Reply to Freshman is really unhappy, how typical is this?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don’t think it’s an uncommon experience, and I know some kids who have had a very difficult freshman year. Some of them have gone on to have really great experiences, so I wouldn’t lose hope. I do think she should start the transfer process to give herself options in the future.

[b][b]My experience with my college child is that the beginning of second semester is the most depressing time of the year.[/b] The newness and novelty has worn off, the weather can be bad, the food is repetitive, and it can be very lonely. The coming of spring will help. Have her take vitamin D and get a therapy/sun lamp if she’s in a cold northern climate.[/b][/quote]

+1 this is very typical.  However, I would support her both investigating transferring (doesn't mean she has to transfer) and investing more in building relationships there. Do consider why she picked that school. Was it just because it was the highest-ranked she got into, or was it based on a broader evaluation?

FWIW, my DD was pretty miserable her 2nd semester. She was friendly with her roommate but had struggled to connect beyond that. We went up to see her and spent the day together, and were able to talk more with her about what was going on. I raised the idea of exploring transferring but she insisted it was still the right school for her (had the academic features she wanted, had a couple good professors, etc.). We encouraged her to keep trying, engage student support services. By the end of the semester, she'd built a good set of friends, which started by talking to someone who sat next to her in class. [/quote]

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