Starting college can bring doubts to students’ minds and leave them wondering if they made the correct decisions: the right classes, the right major or even the right school.
The Daily Illini spoke with Robby Radek, senior in Business, about his experience considering transferring out of the University but ultimately deciding to stay.
**This interview has been edited for clarity and length.**
DI: Can you tell me about your experience when you were considering transferring?
Radek: Everything went pretty well my first year academically, but I didn’t find a ton of friends my first year, and I was kind of lonely. So, I was really considering going to a school where I knew more people, and maybe I would fit in more.
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DI: How far did you get in the process of transferring?
Radek: I was really just talking to my friends about it. I think if I decided that I was going to transfer, I would’ve done the steps to. I also came in undeclared, and I applied to Gies (College of Business) that summer, so getting in factored into it a bit as well. If I didn’t get in, I probably would have transferred. But I still had to make a decision once I got in.
DI: Have the things that made you consider transferring schools improved since you’ve decided to stay?
Radek: The past two years, I stayed at Newman Hall, and I don’t know if I put myself out there more or if there’s just more things to do there, but I ended up meeting five or six good friends that I have now, so it’s improved a lot.
DI: Are there other factors that influenced or impacted you to stay? What were some of the positive experiences that you have had at the University that influenced you to stay here?
Radek: My dad went here, and I’ve always been around the University. I really love the campus and the University as a whole. All the classes went well, and I thought all the professors were very nice and good at teaching. I’d play intramural (sports), and those were always really fun. I would say things like that encouraged me.
DI: How would you say that your perspective has changed in any way, if at all?
Radek: I’ve enjoyed my time at the University more since then. I think if I had left and had a better time somewhere else, I probably would have looked more negatively on it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the University. I think it was more where I stayed my first year, where I just didn’t fit in with that crowd of people.
DI: Would you say that if you had transferred, you would have regretted leaving the University?
Radek: Now I definitely would have regretted it, but at the time, I don’t know exactly. If I had, I might have felt a little bit like I left things on the table. I think it was good that I tried one more year, at least.
DI: Do you have any advice for people who have been in your situation?
Radek: I would say if you think you can at least try to last another year, I would. See how things go. If the issue is with meeting people, like me, I would get to a new place on campus. Try different things and keep trying different clubs to try to meet people. If it’s not too bad to stay one more year, try some new things, maybe put yourself out there a little bit more.
DI: Is there anything in particular, especially going into your senior year, that makes you excited that you are still at the University?
Radek: I would say a lot of things. I’m in an apartment with my friends, and it’ll be my first year living in an apartment, so I think that’ll be enjoyable. Then, along with that, just continuing to do stuff I really enjoy. I think they have a lot of good (intramurals) that you can do, and it’s fun. There’s a rowing club or team that I might join, so I’m excited to do that. Just a bunch of things on campus, but I think it’s a really, really pretty university as well, so I’ll enjoy being on the (Main) Quad and things like that.
DI: Is there anything else that you feel was pertinent to your experience that you’d like to share?
Radek: It’s very hard. It’s hard to know what the right decision is if you just keep things in your head, and you kind of feel like you’re trapped somewhere. I think it’s very important to talk to people who are close to you, maybe your family or any friends outside of the University, and try to get their perspective, and then see from there where you should go.
