<p>Cookies, a friend of my daughter had a tough first year at Stanford; she wanted to transfer by December. She was bored by the weather – she grew up in a sunny, 4-season climate, Stanford’s weather by turns bored and frustrated her (too much rain.) She felt uninspired in her classes, and had a hard time making friends. “All they do is study!” she’d say. "I’d say, hey, let’s go for a hike. And they’d respond, “Can’t. I have a chemistry test in two weeks.” She found many of them academically competitive and arrogant. She thought Palo Alto was a bore, and wished she’d picked a school in a more urban, edgy environment. Her parents resisted her desire to transfer, they felt she was throwing away a significant opportunity but nonetheless, she applied to - and was accepted - at her state u as a transfer student. Well, maybe just having an “escape plan” is what did it, but once she thought she was going to leave Stanford, things there started changing for her. Or maybe SHE just got better at seeking change and making it happen. She made friends who were more outgoing than the ones she first met; through Stanford, she got involved in politics; she changed her academic orientation and found the intellectual stimulation she felt she was initially lacking. By the end of her sophomore year, she was a happy, challenged Cardinal. </p>
<p>So in answer to your question - yes, it does happen that people don’t like their school at first, even Stanford. But there is a reason why Stanford is STANFORD. It has a tremendous amount to offer, a wealth of resources and possibilities. So give yourself some time. Explore the school, keep trying new things, actively try to meet more people. Odds are you’ll feel differently about the school shortly - and before you know it, you just might love it. </p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>