<p>I myself endured the “castor oil” approach to academics, being in the sciences and not quite smart enough to do what I was doing, and I have quite mixed emotions about it. But I did not face a negative situation socially, or environmentally at the same time. Besides, Barnard academics are suitably demanding to help develop reasonably needed life skills along those lines IMO.</p>
<p>A feature of transferring is that you start all over socially. Wherever you are, the floor/ dorm you wind up in freshman year often sets the tone for your subsequent social experience. If this happened not to be good, whether because sympatico people are not highly represented at your school or by chance you just didn’t wind up among them- it can be hard to get a “do-over” continuing at the same school, once everyone else in your cohort has established their social circles.</p>
<p>The transfer cohort however, represents exactly that “do-over”. Like freshman year, you are again part of a significant group that is receptive to meeting new people, in a new environment. Consequently, if the school facilitates making these connections, its possible that transferring can improve a negative social situation.</p>