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Should I stay or should I go? (Education remix)

abkadefgee — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:16:43 -0800

Should I try something new and transfer to a new school for a year, or should I stick around the same old school and raise my GPA enough to graduate? I've spent far too long at a state school in the city where I've lived most of my life and received grades that range from A+ in difficult classes to F in a simple class where I just didn't complete my work. In the process, I've banked a lot of credits and the only obstacle to my graduation is raising my GPA a few points and finishing two last required courses.

Despite arriving as a National Merit Scholar, enrolled in the honors program, I've had too many semesters where I utterly lacked motivation due to factors such as depression, major life traumas, projects which distracted me from schoolwork, and a simple failure to manage my time effectively. These have dragged my GPA way, way down.

In a few weeks, I'll finish an important project and I'll need to make a new decision about school.

I've considered transferring to another school which might inspire me more than the one I've attended, shaking up my world, living in a new place, and enjoying the prospect of a fresh start on my GPA, but I'm not sure where I should go or what the chances are that I would be admitted.

So, if any of you have any experience in admissions or in going through this decision making process for yourself...

Does it seem reasonable or possible that I could finish up as a transfer student at a decent school, in just one year, with a fresh GPA?

Or is the best path to just stay where I'm at, perform excellently in my classes, and finish where I started?

My dear old Monopoly U.

iamisaid — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:39:20 -0800

My public university has a rule which only allows me to take classes for transferable credit at an outside institution (say, a community college) if I first register for at least 12 credit hours with said university. Is this standing operating procedure, and what can I do about it? I learned about this rule the hard way, after having registered for a foreign language class at a much cheaper community college nearby. Considering that it was almost impossible to get into intro-level Spanish at my university, it seemed like a no-brainer. Then I found out that the university wouldn't even accept the credit, due to the fact that I was only registered for 9 credit hours with them.

When I asked an adviser at my university why this rule was in place and what possible purpose it served, her answer was, quite simply, "money." The implication being that the university wants to get as much from me as it can before letting me go elsewhere. A related point is that the university uses a flat tuition system wherein you pay the same amount for anything over and including 12 hours -- so after 12 hours they've already gotten the maximum amount of money possible from you, which I suppose is why they're then ok with letting you go elsewhere.

I think the rule is ludicrous, especially given that some people (myself included) are only willing/able to take a maximum of 12 hours total per semester, which eliminates the possibility of going elsewhere for transferrable credit.

Yes, it seems like a sweet little setup they've got going for themselves. The question is what can I do about it, if anything? How does one go about fighting such a rule within a large bureaucracy? Doesn't this fall under the category of monopolistic, anti-competitive, or at the very least, generally unfair for the students they're supposed to be serving?

Should I try to transfer to another university?

Perpetual Seeker — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:24:10 -0800

Should I try to transfer to another university? I'm currently attending Duquesne University for physics and math. I'm going into my sophomore year.

I'm really worried though about the lack of resources at this university, and also the fact that physics isn't really one of its primary majors, nor something it is known for. I want to go to grad school after I graduate, because i'd really like to get into research. For that reason, I am also looking into getting very involved in research as an undergrad. Duquesne doesn't have many resources when it comes to research. I think it might have 2 credits for research in one's senior year, but that's about it.

I'm also a little worried that when I try to go to grad school, they will judge me based partly on the undergrad university I went to, even if I do very well. I really think I have the potential to get into a very good university.

For those reasons, I am heavily considering transferring to another university. I'm not sure which yet, though am considering Carnegie Mellon, since it is so close and is a very good school.

Here are some of my stats:

In high school, I graduated with around a 3.75 GPA

I got 1970 on the new SAT's (1290 on the old). I think it was something like, 640 for verbal, 650 for math, 680 for written

I got 670 on the math subject SAT's

I have a 4.0 GPA at Duquesne

I am in the honors college at Duquesne

The only thing I'm worried about is, I also took the Chemistry subject test in high school, and did horribly on it (400). I had absolutely no interest in Chemistry, and hadn't taken it for two years, but my physics class was a joke (horrible teacher) so I didn't think I could do very well on that. I don't know if CMU looks at this.

So the questions are:

Should I attempt to transfer to another university?
Would Carnegie Mellon be a good choice? If not, what would you recommend?

Changing academic direction (am I being foolish?)

oneirodynia — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:46:11 -0800

Trying to transfer to a four year college, and changing direction mid -stream. Am I being foolish to consider shifting from aiming for a landscape architecture degree to one in ecological engineering, especially when engineering colleges have completely different requirements than what I've been focusing on? I've been going to community college on-off for many years now. A year ago last February, I decided to quit my job and go to school full time, with the intent of transferring to a four year college. At the time, I was designing and building gardens for a design-build landscape company, and had been taking numerous horticulture and drafting classes, plus the basic GE requirements. However, I'm kind of ... bored by basic landscape stuff. I want to design gardens that perform a function, like rooftop gardens that recycle HVAC water, or living machines. It seems to me like a degree in ecological engineering is the route to take, but it means basically starting over, with 2 years of calculus, plus physics, biology, chemistry (per UC Davis' website) The issues are:

I'm nearly able to transfer for Fall 09', but this change would definitely set me back. I'm impatient, and afraid of burning out.

