Would transferring be a mistake?

Transfer Students
1

Hello everybody,

I’ve posted on this topic in the past but I’d like to get some new responses.

I am a freshman at a top 20 university, and I am debating transferring to a state school back home. My school is 1500 miles from home, and I absolutely hate both the location of the school as well as the hassles when travelling to and from school.

Additionally, I am very close with my mom and little sister and I feel like I want to be close to them my college years so that I can stop by and spend time with them throughout the year, as opposed to only during breaks.

I am a Computer Science major (for now), and although my current school is ranked highly in USNWR, its reputation in CS is not that well-known. My state school isn’t either, but I feel like going there would give me connections to companies in my hometown or surrounding areas, which is where I want to live and work. My current school is not that well-known in my city and I only see internships and jobs around it, which is not where I want to spend a summer/more years.

I also don’t have a good group of friends here who I can just hang out with, eat food, watch TV, etc. I don’t have a roommate and am naturally introverted, so I have people that I say hi to and am friendly with, but no real friends. Back home, I have most of my HS friends attending the state school, so I already have some connections with making more friends there.

However, there are a few things holding me back from transferring as well. The first being that i have spent 5 months at this school, and while I may not have particularly liked it, I am familiar with the campus and classes and all that. I would have to start all over at a new school if I transferred.

Secondly, the CS department at the state school starts off their classes using a different coding language than what I have been learning, so I’d have to study up on a new language. My classes here have a pretty well-defined structure, and so I’d have to switch over.

It’s also possible that me being a transfer student would make it much harder to make friends there than it is here where I am already familiar with some people.

So I am kind of torn on whether to transfer or not. On one hand, I really don’t like my current school’s location and the vibe of some of the people, and I hate the distance from home because I miss my family a lot. The weather sucks and I feel like it may be harder to find an internship or job in a location that I want. On the other hand, I have been here 5 months so I know the campus and the resources available, I am familiar with some people here, and I would not have to switch CS languages.

Thank you for reading and I appreciate any responses.

2

I think those are decent reasons to consider transferring. Have you discussed this with your mom? What are the financial aspects of transferring?

You could fill out transfer applications, then see how the rest of this semester goes. You don’t have to decide for sure until they need a decision.

This article is kind of high level, but it has a few things to consider:

https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-college-solution/2010/11/16/transfer-students-8-things-you-need-to-know

And keep an open mind this semester. Sometimes people get traction second semester of frosh year and really end up liking their school.

3

@intparent I have discussed it with my mom, yes. She definitely wants me to stay at my current school because of the ranking (if I transferred it is a significant drop in ranking, although for computer science I don’t think it’s a big deal). However she said that if I am sure I want to transfer she’ll be ok. Although finances are not a huge concern for my family, transferring would definitely be cheaper, about 40k a year cheaper.

And ok, I will fill out the application but hold off on submitting it. They only require a decision by June 1, but I just thought that because it is a state school they might have rolling admissions and registration and housing could be an issue.

4

I was deeply unhappy at my first undergrad, and thought transferring would change everything. It didn’t; I was just as unhappy at my second undergrad as at my first. Looking back, I wasn’t at a very happy place in my life then, and I probably didn’t give College #1 a fair chance.

My advice is to go ahead and put in a transfer app so that you have the option, but don’t check out on your current school just yet. Try to join some clubs, or a sorority, if your school has those. Get out of your room and do something. Find somebody to have a cup of coffee with, or go to a game with, or go to a party with, or whatever. One or two good friends can make a world of difference in how you experience a school. Re-evaluate at the end of the semester.

5

Well, submit the application. But wait til you hear back to decide.

6

I wonder which top 20 university is not well known to anywhere in the country.

7

@billcsho I don’t doubt people know about it in my hometown, it’s just that there is a huge state flagship in my city so employers are naturally more familiar with its program and the students, and show up to the career fairs and whatnot.

8

You can probably id the poster’s school from past posts, @billcsho. How do you feel about transferring (and how do your parents feel) if it takes you an extra year to graduate because of having to start over with a new computer language, maybe all credits not transferring, and some of the difficulties with large state schools in sometimes getting the classes you need? Also, is class size markedly larger at the state school?

You could put in an application, but plan to do a campus visit that includes sitting in on classes, etc. when you are home over spring break before making a decision. And also continuing to put in good effort socially at your current school. I noticed you posted about loneliness on campus 5 days in, and a lot of posters directed you to other threads and suggestions to meet more people. Did you do those things?

Remember that if you go to this big college where some of your HS friends are already there, they will have formed new friend groups, and will be busy with activities they’ve joined. You might not be able to live near them, and that makes it hard to socialize a lot with them at a big school. I’m just saying the grass might not be as green as it looks from your current location, and your current location might not be as bad as you have convinced yourself it is.

9

@intparent Yes i was planning to visit over spring break. I’ll see if I can sit in on a class.

I’ve spoken to a CS adviser and they said that most of my credits will transfer, and the only two that won’t are CS classes but they can count as elective credit, so I don’t think it would take me an extra year.

And yes I have tried doing the things other people have suggested in order to make some friends. I’ve joined a few clubs, kept my door open, and have tried to be warm and friendly, but these interactions don’t go any further than being acquaintances. The people on my floor who already have a tight knit friend group made that group because they go to frat parties and get drunk, and that’s not really my thing. I will keep trying though.

10

I’d suggest you get a part time job if you don’t have one, and also find some way to volunteer. Maybe the theater dept needs help with sets, or there is a volunteer group from campus that does things in the community. You have to spend time with people to make connections. There is no other way.

11

CS degrees are pretty well employable out of college, so there’s really nothing to worry about. Sounds like you’re at a cliquish school. There’s a lot to be said about living near home around family and friends. You want to go to college in an environment where you can feel like you’re thriving. If you’re happy around your sister and your friends, your grades will reflect that.