Hate my life, want to transfer

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yalla22

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I seriously hate my life right now.

I go to a top school in the country, have managed to screw up my gpa (3.1) during the first 2 yrs of college, hate my school, have no friends anymore, am emotionally feeling checked out and I just want to get away..transfer to another school. I feel like i need a change of environment badly. If i transfered i'd start with a new gpa, fresh..all over again.
What should i do? i don't want to waste time though! I have my heart set on UCLA. Should i just suck it up and try to focus on my work and stay??

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Originally posted by yalla22
I seriously hate my life right now.

I go to a top school in the country, have managed to screw up my gpa (3.1) during the first 2 yrs of college, hate my school, have no friends anymore, am emotionally feeling checked out and I just want to get away..transfer to another school. I feel like i need a change of environment badly. If i transfered i'd start with a new gpa, fresh..all over again.
What should i do? i don't want to waste time though! I have my heart set on UCLA. Should i just suck it up and try to focus on my work and stay??

Which school do you currently attend? (if you don't mind me asking)
 
Originally posted by yalla22
I seriously hate my life right now.

I go to a top school in the country, have managed to screw up my gpa (3.1) during the first 2 yrs of college, hate my school, have no friends anymore, am emotionally feeling checked out and I just want to get away..transfer to another school. I feel like i need a change of environment badly. If i transfered i'd start with a new gpa, fresh..all over again.
What should i do? i don't want to waste time though! I have my heart set on UCLA. Should i just suck it up and try to focus on my work and stay??

Wow, that almost sounded like a suicide note........maybe we should all avoid that school!!!!
 
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um its really not even close to being a suicide note.

I've just had a really hard time at this school, academically AND socially and i'm having so much trouble turning it around.

I need internal strength and i dont have it.

its an ivy by the way-lets leave it at that.
 
Did anyone else have similar experiences in college??:(
please say yes.
 
I think if you really feel you need a change than do it. That is, if you are sure the other school truly is better for you and this isn't a 'I am just burned out now and think I need a big change forever' sort of deal. I mean, if you seriously think your life would be much better at UCLA why not go? It is your money and, more importantly, your life. You should be happy living it if it doesn't intrude on the happiness of others. So, if you are sure, do it and good luck. Hope I could help.
 
Well my grades suck and i have no happiness. im really down in the dumps...i'd do anything to get out of this mess.

specifically my gpa. it just kills me.
 
is it cornell?

i hear lots of people are unhappy there.
 
no it is NOT cornell.
 
Hey Yalla,

I have a friend who goes to Cornell. She came in as a pre-med and got around a 2.8 during her first year, and switched to English. It was really cutthroat there, and she hated it. If your school is like that, then I can definetely understand.

Have you talked to anyone at the school? A nice professor, or a dean? Maybe they can help make things better for you. If you hate it that much, though, then transferring may not be a terrible idea.

Good luck - I hope things get better for you. :)
 
Yes, me

I almost tranferred out of Hopkins after a 2.3 my soph year. I hated it there. I wanted to go to UC Berkeley. Was going to take some extension classes then transfer in.

In the end I decided to stay, and ended up doing really well by refocusing myself. I'm glad I stayed b/c graduating from my school gave me a noticeable boost during the process. Also I didnt have to explain the transfer, and I proved I could adapt myself to an environment that was less than ideal. PM me if you want to discuss.
 
Are you from california, is that why you would like to go to ucla?

I think going from an ivy to ucla is like going from white to black -- which MAY be a good thing but might throw you off kilter. If you want to start anew, however, that would be the most different thing you could possibly do: small liberal arts-focused east coast ivy to a large, sterile "you're just a number" california school. just keep in mind, the pre-med competition at sciency schools like ucla (And other ucs) is a LOT worse which might drive you even more crazy!Why do you have your heart set on ucla?
 
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Take a year off instead. Do something fun and useful.
Med schools may view the fact that your 1-2 years grades are from Ivy, and 3-4 years grades from some state school as a negative thing. Even if you do better, it will look like you just couldn't handle the load...
Good luck.
PS. There are a lot of successful stories along your lines. Don't worry.
 
no i just love california-the ethnic diversity and the weather and just the difference it hsa w where i am now. my friends that go to ucla have it so much easier academically than me its just not even funny. 4.0 and partying three nights a week:(

Do you guys think if i stay an extra year-so i have 2 yrs to bump the gpa up that would be good??
 
