Should I transfer?

I'm a college freshman at a state school in my home state. When I was applying to colleges in high school, I was mainly focused on large colleges in urban environments, and I was very narrow-focused on that at the time. My guidance counselor suggested to apply to the school I go to now, it is a large school and one that was easy to get into, but I wasn't too sure about it. It is a good school, don't get me wrong, it just didn't feel like the right one. Nevertheless, I applied and got in, but I also got rejected from all the schools I actually wanted to go to. Obviously, I wasn't too happy about this, but I decided to make the most of the situation and try to enjoy it. At the college I'm at now, I've made a bunch of friends and have been enjoying some of my classes. I'm getting to a point, however, that I'm starting to dislike where I am. My classes are starting to feel boring (I have virtually no homework this semester and I've been getting easy A's in each of my classes this entire year), and I've been feeling sorta out of place. Everyone seems to love it here, and I've been trying my darndest to love it too, but I just don't. The other students seem to have different goals than I do, and my major feels like it's on the back burner to make way for the more popular majors (I chose a relatively small major, so that's kinda my fault). I feel stuck in this college and in the surrounding area, like I'm only here because someone else wants me to be. I wanna have the choice to pick somewhere I wanna be and be able to do more research on colleges around the country not just in my state. The main thing keeping me back is losing the friends I have here and realizing that the college I'd potentially transfer to has the same problems as the one I'm currently in.

Hello! College stuff is always kind of tricky. I had a somewhat similar experience before I eventually decided to drop out and think about what I really wanted out of college. Going by the details in your post, it looks like you seriously want to go somewhere that will provide more of a challenge and maybe even an adventure. You also sound like a great student (and even if you’re not an easy A or two won’t hurt), so if I were you I’d consider getting in touch with your desired schools’ admissions staffs to find out which credits will transfer if you haven't already. That way you can safely test the waters and get a feel for the school's attitude and culture without any big commitments. This is more of a rhetorical question, but is money a concern? I know colleges cost more for out-of-state students and many charge fees for applying, and moving long distances can get pricey, plus gas/flight money if you visit home frequently. If it is a snag, there’s usually aid, but it is a detail to take into account. And about potentially leaving behind friends: it’s a lot to ask someone who just started out in the world, but now would be a good time to start thinking about where you’d like to end up in life. Are those out-of-state schools in places you’d like to live long-term? Or do you plan on coming back? There’s nothing wrong with deciding that your education is more important than keeping your social circle intact or vice versa. If you know it would make you happier to jump in and chase your dreams, don't let anyone else's expectations hold you back! Ultimately there’s always some degree of risk with big steps like this, but only you can decide what it’s worth to you.