Transfer due to weather?

[Anonymous]

DD returned home for Thanksgiving and is considering a transfer, but I don't think it's a good reason. She goes to a school in a state with impeccable weather, but she feels she is going to miss out on the serious, pretty vibe of the new England colleges her friends attend. She really is hating the lack of seasons and consistent hue to everything around her and wants to get out. She also comments that the people are not like what she's used to and the environment feels relaxed but unserious. Of course, I laughed this off, because we would've died to have sun in December, but she truly is considering this, and we want to be supportive. Am I crazy for thinking this is a ridiculous reason to transfer colleges?

[Anonymous]

It’s her life, not yours. Retire to a sunshine state if that’s what would make you happy.

[Anonymous]

She already said it's not just the whether, it's also the people and the educational environment. If she was loving everything else she wouldn't be wanting to change just due to weather. You should listen to what she is really saying, not "laugh it off."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She already said it's not just the whether, it's also the people and the educational environment. If she was loving everything else she wouldn't be wanting to change just due to weather. You should listen to what she is really saying, not "laugh it off."

This. It's not just the weather. DC had a choice of a school in FL with warmth all year, but the northern school offered so much more in terms of what mattered to DC. You can go on vacation to other weather.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD returned home for Thanksgiving and is considering a transfer, but I don't think it's a good reason. She goes to a school in a state with impeccable weather, but she feels she is going to miss out on the serious, pretty vibe of the new England colleges her friends attend. She really is hating the lack of seasons and consistent hue to everything around her and wants to get out. She also comments that the people are not like what she's used to and the environment feels relaxed but unserious. Of course, I laughed this off, because we would've died to have sun in December, but she truly is considering this, and we want to be supportive. Am I crazy for thinking this is a ridiculous reason to transfer colleges?

Did you steer her to this college in the first place? It seems like it checks all of your boxes and not hers.

Plenty of people want to experience all four seasons. Not everyone would die to have sun in December.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD returned home for Thanksgiving and is considering a transfer, but I don't think it's a good reason. She goes to a school in a state with impeccable weather, but she feels she is going to miss out on the serious, pretty vibe of the new England colleges her friends attend. She really is hating the lack of seasons and consistent hue to everything around her and wants to get out. She also comments that the people are not like what she's used to and the environment feels relaxed but unserious. Of course, I laughed this off, because we would've died to have sun in December, but she truly is considering this, and we want to be supportive. Am I crazy for thinking this is a ridiculous reason to transfer colleges?

Did you steer her to this college in the first place? It seems like it checks all of your boxes and not hers.

Plenty of people want to experience all four seasons. Not everyone would die to have sun in December.

This was her choice fully! We would never push on our daughter to go to a college she didn't want to go to. She had 4 other New England options that she could've pursued, but I do believe she may have changed her mind. She used to call us naggers for asking her to consider staying on the east, in fact!

[Anonymous]

Support her. If she wants to transfer, let her. It’s her life and she’s figuring out what she wants. Similar to changing majors, it is not uncommon for 18 year olds not to make the best decision for college. The sooner she transfers, the better as most gen Ed classes transfer while major specific classes often don’t.

[Anonymous]

People are pounding on OP, but this is just freshman year problems. A lot of students think being somewhere else will substantially improve their lives, but it's usually just difficulty being away from what they're used to. Tell her to finish up the spring semester and decide from there. Most colleges want a Junior transfer anyway, and she'll have to weigh more when she has friends, enjoys her classes, and actually has to see what qualms she has. She's homesick, that's sad, but she'll come back for winter break, get sick of you, and love it back out West or wherever.

[Anonymous]

It's too soon. Offer her some validation, but encourage her to see how she feels in a few months. This board and others are flooded with stories each year of students who were unhappy in the initial months of college who felt very differently a while later.

[Anonymous]

I felt the same way until I visited my friend at Providence College in February. I changed my mind.

[Anonymous]

Unlike others I'm gonna advise you go SLOW. DS transferred from Columbia to Brown due to a lot of initial issues, and it really was a step down, even though he thought it was a good idea initially. Often, something personal is going on.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like your student went far from home. Could it be homesickness more than weather and culture?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD returned home for Thanksgiving and is considering a transfer, but I don't think it's a good reason. She goes to a school in a state with impeccable weather, but she feels she is going to miss out on the serious, pretty vibe of the new England colleges her friends attend. She really is hating the lack of seasons and consistent hue to everything around her and wants to get out. She also comments that the people are not like what she's used to and the environment feels relaxed but unserious. Of course, I laughed this off, because we would've died to have sun in December, but she truly is considering this, and we want to be supportive. Am I crazy for thinking this is a ridiculous reason to transfer colleges?

why are you laughing off her very valid concerns?

[Anonymous]

She may change her mind.

OTOH, if this is California, it is a very different culture. I am a Califonian and a lot of people are drawn to it but it's definitely not for everyone. It's not like the east, it has its own unique culture, it's a tough place to adjust to, lots of people don't like it, and I think it's better to leave than try to fit in if you don't (at any age). If it's a southern school, also a very different culture and may not be tenable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD returned home for Thanksgiving and is considering a transfer, but I don't think it's a good reason. She goes to a school in a state with impeccable weather, but she feels she is going to miss out on the serious, pretty vibe of the new England colleges her friends attend. She really is hating the lack of seasons and consistent hue to everything around her and wants to get out. She also comments that the people are not like what she's used to and the environment feels relaxed but unserious. Of course, I laughed this off, because we would've died to have sun in December, but she truly is considering this, and we want to be supportive. Am I crazy for thinking this is a ridiculous reason to transfer colleges?

lol