Hey folks, need some advice on transferring colleges

[Red Hawk #21]

I'm in my third year of college, I'm a history major. The plan originally was for me to use history to get my GPA up, and then apply to law schools. My issue now, is I'm not so sure if I want to be a lawyer. In a way, I was basically forced to go this route by my parents. But my main focus right now is to transfer schools. The school I go to is boring as shit, all I do is go to class, go through a boring ass lecture, go home, do some studying and homework and then go back the next day.

Is that really what "college life" is supposed to be? I wanna be away from my annoying ass family for once in my life. Its just hard though, because even though I still get Financial aid, I've been getting it for three years so I figure it'll stop soon. And my GPA right now is a 3.0 so I doubt I can get a scholarship. So it seems like I'll have to get a loan, and combine it with my Financial Aid. I don't really give a shit about how much I'll have to pay in the future, I just want to know when I get older that I too had a good time in college. Give me some advice folks

[bus driver]

dont know but i do know that notre dame doesnt take senior transfers.

[Drachen]

Most colleges have a min. amount of credits that you have to take from them in order to get a degree from them (i.e. 30 credits). So if you are already over, say, 90 credits, you may end up having to take more classes than necessary to get your degree. Additionally, upper division (300 and 400 courses) are much harder to transfer than gen-eds and other lower division courses, so you may have to take FAR more courses than necessary to get your degree. You are one year away, finish it, then go to a different school for your grad program.

[Summers]

I'm in my third year of college, I'm a history major. The plan originally was for me to use history to get my GPA up, and then apply to law schools. My issue now, is I'm not so sure if I want to be a lawyer. In a way, I was basically forced to go this route by my parents.

You will regret getting a degree you don't want. Figure out what subjects you like the most or what career really appeals to you and make your own decisions. Your parents will respect you for taking charge of your life.


But my main focus right now is to transfer schools. The school I go to is boring as shit, all I do is go to class, go through a boring ass lecture, go home, do some studying and homework and then go back the next day.

Is that really what "college life" is supposed to be?

Well... yes. More to the point, I don't think transferring schools is going to change your social life.


I still get Financial aid, I've been getting it for three years so I figure it'll stop soon. And my GPA right now is a 3.0 so I doubt I can get a scholarship. So it seems like I'll have to get a loan, and combine it with my Financial Aid. I don't really give a shit about how much I'll have to pay in the future, I just want to know when I get older that I too had a good time in college. Give me some advice folks

Your school has a financial aid office. Go there now. Do not guess about what you're eligible to receive. They will walk you through every step of the process. I believe as long as your undergrad hours are under 180, you're eligible for loans, so you're fine.


Most colleges have a min. amount of credits that you have to take from them in order to get a degree from them (i.e. 30 credits). So if you are already over, say, 90 credits, you may end up having to take more classes than necessary to get your degree. Additionally, upper division (300 and 400 courses) are much harder to transfer than gen-eds and other lower division courses, so you may have to take FAR more courses than necessary to get your degree. You are one year away, finish it, then go to a different school for your grad program.

This is the most important point. Be sure to talk to an advisor before you make any decisions.

[MannyIsGod]

If you're really bored in upper division classes thats a sure sign that your major is wrong for you. I can't imagine being bored in any of my upper division classes.

[Sisk]

If you're really bored in upper division classes thats a sure sign that your major is wrong for you.

[Drachen]

Your school has a financial aid office. Go there now. Do not guess about what you're eligible to receive. They will walk you through every step of the process. I believe as long as your undergrad hours are under 180, you're eligible for loans, so you're fine.



This is correct, outside of the 180 hours comment, or at least that is not the whole truth (I am uncertain of if there is an hours limit for the stafford loans portion of Fin Aid). There is, however an aggregate limit on the amount of Fin Aid (stafford portion) that can be taken out. It is ~56k for your undergrad. You can get more if you start working on your grad. The aggregate limit for grad/terminal degree is ~139k (including what you borrowed at the undergrad level).

I am basing those limits on my memory and I know it is close to those figures, just not the exact figure.

[CuckingFunt]

If you're really bored in upper division classes thats a sure sign that your major is wrong for you. I can't imagine being bored in any of my upper division classes.

This.

Also, if you're looking for a new school because you aren't partying as much as you'd hoped in college, sounds like what you really want to do is drop out.

[Summers]

This is correct, outside of the 180 hours comment, or at least that is not the whole truth (I am uncertain of if there is an hours limit for the stafford loans portion of Fin Aid). There is, however an aggregate limit on the amount of Fin Aid (stafford portion) that can be taken out. It is ~56k for your undergrad. You can get more if you start working on your grad. The aggregate limit for grad/terminal degree is ~139k (including what you borrowed at the undergrad level).

I am basing those limits on my memory and I know it is close to those figures, just not the exact figure.

