Miserable at uni

[Orange]

I'm not enjoying my current university at all (I'm actually more miserable than I've ever been). It's not the subject material - it's just the school. I've got 2.5 years left to go before I get my bachelors in chemistry, and I've already been accepted into an alternative school for a spring transfer. However, transfering to the university I want to go to will require ~15,000$ extra a year (because of out-of-state tuition). Do you think it's worth it to go into some debt for my happiness?

You might say its a no brainer, but I've also got graduate school costs to come later.

[Leidolfr]

well, two sides to this

1. happiness is priceless
2. We're in a recession, and your in college and doing fine fiscally, is 2, 3 more years, whatever, of misery worth the rest of your life being better overall?

[Orange]

well with the current situation is like - if these are the best years of my life, I need a gun. NOW.

However, you're right with the money. It's a hard call.

[FeedingAdiction]

At 10/3/09 05:16 AM, Orange wrote: well with the current situation is like - if these are the best years of my life, I need a gun. NOW.

However, you're right with the money. It's a hard call.

Pick one at random.

[Prinzy2]

If you're content with the education you're receiving then you should stay and make the best of it. Whatever it is about the school that's making you miserable should be addressed, and if you can find some way of changing/coping with it, you'll be better off.

$15,000 isn't worth it, especially for the short term.

[Sensationalism]

If you're depressed or not enjoying yourself, it's likely your grades will suffer. So maybe transferring would be best. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Leidolfr]

At 10/3/09 05:16 AM, Orange wrote: well with the current situation is like - if these are the best years of my life, I need a gun. NOW.

However, you're right with the money. It's a hard call.

well, personally i think the "best years of your life" is a crock of shit, lol, if it isnt im fucked too. think of childhood, we all have these memories of this glorious childhood, and the older we get the more we miss childhood...

if you really think about childhood, childhood sucked. bullies, school, confusion, etc, so life is basically, a shitty part, and getting over it, then another shitty part, etc.

ill get really pseudo, since youre a college kid, think of it as crossing mountains. you start at a mountain and climb over to find that, theres just another mountain. sometimes it takes longer, and sometimes it doesnt, but each time you come down from a mountain, youve left part of yourself at the base of the last one, the mountain has changed you. and ultimately, you dont know when the mountains end, or why youre even trying to find out, all you know is, i have to get there.

so i guess the pseudo point there is, you have a choice of climbing one high mountain, that takes long and sucks, or, trying to hike around the mountain, which ultimately leads to, taking longer and being harder than just going over the damn mountain

climb that mountain, and make it your bitch

[Infuritaion]

How do you know that the new university will be better? Sure, new people and a new place, but its all in the attitude.

Like for me, back in high school, I could have gone to the best one around and still hated it. Now I'm in college and I've accepted the good and bad about it, and I love it.

[Orange]

At 10/3/09 05:29 AM, Infuritaion wrote: How do you know that the new university will be better? Sure, new people and a new place, but its all in the attitude.

Like for me, back in high school, I could have gone to the best one around and still hated it. Now I'm in college and I've accepted the good and bad about it, and I love it.

I was kinda forced to go to this college by dad. He actually bribed me with a car to go here (which never happened).

But I wanted to go to a totally different location with a totally different school atmosphere. Beleive me I tried to have a good attitude. I did meet a bunch of new people, but I really dont like the student body here for the most part. Considering that the college I go to is rated #3 in the nation for depression by princeton review, I think it's safe to say it's not just me. Also, if you go to a college reviews site you'll see some hilariously bad reviews about my school.

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Department s/College/?article=TPRLeastHappy2010

Cmon that's quite pathetic.

[Scarab]

At 10/3/09 05:16 AM, Orange wrote: well with the current situation is like - if these are the best years of my life, I need a gun. NOW.

Oh yeah, not a week goes by when that very same thought creeps into my head.

Honestly, I don't know what you should do. Have you studied the other school enough to be assured that things will be better for you? Have you spoken to anyone at your current university in person, more privately and professionally? I'd advise that if you have the oppurtunity, and it may be that the person you talk to has nothing to do with the university. See what you can do, that's all, in this area.

