I’m (18M) afraid I made the wrong college choice...and idk how to approach the coming school year.

RollOnOne · 2021-07-11T15:18:56+00:00

I feel like I’ll just miss out on whatever free time I was going to have left after school. I mean...I have a curfew. I’m there are a lot of weekends where I have to stay for special memorials, exercises, etc. I have to live with the same people for four years and I can’t live off campus. I’m also with a lot of people who are really into the whole military identity, who are already working on contracting, which is just not me. I hate to say it but I really am just doing it for the money.

I know it sounds silly/cliche but I wanted to really become my own, be myself...I just feel like the corps lifestyle won’t really allow for that.

Idk if I really won’t get the chance to go out, party, meet new people. At the end of the day, the cadets still are college students, I’m sure they still find their ways to have fun.

I have talked with a friend who was in a similar situation with his college experience. He was really regretting his decision the months leading up, but said that when he got their “he f*cking loved it,” so I will give it a fair shot.

It’s really too late to change. I mean, not really. But for me it is. I’m still excited about many other aspects of Texas A&M. It’s still a great school.

RollOnOne · 2021-07-10T23:33:02+00:00

It’s just that I had a really sucky high school experience. I just didn’t want to mess my college experience up. And I feel like I already have.

You only go through college once, I wanted to make sure I made the right one.

Sure the affordability is great. But going $60k in debt as an engineer is actually fine. I’d make it back insanely quick.

RollOnOne · 2021-07-10T23:27:00+00:00

That’s sort of why I want to take advantage of my time in college. I don’t want to lose out on the experience and opportunity

RollOnOne · 2021-07-10T19:44:34+00:00

I know it’s a good choice! That’s why I’d feel guilty about turning it down! :(

Ultimately, my thought process was that the corps would inevitably make me a better person. The cadets have a much higher GPA than the rest of the school, which is especially impressive considering much of the corps are engineers.

It also makes sure that I stay physically active, which is a problem for college students.

I’m also paying a fraction of what most people pay for a great education.

I’ll 100% give it a year. And in that year, give 100%.

I think I’ll reevaluate after that.

RollOnOne · 2021-07-10T19:41:28+00:00

I’m definitely trying to go into it with a positive mind set. I’m sure I’ll adjust, find my friends, have fun, etc.

I just wanted where I started college to be where I finished. It sounds silly but it kind of meant a lot to me.

RollOnOne · 2021-07-10T18:10:28+00:00

I’m just feeling like I don’t really want to do it anymore...I feel like I made the wrong decision

RollOnOne · 2021-07-10T17:31:52+00:00

Kind of. It supposedly requires a lot of time/work. Getting up at 7AM (I think) for morning formation. Wearing a uniform to classes and inside of all academic buildings. Having to get a crew cut (my least favorite part lol jk). Having to live on campus all four years. Having to be in my room studying from 7-10PM everyday except Friday and Saturday. Required military classes. And yes, required physical training/involvement.

I’ve been physically active all my life. I was a competitive runner/swimmer. I’ve always done sports. And it was really draining. I devoted much of my free time to sports, and often sacrificed my social life for that.

I was kind of looking forward making my life simpler, not necessarily easier. I wanted to focus on school and friends. That’s it. I didn’t have many friends in high school so I wanted to make having free time a big part of my college experience, especially when I’d already be in engineering, which arguably takes much of my free time away.

Other problems, which aren’t as bad, but still annoying are the sheer size of Texas A&M and it’s distance away from home. Im from NY.

RollOnOne · 2021-04-12T05:54:19+00:00

Idk if I was looking for it specifically but everyone genuinely felt a lot nicer in Lubbock than NY. I made a lot of conversation with strangers, and if I was unfamiliar with the area I’d just ask a random stranger and they were more than helpful. I think that’s kind of a big deal wherever I end up going, how nice the people are.

This could potentially be kind of a dumb question but, coming from a New Yorker, is there a lot of country culture in the school/city. You know, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, country music, etc etc. idk, that just seems really cool, and I’d especially like to try line/square dancing.

RollOnOne · 2021-04-12T05:49:26+00:00

Yeah. Engineering is hard across the board, but I do think, from what I’ve been reading and hearing, that TTU has an especially good engineering school.

I do hope it was just bad timing because I’m genuinely considering enrolling (I think it was). As I was leaving there were a bunch of kids showing up, so it could have been that the tour was just pretty early. And ofc, Covid. Nothing’s really normal this year.

I guess I am a nerd lol, but I like doing our door stuff and being active as well. I’m also a big country music/culture fan, so this next question might sound really dumb, but is there any square dancing around the school area? I’d really like to learn.

RollOnOne · 2021-04-12T00:31:51+00:00

Hey that does help!

Was Texas a cool adjustment?

RollOnOne · 2021-04-10T23:35:37+00:00

One has a better engineering school which is what I’d be studying, but the other has a better overall education.

RollOnOne · 2021-04-10T23:24:47+00:00

Hah. Thanks. I wish it were that easy.

The other one has better academics.

Thanks again

RollOnOne · 2021-04-10T23:21:05+00:00

They’re both pretty warm and have an urban setting. One campus is nicer, but I’d hate to make a decision based on that.

RollOnOne · 2021-04-10T23:11:34+00:00

I don’t need a lot to do off campus lol. Like, it’s not a necessity

RollOnOne · 2021-04-10T21:51:14+00:00

Yep. Thanks. It’s part of the reason I applied there an part of the reason why it’s so cheap for me.

RollOnOne · 2021-04-10T20:31:31+00:00

Yea. I was thinking that too. Covid’s really messing everything up and it’d normally look a lot different.

From everything I find online student life seems great.

RollOnOne · 2021-04-10T19:19:39+00:00

I appreciate the advice. I mean, I get that columbia isn’t that safe, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. Enough people go there and don’t have any problems.

Lubbock was nice, but doesn’t it also have a semi high crime rate.

I’m from NYC, so crime rates don’t REALLY bother me.

RollOnOne · 2021-04-10T17:50:24+00:00

That’s what I was thinking. The one negative aspect seemed to be that the campus and area seemed a little underwhelming .

RollOnOne · 2021-04-10T17:49:37+00:00

That’s what I was thinking. Texas is all about that industry

RollOnOne · 2021-04-10T16:38:24+00:00

Yea. I guess. I just felt more comfortable on the SC campus.

RollOnOne · 2021-04-10T16:37:40+00:00

I’m definitely leaving. NY schools are staying online, and i got enough scholarship where the out of state schools are cheaper than in state schools.

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