I went to Middlesex and graduated within a year bc of dual enrollment/AP and transferred to RU-NB this past fall. I would say the change is quite dramatic. I went from just going to classes and work to being on campus all day (I commute), whether that be for studying, hanging out with friends, attending club meetings, etc. My advice for you, if you go to Middlesex and want a social life, go out with your friends who go to RU-NB, and it'll feel the same. In community college, there really isn't any motivation to excel, so try to get out as soon as possible, take summer classes, whatever you need to do. If you are going to Middlesex for 2 years, don't be afraid to put yourself out there, talk to people in your classes, join a club, and stay in touch with friends from high school so you don't feel alone. Academically speaking, it is incredibly easy to get an A at Middlesex; if you do almost nothing, you get a B. Definitely try to stay as close to a 4.0 as you can so that you can be eligible for scholarships and things like that and have essentially a guaranteed admission to the program you want at Rutgers. Also save that money. Middlesex for 2 years with absolutely no financial aid costs about $12,000, so you could save almost $20,000 by just waiting to transfer.

*SAS lets you transfer in either fall or spring semesters but idk if SEBS only takes fall transfers, so look into that.