Have you read up on the course itself at the other school? Its method of teaching might be drastically different (I'm not sure how often this happens in chemistry) to the place you're at now. If you're comfortable with the course itself now, that might be something to consider?

You've touched on it, but why exactly are you feeling so down now? No need for specifics, but you know, if it's something you could possibly work around, I don't know. Anyway, by asking a load of questions, I hopefully didn't make this worse, but eh, they're points.

[hdxmike]

At 10/3/09 05:18 AM, FeedingAdiction wrote: Pick one at random.

HELL YES !! be manly about it
get 2 hookers and name them option 1 and option 2
whoever does it the best is your option

but if youve got them the who cares abot uni :P

[Urban-Pacman]

If you believe your grades are suffering as a result of this 'unhappiness' and you think that the new uni will increase both your mental and intellectual situations then changing is probably the best option.

If money is tight, harden the fuck up.

[Orange]

At 10/3/09 06:53 AM, Scarab wrote:

At 10/3/09 05:16 AM, Orange wrote: well with the current situation is like - if these are the best years of my life, I need a gun. NOW.

Honestly, I don't know what you should do. Have you studied the other school enough to be assured that things will be better for you?

Yes. I'm 100% sure I'd have a better time at new school.

Have you read up on the course itself at the other school? Its method of teaching might be drastically different (I'm not sure how often this happens in chemistry) to the place you're at now. If you're comfortable with the course itself now, that might be something to consider?

Chemistry has a more universal teaching style than another subject, say english for instance. Molecules are molecules. The current school just has a guy with powerpoint slides for 500 people, then a bunch of TAs walk around and stare at you till you get the answer in recitation. Nothing special.

You've touched on it, but why exactly are you feeling so down now?

I can give specifics, but I'll just give the biggest four. The social atmosphere, the factory-like education, the location, and the excessive diversity (like you can't go 10 feet without hearing chinese being spoken. I hate that.)

[Scarab]

At 10/3/09 11:14 PM, Orange wrote: Chemistry has a more universal teaching style than another subject, say english for instance. Molecules are molecules. The current school just has a guy with powerpoint slides for 500 people, then a bunch of TAs walk around and stare at you till you get the answer in recitation. Nothing special.

Yeah, I expected that hard science subjects tend to orientated more in this fashion. Seeing as it's a more universal style of teaching though, could the new school improve on that in any way? It's good to hear you've done a bit of research on the other school anyway. I know the learning itself wasn't the first thing you brought up, but obviously, it's what you're there to do at the end of the day.

I can give specifics, but I'll just give the biggest four.

That's cool, just brief thoughts are really all we can tackle here anyhoo.

The social atmosphere, the factory-like education, the location, and the excessive diversity (like you can't go 10 feet without hearing chinese being spoken. I hate that.)

The factory-like education, as far as I see it, is pretty common in our systems unfortunately. You'll know it yourself really, but if you can get in touch with the other school, maybe they have better points in their programmes. I think it's understandable not being too fond of having cultural melting pots within educational institutions, without being seen as racist or anything. Do you know for sure if the other school is really any different for this? That would go for the social atmosphere too obviously. If you can, maybe take a trip around the site if you haven't already?

I know you said you're 100% sure, and it's cool if you do change. I'm aware I've kind of overstepped my boundaries as a random Internet user, but hey, it would suck if things didn't work out at either place just on one or two small points, you know?

[MickTheChampion]

How do you know you'll be happier at the other one?

[Calintz]

That sucks to hear man, I hope you can pull through this, and find something to make it a little more enjoyable.

[PaperBagMask]

Do it. If you are studying a subject like chemistry I am certain you can get a stable job later on to cover yourself.
If university is meant to be the best time of your life and you are not enjoying the one you are in then I suggest you change. Happiness does affect your grades and if you really don't like the school then you might be a lot less inclined to perform as well.
So yeah, DO IT. You might spend a lot of money on it but hell it might just be worth it and you won't find out otherwise.

[akmeteor]

Due to the whole chinese thing...Are you in Minnesota? That happens there quite a bit.

[agustana]

Almost everybody has debt.

Join the crowd for happiness.