And the thing is----if i go away for a semester during the year or summer my school won't accept the grades as a part of the transcript!!!

So basically it won't help bump the gpa up:( I guess i shouldn't consider doing that??
 
Yea, I have to agree with a lot of the posters...if you're hating life and are crashing at school, stop out. By all means, take some time off, refocus, then saddle up that pony.
 
I hated undergrad for the most part. I went to Northwestern and just never found my groove, academically, socially, etc.

It's not worth it to stay if you are unhappy. I wish I would have transferred instead of wasting my time being somewhere I did not want to be. As the saying goes, life is too short, so don't waste it.
 
Unless your poor and don't have a pony then your just screwed!
 
I had a similar experience, but instead of changing schools I took a semester off, and when I came back I changed my major from computer science and business to cognitive science (and of course the premed stuff :D). That did wonders for my motivation and general happiness. My GPA is still low, but it's only mediocre now (~2.8) instead of borderline atrocious (~2.0). It's taken about 3 semesters of 4.0's to raise it by that much, and even if I get a 4.0 average again this semester I'll be below 3.0 overall. Due to this the MCAT is a big deal for me; I'm hoping a high score there will make the adcoms focus on the last 2 years of my career instead of the previous ones. And even then I'll be ecstatic if I get into any medical school; state school, private school, MD, DO, whatever, I just want to be a doctor.

So I would recommend talking to your school advisors, talking with your parents, anyone who knows you well. The problem with transferring is that every school has a different transfer policy. A 3.1 really isn't a horrible GPA; I wouldn't be surprised if UCLA let you transfer in on that alone, especially if you can convince/demonstrate to them that you'd do better in their academic and/or social environment. You should definitely talk to your advisor about that, and also get in contact with UCLA's admissions office and get an idea about their policies and such. If your 3.1 won't get you in, it might be a good idea to take a semester off to get away from the negative environment for a while to recharge your batteries, do a kind of a review of what you're interested in to make sure that it lines up with your major, and then suck it up and kick ass for one semester to show UCLA you really mean business and that you'd definitely suceed there.

For me, I couldn't "reset" my GPA but I did stop thinking about it at all for a while. When I finally did I had enough confidence from my recent performance that I was able to say, "Yeah, that was me from before, this is me now." I'm not afraid at all to talk to an interviewer about my poor cumulative GPA because I know it doesn't accurately represent what I'm capable of. Self-confidence and motivation really do make a huge difference.
 
Originally posted by yalla22
I seriously hate my life right now.

I go to a top school in the country, have managed to screw up my gpa (3.1) during the first 2 yrs of college, hate my school, have no friends anymore, am emotionally feeling checked out and I just want to get away..transfer to another school. I feel like i need a change of environment badly. If i transfered i'd start with a new gpa, fresh..all over again.
What should i do? i don't want to waste time though! I have my heart set on UCLA. Should i just suck it up and try to focus on my work and stay??

Leave. Your 3.8 from some random state school over the next two years will make you an ave. applicant gpa wise. The 3.2 ivy gpa will not be enough to make up the difference. It's unfair, but whatever, play the game. Even if adcoms think that you couldn't cut it at ivy-X, you proved you could cut it at state school.... and they do accept plenty of kids from state school.
There is nothing fun about being at top schools. People have "scheduled fun" and definitely have ponies... if not two.

I'm really serious here. Ivies are not worth the money for premeds. The GPA is not weighed fairly (INO) so go ahead and play the game - go to state school, save some money, have more fun and use your savings on your mcat prep course.

Also, find the easiest major at your school. One that has ave. grades of an B+/A-. You know they are out there. Unfortunately, adcoms are stupid and will weigh sociology classes where the ave. grade is an A- the same as physics where the ave. grade is a C.

