I’m currently attending a school with about 4,000 students, and I’m undecided within the school of architecture. I’ve been getting a feeling that I would like to transfer, but I’m not sure if my reasons are legitimate enough. I’m considering transferring because I don’t really get along with many of the kids at my school, we just don’t have similar interests at all. Another reason is because this place wasn’t my top choice, and I never really saw myself going here until I somehow ended up here. I thought I wanted a small school, but I feel like there isn’t that much going on here. And I feel like there’s this bad stigma around the people who go here, and I can definitely feel negativity in the air; in other words, I feel it’s a negative environment. Another reason I’m thinking about switching is because I’m not totally sure if arch is what I’m totally sold on, so there could be other opportunities around. Overall, I just think this isn’t the best place for me to grow as a person.
You’re a freshman, right? Welcome to the common experience of freshman who are 2 months into their college experience and are suddenly unsure that they made the right choice. The flaws of whatever institution they chose are magnified by their lack of instant community and uncertainty about what they thought would be their direction academically. And yes, there is probably negativity in the air as all these freshman are privately and not-so-privately wondering if it was all just a mistake and they should transfer.
Give yourself the gift of time, permission to be uncertain, and space to explore and experiment knowing that you will run into a number of dead ends before you find your fit academically and socially. In a school of 4,000 (unless this is a commuter school) there is plenty going on, and definitely a group of people with whom you would be a fit if you knew where to find them. They are not necessarily in your dorm, unfortunately. You need to make time specifically to check out the places where you could meet them - clubs, in class, in activities that you enjoy doing. Especially talk to upper classmen who are past all this pointless angsting. You should also visit some profs and TAs during office hours and talk about what interests you in their classes and your broader interests and how best get what you want out of your time there.
If you are still feeling this way at winter break, you can check out some schools to transfer to for next year. By spring, most of that negativity you are sensing will have dissipated as people find their niche and you may decide that transferring isn’t necessary. (And whatever school you transfer to would definitely have it’s own warts.) As for the rest of this year, keep your own doubts under wraps - others will avoid you like the plague if you are negative to lower their own cognitive dissonance and you will end up totally isolated: a self-fullfilling prophesy.
I think the best thing for you to do is give yourself time, but also look at other schools around you. If you decide that your school doesn’t fit try to do some school visits. I wouldn’t necessarily rule out architecture as your major because maybe you have a great calling in that field, but you aren’t being offered the right experience at your current school.