University transfer confusion. ]:

[sharp J O L T]

Hay LI.
So ... I just started my first year of university. I live at home because I'm only 20 minutes away from campus. Now I'm starting to think I made the wrong decision. When I first applied to university I didn't look at any universities outside my city because I didn't want to leave home. I was 16 then - a tad young to be applying to university. I'm 17 now and I think I'm starting to realize that it's time for me to go~ You know what I mean? I'm not getting the university experience at my school because I'm a commuter and idk it's just not what I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, I like my school (besides that's the fact that it's kinda competitive and that's not really for me) but I think I want to transfer.

There's one school I'm looking it - it's about an hour and half from my city. Not far, close to home, good. But there's another school I really want to go to. It's small, has a community feel and is in a very pretty city. But the thing is: It's across the country. Out of the two, I like the one across the country better.

You see, I really want this university experience but I'm not too sure if I'll adjust well to moving across the country. I've always been a home-body~ (I guess that's what you would call it) but I really really want the university experience cause I'm sure not getting it here.

I know most of you are going to say, "Well then just go to the one that's closer!". I know but I really like this other university. I'm just confused. I guess I'm not really asking a question here, just trying to get this out there. I haven't applied to the one closer yet just because it's so expensive and the one further away was cheaper (wtf?) :. I dunno. If you wanna give me any advice, please please please do.

[muffinsnail]

If you want the "university" experience, then go to the university that's across the country. Move into residence. The people that you live with instantly turn into a group of people that you can always rely on for advice/help/fun/distraction/anything. Living on campus also means that you can easily access events that you would otherwise have to plan for.

But I don't really understand how a 20 minute commute is preventing you from participating. I have, at minimum, a 30 minute commute to campus, and at max it can be an hour. I still spend quite a lot of time on campus; I'll go to class, then hang out in the common areas to do my homework. I'm on a lot of mailing lists and I make time to attend the meetings.

Really, if you want to get the "university experience", join club mailing lists, attend the meetings, pay attention to the billboards of events, and instead of going home after class, hang out on campus. Work in the library instead of at home; bring food from home and eat in the caf.

[sharp J O L T]

muffinsnail

If you want the "university" experience, then go to the university that's across the country. Move into residence. The people that you live with instantly turn into a group of people that you can always rely on for advice/help/fun/distraction/anything. Living on campus also means that you can easily access events that you would otherwise have to plan for.

But I don't really understand how a 20 minute commute is preventing you from participating. I have, at minimum, a 30 minute commute to campus, and at max it can be an hour. I still spend quite a lot of time on campus; I'll go to class, then hang out in the common areas to do my homework. I'm on a lot of mailing lists and I make time to attend the meetings.

Really, if you want to get the "university experience", join club mailing lists, attend the meetings, pay attention to the billboards of events, and instead of going home after class, hang out on campus. Work in the library instead of at home; bring food from home and eat in the caf.

: I do participate in school stuff (okay. not really. i'm apart of only one group). I have a hard time making friends. I dunno. I'm pretty shy so talking to people randomly is not my forte. I haven't really made any friends that I can hang out with during the day, in between classes and stuff. I guess what I really want is the whole living on rez thing if I think about it ...
I'm just awful at making decisions. Idk.

[muffinsnail]

If money isn't an issue for you or your family, then move into residence. It forces you to meet people who live on campus. But keep in mind that if you don't want to participate and meet people, then you won't. Just because you're shy here doesn't mean you won't be shy there.

But if money is tight, and you don't mind making changes, then stay at home. You don't have to worry about cooking or the cost of accommodations. Join clubs, and make that extra effort. I know what it's like being shy, and I know how hard it is to make campus friends. But you can't meet people if you don't go to areas where people with common interests gather. If you like knitting, join the knitting club. If you like sports, join a rec team. If you like to sing, audition for choir.

Does your campus have a lot of clubs? Are there many events you hear about? Do you read the posterboards and the ads? Do you read the campus newspaper?

[sharp J O L T]

muffinsnail

If money isn't an issue for you or your family, then move into residence. It forces you to meet people who live on campus. But keep in mind that if you don't want to participate and meet people, then you won't. Just because you're shy here doesn't mean you won't be shy there.

But if money is tight, and you don't mind making changes, then stay at home. You don't have to worry about cooking or the cost of accommodations. Join clubs, and make that extra effort. I know what it's like being shy, and I know how hard it is to make campus friends. But you can't meet people if you don't go to areas where people with common interests gather. If you like knitting, join the knitting club. If you like sports, join a rec team. If you like to sing, audition for choir.

Does your campus have a lot of clubs? Are there many events you hear about? Do you read the posterboards and the ads? Do you read the campus newspaper?

I think it'd be easier for me to open up to someone if I was living with a bunch of them for eight months out of the year.

