I move into college here soon. Very soon actually… I decided to go to this school back in March. I toured at the beginning of my junior year of high school and loved the school. Some friends went there and they absolutely hated it and were telling me to reconsider my choice but I did not listen to them and wanted to see this for myself. As time went on after I submitted my admissions decision I got more and more excited everyday. Well I had orientation about two months ago and after that, I just absolutely hated everything about the school. I met a ton of people while at orientation and I know I will not fit in with anyone at this school. Looking back, I honestly think I only chose to go here because of the beautiful campus and the city it is in. This school is known for a different group of people. (Before you go and start saying that I am being judgmental or that I am only listening to others’ opinions, no I am not. I know there will be someone to start saying that.) There is a group Facebook page with over 1,000 students and I’ve tried finding people who are maybe my type of friends and I’ve chatted with some, but everyone there is the complete opposite of me.
I literally do not know what to do. Do I just wait now until the spring and risk being a semester behind, go to a community college, or what? There’s another university near my house I was accepted into with a prestigious scholarship, but I wanted to get away from home a little. I have such major plans that I know I will complete without a doubt; don’t look down on me because of this thread. I graduated in the top of my class & I don’t want to just waste the time and effort that I put into high school by making an irrational decision. I have no one that I can talk to about this. I’m a first-generation college student so I can not talk to any family members & none of my friends would not understand me or correlate. I’m completely lost.
If I understand it correctly, you haven’t started at your college yet; you are making your conclusions based upon a one-day orientation you went to and the group Facebook. It’s unclear how big the school is, but if the Facebook actually has 1,000 students that belong to it I’m betting that’s probably at most one-third of the student body, perhaps less.
I think you are making a decision too rashly. The students you met briefly at orientation and the sort of superficial relationships you can build solely over Facebook in a couple days/weeks aren’t really enough information to decide that you don’t like a school when it was previously a place you loved. I don’t think you are ONLY listening to others’ opinions, but I do think that others’ opinions are having an outsized influence on your own opinions (both your friends and the “school is known” stereotypes).
Personally, I think you should go through with your plans to move into this college and give it a chance. You may find that you find your niche once you have more time to foster relationships on-campus and join groups. If you decide that you want to go somewhere else, you can transfer after your first year.
I think you should email the guidance departments at both the community college and the other university you are interested in, to ask about transferring. Also email the guidance department at the school you’re currently enrolled in to ask about the transfer process (which may or may not be easy bc who wants their students to leave).
Worst case scenario, you have to put up with this school for a semester or two while you go through the transfer process.
Better case scenario, you leave this school and enroll in community college while you go through the process of transferring to that university you were accepted to. Or reapply.
Best case scenario, you can transfer immediately and lose no money in the process!!!
But honestly, if you feel this school isn’t right for you, look into the transfer process.
If you still like the school’s academics and it’s just the social scene you don’t like, you may want to look into cross-enrollment programs or living off-campus.
Just keep calm and know that handling things now will make things so much more worthwhile in the long run, because you’ll actually be able to enjoy your college experience.
Since you were at the top of your class, my guess is that you have worked very hard all the time you were in school, and you didn’t have much time to just think for yourself. So let this college know that you need to defer enrollment for a year. Take a gap year. Use the time off from academics to think through the best ways to achieve your goals. Get a job, do some volunteer work, and spend time on a college application list for places you do like and think you can afford.
Then apply to those places. See where you get in and what your aid packages look like. Then decide where to attend. Provided you don’t take any classes at all, you will retain your freshman status applicant status, and you will get better financial aid - merit-based aid usually is only for freshmen.
Don’t worry about being “a semester behind”. The time off is a good investment in yourself. I know plenty of people who started at the wrong place for any number of reasons, and lost even more than just one semester (in some cases they lost entire years) because they flunked a bunch of courses and had to repeat them, and/or because they transferred and found out that lots of their credits wouldn’t transfer.
