[cyberfruit]

For the tl;dr crowd, read the bolded parts.

My problem is this...I am planning on majoring in Architecture. Okay. I planned to go to one school and to get my B.Arch in 5 years. Sounds great, no? Well, a wrench was thrown into that plan when I didn't get into the colleges I wanted to get into, and I was given the chance by UT to go to a UT-school for a year, then transfer. I thought, well that sounds alright. So, what's the problem?

I didn't think things through.

I am going to UT-Arlington this fall as an underclared major because I have to due to UT's rules, and I have to do 30 hours plus maintaining a 3.2 GPA. The thing is...I was already accepted to UT-Arlington as an Architecture major BUT I turned that down in favor of UT...and I shouldn't have. I waited a week, thought about it, and accepted being a CAP student thinking that I could just do my year, create a better portfolio, and apply to UT's School of Architecture for my sophomore year. Unfortunately, it wasn't until much later that I found out UT CAP students cannot apply to the SOA or the School of Music. I was crushed.

I feel like my dream is flying away, and I haven't even started my first year, yet. I wish I had done more research before hand instead of jumping at a chance at a better university. I feel like I've screwed myself over and that I'll probably have to spend 6 years in college to make it up (unless I can transfer to a 4+2). I'm already thinking about schools to transfer to if UT won't let me be in their SOA. I don't want to stay in Arlington. I wanted to leave Texas, hell, I wanted to leave the U.S. I've even thought about Canadian colleges and applied to a university in Paris, but no. Poor thinking on my part.


So, really, what about you all? Have any of you, for any reason, begun to feel regrets about your college decisions? I'm so upset because I had this all planned out since the 8th grade, and I screwed it up.

[shinee]

You're going to be making many more mistakes as you proceed through school like many of us have. Those mistakes strengthen character and bestows upon you invaluable experience. You might feel dejected now at a fleeting dream you feel is out of your grasp but if you truly want something and you put in all your effort to obtain it, a speed bump here and there won't stop you. And who knows, on the way to chasing your dream, you might wake up only to chase a new one. That probably didn't help you feel better but here's a poem that might lift your spirits.

"Look up! Destiny is more choice than chance... you may think you are powerless to control what happens to you in life, but nothing could be further from the truth. Possibilities always exist, and your choices will be limited only by where you choose to look for them.

If you look down... hanging your head in defeat or despair, all you see are your own two feet entrenched in the place you occupy at this particular moment in your life. It is a restricted view, and minor cracks and flaws become major considerations and will slow you down as you become more and more focused on this very small place in a very small world.

If you look out... the path you are traveling takes on a new perspective. Perhaps you will see where it is heading, and you can choose whether to continue or not. Perhaps you will see other paths not far in the distance you might wish to try. Perhaps you will decide to break away and create a new path of your own. The horizon is expanded mightily when you look out.

If you look up... the world suddenly seems limitless. The vast openness suggests infinite possibilities and removes boundaries from your vision. With no boundaries, you are free to explore options you might never have considered before. There is freedom in this expanded universe that will let you stretch and grow and explore your maximum potential." -Patricia A. Teckelt

[THEmerryJANE]

So you were accepted to UT-Arlington back when the decision process was still going but didn't accept them to wait for UT's decision. Then the deadline for acceptance passed and you didn't get into UT so you regret not accepting Arlington in the first place because then you would have a major and could apply to the architecture school, right?

Man that blows. But seriously, consider transferring to other schools if they have a strict no transfer policy. If there is absolutely no way for you to pursue your dreams at UT then go elsewhere or change your major, which I don't think you want to do.

I only applied to one school during admission, no safeties, like an idiot. Not really because I was arrogant enough to think I was certainly getting in but mostly due to the fact that I was a lazy dumba** and didn't apply to the other schools on time. I consider it extremely lucky I even got in.

[cyberfruit]

So you were accepted to UT-Arlington back when the decision process was still going but didn't accept them to wait for UT's decision. Then the deadline for acceptance passed and you didn't get into UT so you regret not accepting Arlington in the first place because then you would have a major and could apply to the architecture school, right?

Man that blows. But seriously, consider transferring to other schools if they have a strict no transfer policy. If there is absolutely no way for you to pursue your dreams at UT then go elsewhere or change your major, which I don't think you want to do.

I only applied to one school during admission, no safeties, like an idiot. Not really because I was arrogant enough to think I was certainly getting in but mostly due to the fact that I was a lazy dumba** and didn't apply to the other schools on time. I consider it extremely lucky I even got in.

Exactly.

I'm not keen on changing my major at all even though I have back ups (Interior Design and Art History). I will really have to see if I end up liking UTA to see if I want to even stay here and forego my UT "guarenteed admission". I still have schools on my backburner, but I won't know until, say, second semester what my plan will be.

What school did you get into? It must have been a damn good match to not have a safety (I had two, UTA and WIT).

[THEmerryJANE]

Emory college.

And I think it's a good choice for you to wait it out and see. If you want to change your major, sure. If you want to transfer and it takes you a little longer to pursue a lifelong goal then that's great too.

[krit]

A classmate of mine started out in engineering, and then transferred to architecture after about 3 yrs. Since the college only accepts transfers as BS in History of Architecture candidates (and she was completely bummed out about that, since she really wanted a B.Arch degree), she got into the architecture program as a first yr ... and I believe she spent in total about 7-8 yrs (plus summer classes) in the university (cornell). Although the school (AAP) 'says' they don't accept transfers into their B.Arch program, apparently if you really want to work something out - something can be arranged. That girl (somewhat of a legend @ our college) gave up her 3 years of coursework to get that bachelors.

Although that is a long time, she was really satisfied to do it. You should stick to what you really want to do and not think about how long it'll take - think about the end result. Your lifepath is completely different and unique and it doesn't deserve to be compared to others.

[bLufurBaLL]

Well, once you go to UT as, say, a Liberal Arts major, you can transfer for the next semester into the school of architecture as an internal transfer. When you do that, the only real downfall is that you may graduate a semester late.

[cyberfruit]

^ I've been thinking of that plan, too.

A classmate of mine started out in engineering, and then transferred to architecture after about 3 yrs. Since the college only accepts transfers as BS in History of Architecture candidates (and she was completely bummed out about that, since she really wanted a B.Arch degree), she got into the architecture program as a first yr ... and I believe she spent in total about 7-8 yrs (plus summer classes) in the university (cornell). Although the school (AAP) 'says' they don't accept transfers into their B.Arch program, apparently if you really want to work something out - something can be arranged. That girl (somewhat of a legend @ our college) gave up her 3 years of coursework to get that bachelors.

Although that is a long time, she was really satisfied to do it. You should stick to what you really want to do and not think about how long it'll take - think about the end result. Your lifepath is completely different and unique and it doesn't deserve to be compared to others.

Your classmate has my undying respect.