<p>Hi, I’m only a freshmen and I will stick out the entire year, but I’m wondering if I should consider transferring after that year. As for MIT, I really like the academics part, as it allows me to take really only the classes that I am interested in, math and science. Also, I want to major in aerospace engineering and it is literally the best place in the world for that. Lastly, I feel like this school has finally challenged me, despite getting a 100% on my first calc exam. The reason I am considering transferring is for two reasons. The first is that even though I have friends here, like I always find someone to sit with in the dining hall, I don’t have a “group” and I feel like everyone else has already found there niche. THe second thing is that a lot of the people I hang around with are playing sports right now, so they can’t do anything on friday nights because of sports saturday morning, so I generally don’t do much friday night, which is frustrating because in the spring I will be the one playing a sport and they will all have fun on friday nights. I guess overall I really like the place but I feel I don’t really fit in well with the people here. I am kinda shy so I am definitely staying for the entire year to see if I can change it. If I would transfer it would be to either UVA, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, or Cornell. Thanks for the help!</p>
<p>Obviously it all comes down to whether or not you are happy at the school. If you’re absolutely miserable, then I’d say transferring is a valid consideration. If it’s a minor annoyance in an otherwise great school, then it may be worth it to stick around another year or three. Personally, if I was in that situation, I would stick it out. I don’t know about you, but it takes me quite awhile to make friends of the quality you describe. From my perspective, being a “new student” in the sophomore class won’t help me find friends faster than being with people I already know.</p>
<p>I really think you should give it some time. You are right- MIT is just about the best place you could be for your major. And while making close friends is definitely an enjoyable part of college, you are doing what you are for the education. You will find your friends in time.</p>
<p>If you transfer, you’re making a really bad decision. No matter what, I guarantee you will regret it possibly for the rest of your life. Kids who transfer for social reasons totally blow my mind. </p>
<p>As a transfer, there’s definitely no guarantee you’re going to find the “group” you’re looking for.</p>
<p>You’re going to the best school in the world for the field you want to study. If you transfer, it is going to be to a worse school.</p>
<p>The kinds of people at MIT are going to be the same as at any other top engineering school.</p>
<p>It’s harder to find your niche as a transfer student than as a new freshman.</p>
<p>You’re gonna find your niche. It may take a year, maybe even two… but you will. If you don’t, it’s not MIT’s fault - it’s yours, and it would happen anywhere else. You said it yourself. You’re shy. If you end up at any of the other schools in your list, you’re still going to be shy.</p>
<p>You’re a freshman and it’s been what, 6 weeks? Don’t give it a year, give it four.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that being a transfer student causes all kinds of headaches. Some of your courses may not be given credit, you may have to take patronizing introductory get-to-know-your-classmates courses, and you will almost certainly take longer to graduate because you will be required to take more general education courses. </p>
<p>Also, as a transfer, you won’t know anyone and won’t have whatever shared experiences they had as freshmen going through orientation, rushing fraternities or sororities…etc. Freshmen will be wary of you because they didn’t see you at orientation and returning students have already formed their groups.</p>
<p>Just like people said above, this is about your education. Remember, college does enable social interactions and so forth, but your primary goal is to get that degree and find yourself a nice job after college - everything else is just noise. I’m not telling you to be antisocial, god no - you’d go crazy. But my philosophy is that you worked and are working hard for a reason, so sacrificing a couple of friday nights to get studying in instead of partying or whatever is part of the game.</p>
<p>Bottom line: I would not transfer until you give it some time and thought. Don’t let impulsive thinking sidetrack you from earning a degree at one of the BEST institutions in the world.</p>
<p>If I were you I would stay, you got a 100% on a calc test at MIT, Jesus man did you parents have some superhuman genes? Clearly your going to be brilliant based off of that. Just try to be more social and outward focused. I was the same way when I first started college and actually started to try making friends. Go into classes thinking you are going to make friends, it’ll happen, have you tried being the planner in your relationship with people? Don’t need to make a group you can forge your own that way.</p>
<p>Btw when I first read this I thought it read should I transfer to MIT and I was thinking I was going to read some other kids post on how over confident he is that he will get into possible one of the best institutes our country has to offer. You already there and half of America wishes they were you! Things will come together. Stay. At. MIT.
(btw do you have any how amazing people will think you are later in life) if being at MIT doesn’t get you friends I’m sure graduating from there will haha</p>
<p>Stick to it. You are in a great position right now. That MIT degree will open a lot of doors in life. Most of these doors lead to hiring managers’ offices (or at least a HR hiring rep).</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! Just an update, for various reasons I think I am going to switch my majors and do course 9 (brain and cog) and do pre-med. Of course I am taking orgo next semester and that will really be the deciding factor. As for the social situation, its gotten better, but I still have transferring on the back of my mind, especially if I do pre-med, where I could probably transfer into a school with better acceptance rate to medical school as I have pretty good grades so far, though I don’t know if they would see them since its pass/nr. Thanks for all the help!</p>
<p>yeah i would definitely pepper your angus</p>
<p>i wouldn’t really listen to the advice given to you in this thread. it seems like many of the posters don’t know what it’s like to be unhappy at one’s school. they can’t see past the high ranking of the school, and many (from my observations on this transfer forum) seem obsessed with prestige</p>
<p>you were smart enough to get accepted by MIT, i think you will be successful wherever you end up. go where you are happy</p>
<p>I’d stay at MIT; it just takes a little time to get used to, as with everything.</p>
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<p>I’ll be honest – I don’t even remember orientation, nor did I (or anyone else I know) make life-long friends. The whole ‘if you miss orientation you’ll never fit in concept’ is overblown.</p>
<p>If you really aren’t happy with the social life, it is a valid reason to transfer. Never be fooled by a designer brand name. A bad fit is a bad fit. A lot of people think I’m crazy for wanting to switch schools; I get the “why do you want to leave? (insert school name here) is such a great place!” until I explain why the student body is making me miserable. I’ve been fighting depression for the past year and a half, in part because the social fit at my current school is awful. If you’re getting verbally assaulted, attacked, or are facing discrimination for anything that defines your personality, do not take transferring out of the picture.</p>