I want to transfer schools

If you truly know that you don't want to do your degree there, don't do your degree there. I had a similar experience in university, but with my degree program rather than school. I was also too afraid of wasted money and what my parents would think if, after three years, I changed degrees and had to start again, so I finished the degree that I knew wasn't right for me and wasn't taking me in the direction I wanted to go. Things have turned out alright, but I still regret that decision, years later, and probably will for the rest of my life. You'll never be able to experience your undergrad again; it's a special period of your life that can't be repeated afterwards. Don't waste it doing something that you know isn't what you want. Even if you need to take a year off school and reapply next year so that you can get scholarships, you're young and it literally won't matter at all when all is said and done. In the end, I guarantee that you'll be happy that you chose to put your happiness first rather than some notion of letting others down or not progressing in life as you ought to. Furthermore, if you can get scholarships at other schools, not having to deal with the financial burden of large loans when you're starting your career will be more liberating than you can imagine.

I think that one of the truest expressions in the English language is that hindsight is 20/20. I know that when you're caught up in the situation, it can seem overwhelming and you can feel like you;re in too deep and that there's no way out, as you said in your post. Take it from someone who has been through what you're going through and can now take advantage of that perfect backwards glance: you are so young, and even though it seems like a really big deal, it isn't. Five years from now, when the degree is over, you'll look back on this moment, absolutely aghast that you ever thought it was as earth shattering and indelible as it seems right now. You'll see that this small course correction, while stressful and scary at the time, was actually a very insignificant setback in the long run.

I just want to say one thing though. Before you decide to do anything, you really ought to talk to your parents. I think you'll find that, in general, they want what's best for you. Talk through how you're feeling, interrogate the reasons why you feel the way you do about Wyoming. You said that you had been suicidal last year, well, sadly, I also now what that's like. I know that those feelings can poison everything, and if you didn't get help dealing with them or overcome them, they're probably influencing how you feel right now.

Anyway, this is becoming a novel, so I'm going to end it there. Generally, I think you should follow your instincts, but at the same time be aware of the fact that you can convince yourself that you feel/want anything, especially in times of mental distress. This is why it's so important to open up to other people about your thoughts and feelings before you make a decision. It can also be very liberating, rather than having it building up inside you.

/r/offmychest Thread