You're probably more right than I am. I remember getting an email reminding me that I was getting close to my undergrad hours limit. I looked it up and I'm not even close, but 180 stuck in my memory.

[Spursfan092120]

dont know but i do know that notre dame doesnt take senior transfers.
http://chicago.metblogs.com/archives/images/2006/02/rudy.jpg

[ashbeeigh]

This is correct, outside of the 180 hours comment, or at least that is not the whole truth (I am uncertain of if there is an hours limit for the stafford loans portion of Fin Aid). There is, however an aggregate limit on the amount of Fin Aid (stafford portion) that can be taken out. It is ~56k for your undergrad. You can get more if you start working on your grad. The aggregate limit for grad/terminal degree is ~139k (including what you borrowed at the undergrad level).

I am basing those limits on my memory and I know it is close to those figures, just not the exact figure.



I believe you're pretty close to on the money about this. There is close to an 8 semester limit on Pell Grants so if you go to school too long those will run out. Stafford Subsidized and unsubsized will always be there, no matter your GPA. And 3.0 is still a pretty good GPA. That's minimum for most Grad School admissions. Lots of scholarships require that GPA. Don't count yourself out.

[silverblk mystix]

I'm in my third year of college, I'm a history major. The plan originally was for me to use history to get my GPA up, and then apply to law schools. My issue now, is I'm not so sure if I want to be a lawyer. In a way, I was basically forced to go this route by my parents. But my main focus right now is to transfer schools. The school I go to is boring as shit, all I do is go to class, go through a boring ass lecture, go home, do some studying and homework and then go back the next day.

Is that really what "college life" is supposed to be? I wanna be away from my annoying ass family for once in my life. Its just hard though, because even though I still get Financial aid, I've been getting it for three years so I figure it'll stop soon. And my GPA right now is a 3.0 so I doubt I can get a scholarship. So it seems like I'll have to get a loan, and combine it with my Financial Aid. I don't really give a shit about how much I'll have to pay in the future, I just want to know when I get older that I too had a good time in college. Give me some advice folks

As an older person-I will give you some older person advice.

#1) You are actually a leg up on a lot of people-why screw it up just to party?
What I mean is that you already put in 3 years-just finish it. Do the sacrifice and finish-you are not that far from the finish.
When you graduate-you will still be young enough to party-and will probably have more cash to do it with. Worst case scenario is just pick every other Saturday and go sow some oats on those days and get shit out of your system.

#2) Someone else already mentioned for you to just finish this-and then pick a different grad school. Sound Advice

#3) If you don't think you want to be a lawyer-try to figure out what you really want to do before throwing away what you already earned.
Maybe the lawyer field is bigger than you think. There is a whole lotta different careers for someone with a law degree.

#4 (Just some old guy perspective here) Every job,every career that you end up doing will lead you to the same place. Within 4 weeks, 4 months, 4 years-whatever, one day you will wake up to find that it has pretty much become the same routine.
Unless you happen to be one of the few lucky people that is in love with their chosen career. If you don't know yet what that true love is-then just keep going with the lawyer thing until you discover it. Trust me-if you have a lawyer career and you feel unfulfilled, at least you will have a great income so you can take vacations, buy toys, enjoy simple pleasures,etc...
or even funds to start another career, if necessary.

Having said all that-I would leave you with this;

Find whatever is missing by looking within you-not outside of you.

Why try to carpet the entire planet when you can just get a comfortable pair of shoes?

[Drachen]

I believe you're pretty close to on the money about this. There is close to an 8 semester limit on Pell Grants so if you go to school too long those will run out. Stafford Subsidized and unsubsized will always be there, no matter your GPA. And 3.0 is still a pretty good GPA. That's minimum for most Grad School admissions. Lots of scholarships require that GPA. Don't count yourself out.

I think you are agreeing with me, but am unsure. GPA doesn't factor in to stafford or pell. Also, stafford isn't necessarily always there. It goes away when you reach the aggregate limits that I discussed. That is why a school like ITT tech is so bad, because you get a nationally accredited associates for ~52k, leaving one with around 4k to complete a bachelor's degree and the credits dont transfer over to a regionally accredited institution in a lot of cases. Anyway that is a different story to illustrate the point.

I kinda hope the OP is trolling us the more I think about it. I took a "semester" off after my 4th semester of college because I "wanted to party." It took me 7 years to get back into school which is why I am 30 and only in my second semester of grad school.

Just bust ass for one more year and use the degree to either go to grad school (wherever you want), or get a good job and party for a while.

[The Reckoning]

suck it up and get your undergrad. partying is overrated imo. its good in moderation, but when you party too much it gets very repetitive.

these days you can get into any grad school program with just about any degree. some programs make you go back and take a couple of extra classes to fit their criteria, but thats about it. hell, with a history degree, you could take the MCAT and go to med school if you really wanted to.