I am currently a freshman at a top 10 university. I convinced myself in middle school that this is where I wanted to go and applied early decision. I was ecstatic to get in last December. My parents were both extremely proud because they both went to mediocre state schools. I was so excited to attend this school and everyone in my home town was very impressed. It is not common for people to go far away to college in my area, let alone to a top ten school.
I am now about a month and a half in and feel as if this might not be the right place for me. As a pre-dental student I need to get a good GPA and be involved in extracurriculars in order to get into dental school. I do not know if I will be able to handle the difficulty and the amount of work here. I’m not a fan of being a little fish in a big pond. I understand that premed/predental is hard everywhere. Also, my current school doesn’t have very many great programs for pre-dental students, it is greatly geared toward pre-med students.
I was severely depressed for the first month of school, but it is starting to get better. I have tried to get involved with extracurricular activities, but I just do not have enough time. I talk to my friends at other schools who are having a great time living the normal college life. They have time to just hang or chill. I watch a movie with my friends once every other week, maybe. I do attend football games and things, but it is hard to find people to go with, especially for a school that is supposed to have such great school spirit. Otherwise it’s always school work. Would it be better to transfer somewhere a little bit easier so that I could get better grades and become involved in more extracurriculars?
It’s not that I’m homesick. I have not once thought that I wanted to go home. I just wonder every day if I would be happier at another school. I feel as if I do not fit in here. Most people like to go out and party and are very into climbing up the social ladder. I’m not a fan of drinking or partying. I am seriously considering transferring to a small, Christian school. Would this be any better? Would it be a dumb decision? I know that I would be dropping from a world-renowned university to an unknown little college. Do dental schools really care where you go to undergrad? I personally don’t care about prestige or the social hierarchy. Should I go somewhere that has a dental school?
My parents would be so disappointed if I transferred. They have told me all of my life that education is the best investment you can make. They are so proud that I am attending the university that I am. It would crush them if I left.
The financial aspect also impacts my decision. I do not get any financial aid at the university I am currently attending and the cost of tuition is extremely high. My parents are not worried about it because it is the best investment that they could make. The cost concerns me though. I still have to pay for dental school. If I attended another school it would probably be a lot less expensive and I could probably get a scholarship.
It’s not that I hate it here. I am just inexplicably unhappy. Everyone else went through that phase but it passed; it has not passed yet for me, and I don’t think that it will any time soon. I have met a lot of great people here and I really enjoy some of my professors, but there are other professors who aren’t very good at teaching and don’t take their jobs seriously. I wonder if this “elite education” is really worth it.
I know it is pretty early to be considering transferring, but I feel as if my high school stats are stronger than my college ones. It would be better to do this sooner rather than later, in my opinion.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
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