After two semesters at my current school, I realized I made so many close friends in college who wouldn’t give up ever; perhaps they ended up even closer to me than my high school friends. I used to be extremely adamant about transferring, but having friends there had given me second thoughts of not transferring. I already payed for all the materials I needed to transfer, but I also deposited housing fees in case I wanted to stay at my current school.
My main reason for transferring was to get a strong education in animation. My current school does not offer animation. Becoming an animator of a cartoon or a film had always been a dream of mine, and it’s hard to learn the proper skills in animation without taking actual animation courses. My artistic skills are well-developed, and I know my art portfolio is strong. I’m confident that I’ll get accepted by the schools I applied to. I’m probably being too arrogant here.
However, the friends I made here had made an impact on my social life. It was a huge difference from the huge cliquey intimidating feeling in high school I got from people back when I was stuck in my shell and extremely shy. I bonded quickly with the people I met on my floor mainly because we all signed up to live in the same residential learning community. I met people who had similar interests from playing video games and watching anime to having a focus on academics. I found friends who enjoyed being around me, and I enjoyed being around them.
If I transferred, I’m afraid that I would lose contact with them, and would have trouble finding friends when I transfer. Some of them don’t frequent social media or use cell phones often. I’m also bad with long-distance friendships. I rarely speak to the high school friends I used to be close to. However if I don’t transfer, I won’t get the experience I need for a career in animation. I want to have guidance from someone who has experience in animation to improve my skills in animating. Staying at my current school for my whole four undergrad years would be pointless for learning animation. I’m unsure of what decision to make.
To sum everything up with less words: Should I choose my friends or my career?
Are your friends in the same program as you? If not, I would advise you to choose the career route. The truth is, as close as you are now with your friends in college, once everyone graduate and go into different fields of work, everyone will have different hours and it would be virtually impossible to meet up and stay tight knit. Friends come and go if they don’t have the same career goals as you. If they will become your work colleagues in the future then it is not worth it.
are your friends going to be putting food on the table and paying rent after you graduate? Right now you have two options. 1) Do what is best for your career path and transfer and make new friends. 2) Choose a new major and hang on to your current friends.
If they were really close friends, you will keep in contact with them.
Didn’t u make friends when you came to your present school? You’ll make friends wherever you go.
@JayRun, how many classes would you actually take in animation at the school you’d be transferring to? Is it just 3 or 4 courses at the end of your degree, or would you be taking animation classes every year?
Would the new school have a similar housing situation, where you could live with kids with similar interests? If so, you’ll probably make lots of new friends there.
I would respectfully disagree with @iamthetopgun about keeping in touch with your college friends. I am still very close with 2 of my college friends, and I keep in touch with 2 other guys on a less regular basis. None of them are in the same field as I am. Many people I know have had the same experience.
On the other hand, you still have 3 years to meet people at your new school. If you’re going to transfer, I would say the earlier the better. If you feel really close with your friends at your current school, maybe you could stay there, and do a semester or two at the other school as a visiting student. You’d have to make sure that you could actually get into the classes you want to take. There might be competition for spots, and you might have the lowest priority as a visiting student. I’m not sure how this would work with Financial Aid either, so you’d have to consider that.
Another option is to just do some extra courses at the other school after you finish you’re degree at your current school. This is assuming that it’s just a few courses. If it’s a completely different program at the other school, this wouldn’t work.
If one of your close friends were in your situation, what do you think that person would do? In all honesty, it’s best to choose your career. I’m sure you’ll keep in contact somehow, you’ll also have many more opportunities meet others similar to you if you transfer. I’m guessing that if you’re in an animation course you’ll find people more like you in that class.