It does have a lot of clubs but I have to say not a lot of them interest me. : Most of them are societies for certain areas of study, a lot of volunteer stuff too. I can't say I want to spend my night talking to a group of students about how The Prince influenced Renaissance Italy. Most of the events I hear about are club events, and the friends that I do have aren't into clubs and stuff and I'm sure as hell not going alone. Never bothered with the campus newspaper (it's more of a college newspaper because we're divided into seperate colleges but whatever that's not really relevant now is it?) I guess I'll pick one up next time I pass by a stand.

[muffinsnail]

Well... question.

What is it exactly that you want? What do you mean when you say "university experience"? And, how will changing location allow you to obtain "it"?

[sharp J O L T]

muffinsnail

Well... question.

What is it exactly that you want? What do you mean when you say "university experience"? And, how will changing location allow you to obtain "it"?

I mean like ... pretty much living on rez. That whole boarding school kinda thing I guess. Friends around you, do work at the library, minutes from class, parties~ you know .... that stuff really.

[Techno_Mouse]

sharp J O L T

muffinsnail

Well... question.

What is it exactly that you want? What do you mean when you say "university experience"? And, how will changing location allow you to obtain "it"?

I mean like ... pretty much living on rez. That whole boarding school kinda thing I guess. Friends around you, do work at the library, minutes from class, parties~ you know .... that stuff really.

I know exactly what you mean, I'm living on campus whereas my sister isn't and to be honest I'm pretty sure life's easier for me.

[Jackalust]

I personally live on campus, and I HATE it.
Unless you dorm with friends, it sucks. I'm dorming with complete strangers who get drunk all the
time and harass me for using the computer so much. My roomate talks s**t about me behind my
back, and I don't have any friends here that don't use me for homework and quiz/test help. People
even try to bribe me to help them on tests with drinks. -__-;

The college experience living on campus is definitely glorified by the media. It's not as great as you
think unless you're into partying with tons of alcohol and drugs involved.

[Hero of Time]

I'm like you--a homebody. This is my first year of college too, but quite honestly, it's been one of the best changes I could have asked for. I'm also shy and have trouble opening up to people, but living on campus has been wonderful. I do miss my family (I haven't been home once), but at the same time there's so much freedom you would have never had before. I'm not the type of person who parties, but there is something exhilarating about walking around campus at midnight with a group of friends, just being as goofy and free as you please. Sleepovers, too. C:

If you have the courage and the money, I would give the far away college a shot. It will probably be an amazing experience.

[British Tourettes]

Living in a dorm is expensive. It cost 10k more for me to live in a dorm than it would have if I commuted. Going to a university out of your state costs even more (did you look at the price for people out of state? They do differ). So can you afford to actually live on campus? Also, you can get the college experience without living on campus. One of my friends commuted from home and still got to experience the same things I did living in a dorm (minus she wasn't there 24/7).

[BlackBeltMan]

make a list but it seems to me whichever one you do you'll be happy... personally i would also look at how well known they are and also how many job offers they have per person after graduation ( forgot what you call it )... but it seems to me you might want to go to the one farther away from your home... fly little birdie, take a chance and soon you'll learn to fly... or fall and break your neck rofl kidding smile but take a bit of a chance and you'll probably like it smile

[Techno_Mouse]

Jackalust

I personally live on campus, and I HATE it.
Unless you dorm with friends, it sucks. I'm dorming with complete strangers who get drunk all the
time and harass me for using the computer so much. My roomate talks s**t about me behind my
back, and I don't have any friends here that don't use me for homework and quiz/test help. People
even try to bribe me to help them on tests with drinks. -__-;

The college experience living on campus is definitely glorified by the media. It's not as great as you
think unless you're into partying with tons of alcohol and drugs involved.

Yeah, when other people want to stay up and you want to get to bed it can be annoying. But you do have to integrate yourself. For the first two weeks I sat in my room panicking about my housemates, but now I'm completely comfortable with them and they're my closest friends at uni.

[Kryst3n]

I think you should suck it up and stay at the college you're already at.

[Amythe the Mammoth]

I wouldn't go across country if it's just for the university experience. You can get the university experience an hour and a half from home, living on campus. I know you think you can handle your parents having absolutely no way to come to you for some reason, but it gets tough. I lived four hours away from home last year to go to a university in Miami. I had a blast, made a ton of friends. It was the best year of my life. But in February I got Salmonellosis because my food wasn't taken care of (My fault). I was vomiting so much I had to go to the hospital and get IV fluids to save myself from dehydration. It was extremely scary since it was something I'd never been through before, and all I could do is call my parents. There was no way they could come and bring me medicine and stuff.

Do you think you can handle being completely isolated from your current friends and family? Is your family willing to take on the extra loans to send you across country? Then go ahead.

If you want to be better safe than sorry, but still getting the college experience, go to the university that's closer.