<p>Berikson, I feel for you and can sense that you’re miserable; if you’re interested in PMing me feel free. I’m also unhappy at the current school I’m attending, but for different reasons (it’s a small, highly intense insular school that likes to party hard/work hard and is very homogeneous in student body mentalities). </p>
<p>Anyway, I know that it probably feels overwhelming, suffocating, depressing, frustrating, and/or miserable, but realize that having to stay there won’t change. The only thing that can change (cliche-sounding, I know, but true) is the way you view the situation, your perspective of it. If being stuck in the “middle of nowhere” is sucky, try joking and laughing with people about it, and maybe it’ll get just a little bit better. Try journaling as a way to outlet your feelings in a safe way? Actually, self-help stuff can help a lot, too. You’ve got to find a way to make yourself stable, so keep reaching out to the academic support systems, counseling systems, etc. </p>
<p>Although it may seem like “nothing” is in the town, you should still try to find <em>something</em> around the town to make you happy. Seriously, even just one thing. I know you’ll be pining for the city life but the point is that it will make it more tolerable for you while you’re stuck there, which is an inevitable reality! You might as well TRY to have fun, right?! I know it’s hard. Try getting your roommate to go somewhere with you – maybe a gym in town that’s a <em>little</em> better than the one at your school that’s shoddy, and there’s got to be <em>one</em> good restaurant in town, I would think! Try it out. What else do you like? Art, music, other hobbies? Bookstores, cafes anywhere at all, accessible in some way? Bus rides to nowhere and a book to read and music to listen to? Try finding ways to do those things, and with people that you like (or alone works, too – depends on your personality). It can really help. </p>
<p>People have suggested a lot about meeting others. Hopefully you’re trying some of that – I know you said you didn’t want to because you’re really miserable there. It is hard, I’m sure. But realize that making an effort will help your situation even a little bit, and you need all the momentum you can to push through the year. You can’t change the location, man, but you can change the company you keep – well, at least in a public school like yours. There are 45,000 people there; be thankful you’re not going to a tiny little private college where most of the student body acts exactly the same, and you have hardly any people that don’t party left to choose from! Anyway, making even two or three good friends during this year that you’re stuck there is going to help.</p>
<p>Finally, think to the end. Start planning your transfer applications for the winter break, and tell your parents that you’ll do the best you can for the year, but then you feel like you have just GOT to transfer-- and I think you’ve got to tell your dad this, too. If you phrase it that way and you really are going to grimly suck it up and dedicate yourself to academics in the spring, I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t be understanding of that. It could be worse; they could not let you transfer at all/force you to stop going to school altogether, since it is their money. But start writing your transfer essays maybe during extra free time (if you have a lot, I don’t know how intense academics are there or how your social life is helping with this, but basically you’ve got to have at least an hour or two a week to spare for this). Carefully research each college you’re considering – and make plans to go visit them when you get back on winter break. I would suggest probably visiting twice if you can, since first impressions can be misleading and you can look at things with rose-colored glasses.</p>
<p>Use that to fuel your drive to the end. Pour yourself into academics and the crappy gym you have, the roommate you have, the other few friends you can make there also interested in health/fitness/insert other activity here, and ignore the party scene. Just focus on you, and just try to make it through. </p>
<p>I wish you luck. </p>