I came from a competitive high school where most of the graduating class continued on to higher education. I remember feeling like a day didn’t go by during my senior year without someone asking me what I wanted to study, where I wanted to go to school, or what I planned to do with my life.
I felt like the odd one out, unexcited for the school I was planning to attend and clueless about what I wanted to study. So, I wasn’t surprised when halfway through my first year at university I realized it wasn’t the place for me, and I decided to transfer somewhere else.
Now, I’m studying at BU, and although I am much happier here, there are a few things I wish I had known before transferring.
- It can be really, really hard to meet people
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Being a transfer student feels like being the new kid in a really tight-knit community. Unlike when you’re a freshman, not everyone around you is new and looking to meet people. It can feel incredibly discouraging to go up and talk to strangers who may have already been at the university for a year. There are also very few, if any, university-organized events specifically for transfer students to meet one another. So, you don’t have all the typical first-year student social resources. A lot of the time, it feels like you have to work extra hard to put yourself out there, and that can be uncomfortable.
- You might not be able to graduate on time
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When I decided to attend BU, I assumed that I would be right on track to graduate. What I didn’t realize is that a lot of schools assign different values of credit for their courses. Whereas BU’s classes are four credits, others, like my former school, use a three-credit system. So, even though all my courses were accepted for credit, I’m still not where I should be. This can cause overloading, especially if you want to change your course of study. Universities also have different general education requirements and their own niche education systems, which can be challenging to adapt to when arriving later.
- There may be different application requirements
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Some colleges may have different application requirements than if you were applying as a first year. This could mean that where you may have been an eligible applicant during your senior year of high school, there may now be different expectations of prerequisite courses you must have completed to apply directly into a program.
- You will be completing enrollment steps later than everyone else
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As a transfer, because application and acceptance deadlines are later, you’re scrambling to apply for housing and to create your schedule just two months before school. Many of the upperclassmen students have already been granted their housing assignments, and sought-after classes are likely full. Transfers more or less must pick through the scraps of what is left.
- It can be hard to feel like you belong
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Attending a new school can lead to all sorts of doubts. You have just uprooted your life again, and it can feel like you’re under a lot of pressure to succeed. Being surrounded by so many intelligent, driven people can cause a lot of insecurities: am I doing enough? Why did they choose me? Should I be doing more? Do I deserve to take a break? All of these feelings can cause a lot of anxiety.
- Feel confident in your choice
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As hard as it is to start your life over again, all you can do is focus on the positive. Remember the reasons why you left your previous institution. Sometimes, it can be easy to forget how bad a former situation was once you are living in a more positive one. You may find yourself missing your friends or longing for the comfort you had at your last school. It’s important to acknowledge that despite all the positives you may remember, there was a reason why it wasn’t the place for you; at the end of the day, you made the courageous decision to push for a place that would be better for you.
Thus far, I’ve been repeatedly surprised by how different my experience has been as a transfer student rather than a first year. It is nothing like what I expected. My advice for those thinking of moving to a new university would be to make sure that they truly want it and that there is no possible way for them to continue in their current situation.
Transferring is challenging, but it can be equally rewarding if it’s the best decision for you.
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