you still want to make it a fun year!</p>
<p>Take a leave of absence for the second semester. That will give you time to sort things through. You may decide you like this place after all, and return in the fall. Meanwhile, you can continue communicating with the places where you were admitted, but chose not to attend. Some of them may only admit new students in the fall, and will be happy to admit you with the freshman class in 2013.</p>