By Valentina Toro
Managing Editor
Transferring to a new college can feel like starting over. You are not necessarily new to college, but you are new to the campus, the people and the community around you. As a transfer student, I learned that finding your place takes time, but you also must be willing to put yourself out there.
When I transferred to the university, one of the biggest things I had to learn was not to compare my experience with students who had been here since their freshman year. Some students already had established friend groups, knew their way around campus and were involved in organizations. As a transfer student, it can feel like you are behind, but you are not.
My biggest piece of advice is to get involved as soon as you can. Joining a club, attending an event or even going to an organiza- tion meeting can introduce you to people you might never meet in your classes.
You do not have to join everything, either.
Getting involved in student media helped me find my own community at the university. Through journalism, I have been able to meet students, professors and people across campus while also gaining experience in something I want to pursue professionally. Finding an organization related to your interests or career can make campus feel more familiar.
Another piece of advice is simple: talk to people. It can be intimidating, especially when it seems like everyone already knows each other. Introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you in class.
Not every conversation will turn into a friendship, but some of them might.
Transfer students should also not be afraid to ask for help. You are entering a new university with different expec- tations, resources and systems. No one expects you to automatically know how everything works. Talk to your professors, advisers and other students when you have questions.
I would also tell transfer students to actually experience campus. It can be easy to come to class and immediately go home, especially for commuters. But doing that can make it harder to feel connected to the university. Stay for an event sometimes. Attend an involvement fair.
Most importantly, give yourself time. Your first few weeks might not look the way you imagined. That does not mean transferring was the
wrong decision.
Being a transfer student gives you an opportunity to start a new chapter while bringing everything you learned from your previous college experience with you. You do not have to recreate someone else’s version of college.
My final advice to new transfer students is to say yes to opportunities, even when they make you nervous. Finding your place at the university might not happen immediately, but sometimes all it takes is showing up.