I'm not good at math. I finished trig in high school with a D. That was 20 years ago, and I haven't taken math since. Surprisingly, I'm actually a little better at understanding it (I had no problems with the algebraic equations needed in my soil science and plant nutrition classes), but I've got to pass a math assessment to be placed in any math class, let alone get to where I can do OK in 2 years of calculus. Does it make sense to study for the assessment test, and try to get placed as high as possible, so I'm not going to school for 3 more years? I'm OK with any science or physics, but will I be killing myself trying to do all these more intense classes as quickly as I can? More realistically- is it even possible to cram for a math assessment course, and not wind up over my head in calculus?

My community college bureaucracy is understaffed, and no one in the transfer center will return my calls. I've been told to send emails to UC Davis and Berkeley, to talk to professors in the departments I'm interested in. I feel incredibly shy about writing to randomprof at dot edu.
Is this the right thing to do?

My other option is to stay the course and go for landscape architecture, with a minor or something in ecological engineering. My fear is that I won't get the toothy, nitty gritty science background I want to be able to build these types of ecological recycling systems, or that I'll be forced to mess around with a bunch of fluffy theory classes. But I'm also worried that it doesn't make sense to try to go for broke and start over on a course that may be extremely difficult, time consuming, and frustrating. If you've done this, please let me know how it turned out.

McGill or bust!

Phalene — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 08:39:21 -0800

University transfer filter: Give me a candid opinion of my chances of getting into the university I want, as a transfer student? I have a 3.8 out of a possible 4.3 as far as a GPA. I want to go to McGill. I'm undecided in my major, but I've narrowed it down to either psychology, which I like, or political science, which I'm good at.

Various friends say I'm a shoe in, but my Aspergers means that I can't tell if I'm being given pep talk or sound advice.

What should I take into consideration for getting in? I know I need to get an outline of all my courses so the credits may be transferred. Should I also butter up my profs for letters of recommendation? How do I communicate being in my various professors’ good books to my chosen destination, or does this not matter to them?

Would it help to make up my mind about my major? Right now it hinges on if I can hack stats, and I’ll know about that in about three months. Since transferring is my goal should I fixate on classes I like but have a lesser chance of making A+ in, or classes like the English stream, which I can typically do in my sleep, but find boring? In other words, bird courses or ‘wheee, fun!’ classes?

I have until May 1st of next year to prepare. Please help me start now, so I can be organized?

Will a UK post-grad diploma help me get an MA in the US?

parmanparman — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 10:36:46 -0800

I have a post-graduate diploma from England and want to finish my MA, but the requirements are unreal. Should I scrap and start over in the US? I have a post-graduate diploma (a degree one-below an MA) in broadcast journalism from a university in England, and was planning on getting my masters but got a job before MA work started and took the job. Now I am back in the states working in in radio and want to finish my MA. The requirements mean that whatever I do, it needs to be done for a British broadcasting organization, which means that my own show, which would be happy to have my work, is out of the picture. I would love to finish my MA in journalism. Any advice on whether schools would let me transfer my post-grad diploma and just let me start my thesis, or would I have to start over from scratch would be appreciated. Anyone else have to deal with this kind of thing? I am American, btw.

Starting Over In A University Overseas - Can Be Done?

divabat — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 06:31:01 -0800

Related to this question (and actually asked there but with no reply) - Is it possible for an international student to start all over again in a university somewhere else even if s/he's done prior university work in their home country? Currently I am in a university in Malaysia, halfway through my first year (I had done a year of Foundation at the same uni last year, and I performed decently).

Due to some sort of referencing & plagiarism snafu at the uni, which isn't my fault, I have a "X - Needs supplementary work" grade, which is equivalent to a 0 in GPA. I could get an equivalent of a C- if I do the supplementary work (basically, redoing an essay) but right now the situation is very complicated and while I had done the work, I don't know if everything will be processed fine. As it is, I've deferred this semester to be on a study-abroad program, and our uni's very disorganized.

When I come back next sem, I would most likely finish off my first year (second semester). I may start all over again from the first year, perhaps overseas (Australia, Canada, US, wherever), but I'm wondering if the overseas unis will want to see my previous transcripts. The X grade would be a bad mark on my otherwise-OK transcript, and I'm not sure they'd accept "My uni got mixed up and graded me, only to pull back the grade and accuse me of plagiarism without proof, even though I used my own ideas, so this isn't my fault" as a reason.

Anyone have any insight on this? Can I start all over again? Will I need to get the transcripts still? I'm not worried about credit transfer, just if I myself can transfer.

(sorry if that made no sense; do ask for clarification if needed)