HELP!--Should I Stay or Go?

EEH
Mon, 02 May 2005 00:26:25 +0000

So I need to make a decision on this by tomorrow and I really don’t know what to do. I am a freshman at USC, majoring in political science. I plan on moving to D.C. after school and would like to be a political aide or campaign worker. I am trying to decide whether or not to stay here or transfer to the College of William and Mary. There are several things that bother me about USC: The size of the school is a big one. I have had many lecture classes this year where I learned a lot, but I much prefer being able to interact with a professor and my other classmates. Most of the interaction is with TA’s instead of profs; they grade my papers and sometimes write the exams. I have had a couple great TA’s but also some very incompetent ones. Another reason I don’t like the size is because I feel that it is harder to make close friends because you don’t see the same people all the time. Also, the vast majority of students move off-campus into apartments in the neighboring area after freshman year and a lot of people go home on the weekends. This means the weekends on campus are kind of dead and it bothers me that everyone I know is going to be so spread out next year. Plus, I really don’t like Los Angeles…everything is very far away and it’s difficult to go places without a car. I think a lot of these issues would be solved by going to William and Mary where the have a good government program, smaller classes, very little TA’s/Grad students, and 75% of people live on campus. With that said, there are some small classes here at USC that I could take (although most are larger than I like), I’m already comfortable here (although not necessarily happy), and I have a full tuition scholarship so it only costs me $10,000 a year to go here (It would cost $30,000 a year at WM). I don’t feel like my college expectations are being very fulfilled here, but I don’t know if it is my fault or the school’s fault and the idea of starting all over again at a new place where most students are already settled is very intimidating. But maybe a new start would be good for me so I could put this year behind me. Please please please if you have any advice/anecdotes I would love to hear them. I am so stuck about what to do.