By: Chhaya Néné (University of Miami)
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College has started and it’s been a couple of weeks for you to meet initial friends, go through a couple of classes, get assigned a ton of reading, and even go to a couple of parties. Having a blast right? You loooooove college and don’t know why you didn’t leave home sooner? That’s great! For the most of you, the college you chose is the one for you. But there are the few who are miserable at school, nothing feels quite right and you don’t know what it is. You’ve even looked into transferring but what to do? Do you know what the problem is?
1. Friend Circle
Have you looked at who you’re hanging around with? It may sound cheesy, and you’ve heard your parents say it a million times, but seriously. Are the people you’re hanging around with, right for YOU? If you’re not a smoker, but all your friends are constantly high, and you just sit around….are you going to be happy? If your friends are gossipy and make you feel like you have to walk on eggshells all the time, chances are they aren’t the right type of people.
Believe it or not, the friends you make in the first month won’t necessarily be your best friends for life. You have the option of making new friends, and sometimes that’s the answer before you transfer. Your friends at college become your away time family and if you’re not happy with them, you can feel very alone.
2. Involvement
How active are you on campus? Do you just sit in your dorm because the meetings are too far to walk to? Don’t be lazy, go to the meetings! Chances are when you get involved in activities, you’ll find something you really like doing, and you’ll make FRIENDS who have the same interests as you. If you’re involved you may not feel the need to transfer.
3. Meeting with Professors
Do you feel your grades aren’t where you want them to be? Is it because you’ve given up and aren’t trying? Or is it because you don’t understand the material and are embarrassed to ask for help? Don’t be embarrassed, you are paying tuition to a school where they provide FREE tutoring services, you just have to go and sign up. If you go talk to your professor he/she can even give you extra practice on your work so you can improve!
If after all this, you still don’t feel like the school you’re at is making you happy, then look at other schools where you might feel like you’re more at home. There’s nothing wrong with transferring. It doesn’t make you a loser or a quitter, you are doing what’s best for you, and in this world, that’s what counts!