Premed is not about how hard you work or how smart you are. It's how well you BS your transcripts. (i'd like to thank an anonymous adcom for inspiring this post)
 
i kinda felt like i was in the same boat you were. i never wanted to go to the school i'm at, i went because they gave me the most money. But i really was not happy. I wanted to transfer out of there as fast as I could. So I was all set to transfer to another school, had my application in hand, and then I realized, what am i doing? I'm just running away from one problem to another. What makes me so sure that I will do better in teh other school?

I realized that the reason i wanted to transfer was because I basically do not fit in with the marjority of the student body. I had basically no friends, except for a few, and I just couldn't stand it. I ended up switching majors from bio to biochem. I know, not that big a change, but the biochem major is run from the chem dept, and most chem/biochem majors are not premed, they're going for industry or teaching or phhd's, or pharmaceuticals, you get the picture. They're not so gunnery. I was able to relax more, I made some awesome amazing friends and we terrorize the campus together, and now, i can't imagine being anywhere else.

Basically, what I'm saying, is what you should do first is ask yourself what it is you don't like about hte shcool. Is it hte people in your major? a lack of friends? are you not handling your stress well which is why you feel emotionally drained? I know I felt that way, and then I started running. I can't tell you how great it feels when you're pissed off as anything to just throw on your running shoes and beat the crap out of the pavement. Think about taking a semester off or go abroad for a while. You'll come back changed and happier. And the friends will come. And when they do, they'll be the lifelong ones cause they'll have seen you at your worst and at your best.

That's why I'm kind of glad that I didn't transfer. Sure, I don't eat lunch with swarms of people, but I love my friends, I can't imagine what I'd do without them. They have seen me go through everything, and I owe them so much. Or maybe I just have a very high standard of what I consider a friend. In any event, keep your chin up, because if things are as bad as you say, then they can only get better, right?
 
by the way, you'd still be stuck with your units from your previous school so it would be quite hard to raise your GPA by a significant amount. Assume you've been there 3 years. Three years of 4.0 at UCLA will still average out to a 3.55, and a 4.0 at UCLA isnt a cakewalk.

You're already pretty far, and you go to a good school. You have a couple things going for you as it is. Anyways, I pmed you back. good luck.
 
not to discourage you or anything, but transferring to UCLA from out of state is nearly impossible. the UCs give first priority to CA community college transfers, then transfers from other UCs, then other schools in cali...you get the picture; being a non-resident who goes to a four-year-school already leaves you w/o too much hope :(

BUT, i agree with most of the above posts, take some time off, or at least give yourself one easy semester - take the minimum number of units and only classes that you'd enjoy. a 3.1 is not bad at all and you have time to bring it up

cheer up :)
 
One person mentioned this advice, and I think it's the best on this post:

*Get completely out of academia for a solid year.*

Move overseas and teach English. or work in some random job here in the states. or just travel if you have the money. or latch onto some random interest and pursue it (some focused volunteerism, move to Nepalese monestary, whatever floats your boat).

I have a friend who transferred away, then back to my school the very next semester in search of the perfect academic experience. Turns out he just had to reset his own priorities and get a fresh look at his situation. I doubt that the transfer will magically fix everything. A year off, however, will allow you time to seriously define your priorities and better understand yourself. Not to sound too fluffy, but it's true - you will come back with gobs of useful self knowledge.

On the pragmatic side, the year will not be especially difficult to justify as long as you continue to pursue sevice/medical experience, which is possible just about everywhere. Also, I think your app could be strengthened by a sincere accounting of the issues you were working through and the way you actively sought to address them.

A transfer could work too, I guess, but you may be missing the forest for the trees. Think about it.
 
My vote is for taking time off as well! I guess I never would have thought if it when i was an undergrad but now that ive been out of school a few years (and being a postbacc to boost the gpa that had me down in the dumps) i realize that its OK to need to hit the reset. just, with that time, do something productive, not necessarily vegging out... what does productive mean? i have no idea. since you've already mentioned you're an IVY student, i can tell you that coming up with some experiences in that time off will be rather easy for you. check your alumni office/career development to see if there are any alumns listing internships and contact them to see if you could arrange a half-year type thing (6 mos or so)... i know a bunch of people that have done it. then you can come back refreshed ready to nail it all. the year off will be a strong separation point at which you can compare a previous self to a current self once you start applying to medical school. and in your time off you may be able to fully appreciate that staying at X university will strengthn your propsect even more.

good luck with it all and i hope you can be happy with whichever decision you make. although many people may not want to hear this, the name of that school you have behind you goes a long long way. whether people agree with that or not, isnt the issue here. whats important is that you optimize your chances. if you can take time off and refresh it all and find a new outlook on life that will make meshing better, then thats what matters.

