It is possible that one may end up at a college that is just not the right fit. However, any college that you decide to attend will guarantee a period of adjustment. College is a big change: every student is dealing with homesickness, new people all around you, and an inability to keep up with everything. Instead of panicking after just a few weeks on campus, give yourself at least a semester or a year to reach a conclusive decision. Nothing in college will be a bed of roses and sometimes it takes a while to settle in. Instead of focusing on a transfer as soon as you feel you are unhappy, focus on exploring all the options available to you at your college. If even after a semester, you are unsatisfied, then you should proceed to the next step of the transfer process.It is possible that one may end up at a college that is just not the right fit. However, any college that you decide to attend will guarantee a period of adjustment. College is a big change: every student is dealing with homesickness, new people all around you, and an inability to keep up with everything. Instead of panicking after just a few weeks on campus, give yourself at least a semester or a year to reach a conclusive decision. Nothing in college will be a bed of roses and sometimes it takes a while to settle in. Instead of focusing on a transfer as soon as you feel you are unhappy, focus on exploring all the options available to you at your college. If even after a semester, you are unsatisfied, then you should proceed to the next step of the transfer process.
Whether socially or academically, if you have been led to considering a transfer seriously, the first step is to introspect on the details of why you are even considering this – what are you not happy with? Is your current college not academic enough? Too rigorous? Not social enough? Is it not near a big city? Making a list of the things that you yearn for in a college experience that you currently do not have is imperative to then understanding which colleges will be better suited to meet your needs. A list of pros and cons always helps create clarity in picking a college that will be a better fit.
Once you have narrowed down your needs from a college, the next step is to create a list of colleges that fulfil those needs. Ensuring the colleges that you are now applying to are different from the one you are in is important so that you aren’t unhappy even after transferring. Be sure to outline how the colleges that you are applying to are different from the one you are in – do thorough research: read up student reviews, talk to students at different colleges, and even visit the campuses if you can. The more information you have, the better!
After narrowing the list of colleges that you want to apply to, important things to consider is the credit transfer process and financial aid. When transferring to a new college, you do not want your work at the previous college go to waste. Do your homework on how your credits can be best transferred to your new college. Be warned, transferring may cause you to lose some or part of your credits and you may have to double up and take a few extra credits/classes after you transfer.
The other important thing to consider is financial aid: if your current college has offered you financial aid ( whether merit or need-based), it is not necessary that the college you transfer to shall offer you the same. You can apply for aid but keep in mind that you are not guaranteed to receive any just because your previous college had given you some.
While transferring is a stressful journey, if you are truly unhappy and unsatisfied, it is the right option for you. However, you must give yourself the time and explore your college in entirety before you make a decision. Sometimes all it takes is time to settle down – and if not, there is always a better fit out there!
Contributed by Devanshi Dabriwal