Your state university may not have a specific neuroscience major, but its biology and psychology departments may have applicable courses that you can take as in-major and out-of-major electives to fulfill your interest in the subject. Check the course offerings.
As other posters have noted, you are probably having the normal anxiety/second thoughts that come with making a big life transition such as going to college. You can’t make assumptions about the school based without experiencing it yourself. How you experience it will largely depend on your mindset. If you go in with a positive mindset you will likely have a more positive experience. Don’t give up an amazing opportunity because of what others say. And try not to generalize that “everyone” says this or that or has the same negative experiences. That isn’t posible and not a great way to make decisions for your life.
You could take a gap year and apply to a new list of schools, but I think @bodangles is right – I don’t believe you can keep your acceptance to your current school while you apply to others to see if you get a better deal. What’s your backup plan if you give up this college but don’t get any affordable options next year?
I think it’s a mistake to base major life decisions on the opinions of friends. Your college may not be right for them, but they won’t be attending so it doesn’t matter. Unless they’re contributing to your tuition, they had no business trying to talk you out of attending an affordable option. I think you went into the orientation and FB chats with a negative attitude and I suspect that influenced your opinion. Try to look at it with an open mind.
I suggest you make a list of what you like about this college and what you don’t to see where you stand. Be specific. You seem to like the urban location. That goes on the (+) side. So does the beautiful campus. The low cost/no loans does too. Is the amount of available courses a plus or a minus? What about the school size? If there are any clubs or ECs you’re interested in, they go on the plus side. Are there internships or co-ops available? They’re a plus.
You have to be specific about what you don’t like too. The fact that your friends don’t like the college doesn’t belong on your chart. If you write that you didn’t like anybody you met during orientation, note how many people you think you met and figure out what percentage of the total student population that was. Basing your opinion of an entire student body on a sample size of ~5% (or whatever) isn’t fair to you or them.
If the negatives outweigh the positives, consider other options. You may want to run the net price calculators at a couple OOS colleges to get an estimate of their costs. How much would you have to borrow to go OOS? If it’s more than ~$5500/year, will your parents borrow the rest? If the OOS colleges seem affordable, what’s their admission rate? If it’s low, then they’re a reach. You may find that other colleges are affordable and it’s worth your while to take a gap year and apply to a new list. Or you may find that the costs make you reexamine your current school with a fresh set of eyes. Either way, you’ll be able to make a decision that works for you and your family.
@bodangles - Some places specifically require that the student not apply elsewhere. Others don’t put that sort of thing into writing. And frankly, how would College A know that a student had applied anywhere else? That kind of information cannot be exchanged. It is not public information.
Every single year students don’t turn up at the last minute. Every single year students don’t return after a year off, or don’t enroll after a deferment. The biggest issue, to my mind, in the OP’s situation is the money. Can he/she afford any other places? Will starting, and then transferring, wreck the opportunities for a much needed financial aid package? That is where the OP needs to focus right now.
You are pre-med. Med school is fiendishly expensive. Do your best to avoid debt for your undergrad degree. You will be borrowing a lot of money for med school.
Every college freshmen feels s/he is inadequate in the beginning, as did I. Give it a shot. Over time (hopefully within a few months), you will find your place, your niche, and all will be fine. Also, try to stay out of your comfort zone and take the challenges and the opportunities before you.
Go to the school and see how it actually is when you are “living” it instead of only imagining it. Excel there academically. If you are unhappy, you always can transfer.
If financial aid is required , I wouldn’t make any decisions without finding out specifically what the COA would be. There’s a good chance that the scholarship that was offered at the other school is no longer available . In my state, the highest state sponsored scholarship does not allow for a gap year. If you live in a state that offers state sponsored . And lastly , I realize that you are a first generation college student , but these are issues that you should really discuss with your parents , especially if they are providing any financial support.
Thanks everyone for the replies! I wanted opinions from adults who have been through the same feelings or who have had kids of theirs go through the same feelings and that is what I got. Thanks again.