:clap: :clap: :clap: keep your chin up!!
 
Not to be a snotty brat, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, but get over it.

Do you know how many people would kill themselves to have the opportunity to attend an ivy league school? To be able to get an education, to AFFORD an education, is a privledge. There are so many people who can't afford to go to school, and you are going to one of the best schools in the country.

I'm not doubting the fact that it might suck right now. But that is how life is sometimes. Keep working your butt off, and things will turn around.

Good luck to you.
 
but maybe he doesn't have a pony, I mean we all need ponies, don't we?
 
id take some time off cause honestly...

getting into a UC out of state is next to impossible. even going from a UC to a UC is hella hard. the only person i know that has ever done that was to go from SD to LA and he had close to a 4.0 gpa at SD. Everyone else I know that tried failed.
 
that new gpa will not carry over into your med app, in case you didnt know.
 
i started off loving my school. now i still love it but i'm definitely getting tired of it. the classes seem to get harder and harder, there's no break and my friends are starting to get annoying. really annoying. it seems like my undergrad is falling apart as well and i just can't wait to get out of here into med.

i don't think i have it as bad as you but i'd suggest to take some time off if you really think it's that bad. or else just switch to another school, UCLA, as someone else mentioned. save your money and get a higher GPA, who wouldn't want that?
 
Originally posted by Peterock
Premed is not about how hard you work or how smart you are. It's how well you BS your transcripts. (i'd like to thank an anonymous adcom for inspiring this post)

You really think that's true? People with GPAs that aren't astronomical still get into med school with good MCATs, or letters, or extra-curriculars (or some combination of the three).
 
UCLA has a really nice, almost Park-like campus. It's the smallest out of all the UC's, but that also means all the buildings are closer together and it's possible to walk from the far South of campus to far North part of it.

The biological departments here, however, are pretty intense. For my major as an example, many of my major classes are concurrently scheduled with grad students...Even though we may be on different curves, we still learn the same material. Some of the professors here are also not very caring, but I guess that's every other school.

The bureacracy here is also awful, and it's probably the same as any other UC or large state school. They make it so hard for you to get what you want. And since they're trying to accomodate more and more people to goto college, some classes are impossible to sign up for, and they force you to graduate by a certain credit limit (If you have too many units, supposedly you cannot graduate!)
 
Originally posted by Mr Reddly
UCLA is smaller than UCSB and UCI?

I think I concure about UCLA. I almost went to grad school there but a bunch of my grad classes would be a mix of grad/undergrad (what's the point?),

Campus land area-wise, I heard UCLA's the smallest. The reality is that many UC campuses include all those grassland, treeland, hills with no building whatsoever on it as "campus area". At UCLA, everything's closer together.

UCLA's arrangement of Undergrad/grad concurrent classes rather puzzles me as well. In one of my classes, both grads and undergrads attend same lectures and take the same tests, but grad students have an extra weekly Journal club meeting. In another class, grads and undergrads attend same class, take same test, and are graded on the same curve!! Sucks to be undergrad.
 
No useful information to add, but I just wanted to comment that UCLA has an absolutely beautiful campus.
 
Originally posted by yalla22
Well my grades suck and i have no happiness. im really down in the dumps...i'd do anything to get out of this mess.

specifically my gpa. it just kills me.


Really, no offense, but this is kinda ******ed.

If you're having social problems (which EVERYBODY does in college), that's one thing. But, if you're caught up on your GPA, that's another.

A college transcript is only a vague history--let me repeat that--a VAGUE HISTORY of who you were (note the past tense) for whomever may want to look, someday. It's not a cattle brand; it just tracks your general academic trajectory, three months at a time.

If you pull up your grades, then end of problem. My GPA was, at one point, much worse than your is, and I just got accepted to my top two medical schools. Trumping that, I fell in love with the most amazing young lady and got married, adopted a dog, bought a beautiful house, and (get this) made my father proud of me. None of that--NONE of that--was affected by my GPA.

