Ah yes. I had a very similar experience in University - except the other way around. I wanted to go to a University that was far far away from my parents and everyone I knew, but my parents did not allow it. I could have gone and they would have been angry and disappointed, but I also knew at the time that they would get over it. Still, I complied with their wishes. Why? I always wanted to do what made them happy. I wanted them to be proud of me.
So, I went to a University about an hour away by car. Not very far by Canadian standards. I remember the first week there - orientation week. My god was it awful. I was upset that I didn't get to go to the University of my choice and in a way that stopped me from enjoying what was going on around me. It also didn't help that I was naturally a bit on the quieter side. I did everything alone during orientation week and most of the time, all I could think about was how I wish I had gone to the far away University. My entire first year of University was rather average. I even tried to get wasted with the rest of the people in my residence, but couldn't connect to anyone. If I couldn't connect with anyone when I was drunk, how was I going to connect to people when I was sober? I ended up displacing myself from my life at school.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) I had bought myself a car at the end of high school. This car was put to immensely good use during my first year of University. If you look at the map of a Canadian Province, you will realize just how big most of them are (I'm talking about Ontario and Quebec here). I pretty much explored every city in those two provinces. Yeah, didn't leave much time of actually being AT the University. I failed. Every single class.
That's when I pulled myself together. I felt like I was rebelling against my parents, but really I was only doing myself harm. I would be the one left with the debt, not my parents. I realize that money and attendance most likely isn't your issue here, but I think I have a point, so just bare with me.
It was when I decided that I will try to make the most out of what I had at the moment, that I began to see changes. Yes, you miss your friends and your comfortable surroundings, but that's almost expected. Many people go through a serious case of homesickness during their first year of University. I remember my roommate crying some nights because she missed her home which was about 20 hours away by car. I really think that if you decide to let go of the "anger" you have towards being where you are, you will see the good of your situation. Your school, although snobbish, is probably a very good one. Instead of thinking how unlucky you are that you were forced to go to a school far away, think rather that you are lucky to have the opportunity of attending such a great school. For the moment occupy your time with other things. You mentioned you joined some groups - get more deeply involved. Join others if the ones you're in aren't working. Join a language club, usually you find pretty interesting people there. Let go of what you had and concentrate on what you have right now. Work with that. If you do that, and it really doesn't get better by the end of your first year, then, although I am very vary of saying this, perhaps the place really isn't right for you. I don't usually like to say such things because I think that if people decide to look just at the positive things of their situation, they can turn their thoughts and ultimately their feelings around.
Personally, I stuck to my University. At the end of the first year, did I wish I would have gone to my choice University? Yes. Now, 5 years later, do I still wish that? No. I let go of the past and built a better present because of that. If I had to do it all over again, I would still do it this way, because the lessons I learned from going through the hard days have been incredibly useful in the long run. It just sucks in the present, I know.
All the best to you!
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