Hello!
I am not happy with my current university. I want to transfer out but I am trying to give it a full semester before I do so. My questions are: How difficult is transferring? Has anyone transferred after one semester and then transferred again?
Whether it is difficult to transfer depends on multiple factors. Where are you transferring from? Where do you hope to transfer to?
Lots of people transfer multiple times for any number of reasons. Don’t worry about that.
A lot of students are unhappy during their first couple of weeks or first month at a university. Many then find their way around and discover that they like it after a while.
One issue is that many or most students arrive at university knowing very few other students there. You have left your friends behind. You will make other friends over time. Participating in clubs and activities can help a lot with this process.
Another issue is that university is a huge change to a person’s life. You are suddenly living on your own, getting yourself from class to class, keeping your own schedule, doing your own laundry, and so on. There are a lot of huge changes when you go off to university.
That being said, yes it is possible to transfer. Quite often high school students do not and pretty much can not have a realistic understanding of what it is like to be in university. This means that it is difficult to find a university that is a great fit for you. Rankings are somewhere on the border line between useless and actually harmful in terms of helping students find a school where they will do well and be happy.
You might want to visit the counseling services at your current university. You should be perfectly willing to bring up the issue of transferring. Their job is to help you fit in. If “fitting in” means transferring to a different school they should be fine with this and they will not take it personally.
Also, attend all classes, pay attention at all times, and try to stay ahead in your class work. Getting good grades now will help you significantly regardless of whether or not you end up transferring.
thanks. yes, I am working hard and am involved in many things. to be honest, i just don’t think its the right fit for me. it is too big and lacks many things that i would like.
What is your deadline to decide? Do you have time to visit and reassess firsthand, in light of what you know now?
There’s a lot to be said for “a bird in the hand” if your past investigation of this potential transfer school still resonates with you as offering what you want.
There’s always the “give it time” argument, but if you’re certain you will want to transfer, and you have an offer in hand from a school that fits your criteria (both those from your original search and those you’ve become clearer on based on this semester’s experience) then, why linger where you are? Is there someplace you would clearly prefer, as a transfer destination, over the school you have the spring offer from? If so, do you have a realistic chance of getting in based on your HS record and your anticipated record from this semester?