Plus, a 3.1 is not that bad. Maaaaybe it is if you're about to graduate from a state school. But if you're in the middle of your college career at a private (or an ivy), then no prob whatsoever.

If you need to work out this stuff, shoot me a PM or an email ([email protected]). But, really, it sounds like mountain-molehill stuff to me. If you're not happy where you are, change it or leave. Nuff said. Now go watch "Baseketball" or "Caddyshack" or "Tommy Boy."

Peace,

--Funkless
 
i sent ya a pm...goodluck.
 
Actually, I think Uci is smaller. In terms of just pure area size, ucla is one of the smallest but in terms of walking distance, ucla is one of the biggest. Uci, even though they have a large amount of area, all of their classes were around a circle so it made the walk a littl easier. Ucla, up and down all those hills.

I transfer from a UC to UC. I think the trick is to pick a major nobody wanted. I picked chemistry and to my suprise, I was accepted. I was kind of curious as to why since my gpa wasn't that great. But when I got there, it turns out hardly anyone wanted to be a chemistry major. Everyone was either a biochem or bio major.
 
I gotta agree with some other posters. UCLA is impossible to gain entrance into from another 4-year institution. My friend my Davis (who's was given priority) was rejected as a junior with a 3.8. My other friend at UM-Ann Arbor was rejected with a 3.6 as a junior and he was in the EE dept at Michigan. But it does happen. good luck...
 
Originally posted by kash_711
ya same here i came to baylor university hated it the first month had lived overseas and i was applying for transfer to UCSD i thought cali would be the solution because of the diversity but then after i was rejected for not having the minumum 60 hours for transfer i realized ya the ppl here are different but i know that was not a good reason for leaving whatever so i changed my major from bioinformatics(gay comp sci is stupid) to forensic science joined some organizations pre and non pre med stuff (like MUN) and met some really cool ppl and austin is an hour away:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: but ya my gpa sucks i hope i bring it up in time make sure ur in a major u like and ull enjoy btw if its a top school it should be diverse and cool, im in central texas "and thier ain't no diversity here" and i have found a niche dont what im trying to say cali "ain't" the soln find ur groove at ur uni

I can't even begin to communicate how annoying it is when people don't capitalize or actually spell words correctly. Please, I beg you, save that sort of writing for IMs. Its hard to take advice from someone who can't write properly, and it personally drives me nuts. I'm sure just about everyone else agrees.
 
Originally posted by MoCookiess
I can't even begin to communicate how annoying it is when people don't capitalize or actually spell words correctly. Please, I beg you, save that sort of writing for IMs. Its hard to take advice from someone who can't write properly, and it personally drives me nuts. I'm sure just about everyone else agrees.

All that aside, it was one grand run-on sentence! :)
 
yalla22,

Some places are better for some people. Don't beat yourself up if you don't click with your school. My brother went from a business major at BU to a molecular bio major at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. It was probably one of the best decisions he made in his life. He is now a successful CFA in Chicago.

Moral of the story = follow the path that will make you happy while you achieve your goals and the rest will follow. Don't worry about names or majors.

Laurie
 
yalla, i understand what you're talking about. although i attend the state school, i am pretty much in the same situation you are in...i know i have the capacity to do much better in school then how i am doing now but for whatever reason i have zero motivation to do anything positive (in regards to academia). on one had i don't want to spend the rest of my like asking people, "do you want fries with that?" but on the other hand i simply don't care anymore.

i am thinking of taking the year off and doing nothing but working. or moving to cali to live with my dad or to memphis to live with my aunt. i dunno...but i think in my particular situation taking the year off and taking a break from school isn't such a terrible idea.
 
Originally posted by Kazema
I had a similar experience, but instead of changing schools I took a semester off, and when I came back I changed my major from computer science and business to cognitive science (and of course the premed stuff :D). That did wonders for my motivation and general happiness.....

