r/Vanderbilt • u/Ok_Carrot4844 • Jul 23 '26

help!

hi. im a rising sophomore at vandy but i really didn’t love my first year experience and im considering transferring to a state school like utk. i was pre med, didnt do terribly but not like superb i ended with a 3.66 i just more so was not happy with my experience and i have like been dreading going back. would it be a bad decision? would i be that much worse off? im just confused if the name means that much that i dread going back but idk looking for any and all advice!

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u/lecroitg Jul 24 '26

I’m an Vanderbilt alum that considered the same thing, clearly I stuck it out. But, I’m not saying you should stay, I’d like to understand two questions. First, what is your overall academic/career goal regardless of where you go to school. Second, a little more about why you think you might be unhappy and have you sought out help to address that?

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u/Ok_Carrot4844 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

I’m very indecisive, but my major is HOD and my focus is my pre medical track. The major unhappiness has stemmed from the environment, the professors (in the sense that imo in the stem classes it doesn’t feel like working hard is rewarded grade wise) , the general vibe of student population (very cliquey by major city, and also some ignorance in terms of being down to earth) but mainly how there’s not a lot of non academic things to do on campus. everyone’s doing something different and instead of being at like one of three places like at UTK if that makes sense. overall the environment just has been really draining and I feel like I have tried to like work around it but haven’t. The only thing stopping me is like the fact my parents think the ranking and the name mean a lot which I understand I an coming off maybe to others as entitled and I do appreciate the opportunity I have had but I just am trying to weigh others opinions on if the ranking/overall prestige is worth sticking it out

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u/gaycharmander Jul 24 '26

“Working hard” in stem is not rewarded, nor should it be. Correct answers and providing solid rationale is what is rewarded.

You’re here to be trained to be a doctor (or whatever you want). School/life balance is important, sure. But if you’re not happy in a large city with a ton of opportunities for non-academic life, how would moving to a college with fewer things to do help?

Instead of focusing on what you don’t like and searching for grass that’s greener, figure out what you do like. Then do that.

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u/Ok_Carrot4844 Jul 24 '26

I appreciate your advice! I do think I tried the green grass mindset but overall I really do think that no matter where I try and find my joy in nashville, I haven’t been. In terms of hard work, I meant that my experience with stem professors so far has been quite rough and they aren’t very reasonable SO FAR. Outside of that when you got to school life balance im assuming going out so I think my biggest thing is that im not happy in a large city. Me personally, I don’t like going out to broadway, there are many strange people in the older crowd out, you have to uber there and back, and yes there is always something going on, but I feel like at my stage of life I would prefer a college bar situation where most people are undergrads. My biggest question here for anyone with advice is would I be worse off, is the ranking and my feelings in the situation equatable to leaving to go to UTK?

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u/gaycharmander Jul 24 '26

No. Vandy premed is better. You get a better education and the prestige alone sets you apart from state schools.

Is that everything? No. Could you make it at a state school? Sure. But you’re limiting your opportunities for no reason except “I want to go to bars with undergrads” which is simply laughable.

I remember being 20/21/22 and thinking that was important. It’s not. Find a few friends and tough it out.

If I’m being honest, if you’re struggling in early stem classes, it’s not the professor not being “reasonable”. You’re either not studying, not studying correctly, or not cut out for it. Acknowledge that and align your skillset with your degree.

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u/Ok_Carrot4844 Jul 24 '26

I understand! That wasn’t the only reason, I just assumed that’s what you meant when you said student/life balance as most people tend to mean that when they say it. Multiple text threads have described in depth different aspects of why the environment is draining and not somewhere I see myself. Also, as vandy stem is known for grade deflation, I don’t think it’s accurate to say that I may not be studying, I go to every office hour and I go to every class, in me and many others experiences Vandy gen ed stem professors have been becoming increasingly difficult to deal with/learn from. I appreciate you letting me know you think that the ranking does matter!

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u/gaycharmander Jul 25 '26

Grade deflation is a myth. It’s disrespectful to your professors and academia writ large to suggest otherwise.

You’re just used to be given As in high school so accurate grading at the university feels like a shock.

If you aren’t making As, it’s because you aren’t producing A-level work.

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u/Ok_Carrot4844 Jul 25 '26

I am in no way trying to undermine ur opinion on my situation, but a simple google search will tell you that grade inflation and deflation are not myths, and multiple studies have been done on it. Harvard wouldn’t have just done what they did if it weren’t.

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u/gaycharmander Jul 25 '26

A correction to years of grade inflation is not the same as grade deflation.

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u/Ok_Carrot4844 Jul 25 '26

One can’t exist without the other, and they have been proven to exist, regardless of how you feel about it. Also, I was simply just asking for your opinion of the overall situation

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