Good post. I had similar experience as well. At the end of freshman year, I had a 2.6, a D in general chem and I was sure that the door to medical school had been closed forever. I was depressed and unhappy. Sophmore year on, I had two semesters of dean's list and no GPA lower than a 3.4. Sometimes grades cna be inversely proportionate to your happiness. You just have to work out how you can acheive a certain level of accomplishment, without sacrificing living. My thing was a study schedule. First semester after Sophmore year, I told myself that I could do whatever I wanted after class (sleep, hang out, watch TV) as long as I was in "my place" at the reading room by 9:00p. I made myself study everything that I had learned in class that day/whatever was assigned as if I were going to take a test on it tommorrow. I had some 3am nights (esp before tests) but I also had nights that I was out by 11/12a. I studied on the weekend days but books were closed by 5p or so I took Friday and Saturday nights off. It was cool, bc I could enjoy partying, hanging out without guilt. People have to live too and maybe if you got out a little more you'd make new friends.

Don't lose heart though, a consistent rise in grades can overcome a lot. I still took two years off to do research and take a biochem class but in the end, don't listen to anyone (or your inner doubter) when it comes into getting medical school. If you really want it, you can do it.

Also, this has been debated ad infinitum but I don't think that there is really a question about the value of an Ivy. With a 27 and 3.2/3.0sci my undergrad's rep definitely helped me in admissions, Try to tough it out. The grass is always greener and it used to kill me to hear about friends that were partying back home (I'm originally from Colorado, everyone went to University of CO) and getting great grades. School is hard wherever you go, and there's really no guarentee that you'll improve your performance enough make a difference at a nonIvy.

You do sound kind of depressed though. I'm thinking if you get help for that, then maybe academics/social issues with fall into place. Best of luck. PM if you want to talk,
M
 
It okay to take 5 years to graduate?
 
Originally posted by yalla22
It okay to take 5 years to graduate?

It's definitely ok. I believe there should be no rush to enter med school. Enjoy undergrad a bit.
 
Hey Yalla,

I was in the same situation a few years ago. I was a chemical engineering major at UC Berkeley. After my freshman year, I had a 2.8 GPA and a deflated self-esteem. I transferred to UT Austin, became a mathematics/pre-med major, and at the end of 6 semesters I had a 3.6 UT GPA. This brought my cumulative to a 3.4.

Despite the GPA factor, I was immensely happier both socially and academically. College is supposed to be the best 4 or 5 years of your life, and in the end, it was for me. I took 5 years to graduate, but only because I took 2 semesters off. One to find myself, and one to teach abroad. I also got 4 med school interviews (3 MD, 1 DO), and got accepted into the DO school.

Bottom line, do what makes you happy. A depressed Ivy graduate with a 3.1 << a happy UCLA grad that was proactive in her decision to take control of her life.
 
I just got into my top choice this past friday with a less than desirable beginning undergrad experience. So with that, do not despair, it can still be done!

Started in Elec Eng, Dropped out my first semester with all W's.
Started again with something that I wanted to do; Biology. Did your average B's and C's for the first two years. Finally got my study skills down started to do better. Found a circle of friends that were like minded; i.e. had a serious focus on studies, were also science majors, but arranged the occassional weekend get together to get drinks and relax every now and then. In other words it was planned focus and study, with planned partying around my schooling.

There is something to be said for finding the students that are serious in your particular focus of study. It helps in studying for tests, and creates a support group of friends that can encourage you and understand your situation personally.

If you need a personal group of friends, and feel as though it is not available at the institution that you are going to, go to a different school that might better fit your personality (small state schools, or small private schools tend to fit this niche). The main idea is that you find a support group (SDN will not always fill this area) of your peers. It is more than therapeutic in this crazy process.:)
 
Actually my friend talked to a Standford admission officer and I talked to a person at Harvard ( a student interviewer though). They both said relatively the same thing. If you go to a big name school, their GPA gets more weight. However as long as u go to a good school (like top 20 undergrad), ur gpa will get more weight vs someone who goes to a school no one has ever heard of. The student interviewer told me that they would multiply it by some specific factor depending on which school u went too. Also this only seems to be true of the top medical schools. I am not sure how accurate their statements were.
 
i was at a school that i seriously hated my first year. I transferred to another school and love it. I finally found myself in the school i am at right now. i hope everything works out for you!!
 
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