Back in the fall of 2018, I had transferred to Manhattan College from St. Thomas Aquinas College in New York. From what I can remember, the decision to transfer did not come easily. I originally wanted to transfer after one semester, but my parents and I had mutually agreed that it was probably just freshman nerves and apprehension about being at a new school. I was upset because I didn’t really make any friends yet and it had appeared that everyone was already in their own friend groups after the first day. After finishing my first semester, I was getting ready to go through the transferring process since I had stuck out the semester when my parents told me that we were going to move out of my childhood home. I’m not going to lie, I kind of expected that we would be moving out of the house soon to downsize, but I was heartbroken at the fact that I could not transfer out of school as quickly as I had wanted to. We moved out of my childhood home, I do the fall semester of my sophomore year at this school, and it feels like everything is just going wrong.
My professors were gearing up to retire, all of my friends had transferred already, and it felt like there was nothing there for me anymore. I finally worked up the nerve to go up to my parents during the winter break of my winter semester and tell them that I need to transfer because I had felt so stuck and secluded at my last school. They were not very happy about it, but eventually relented and agreed to let me transfer after I finished out my spring semester at my last school, and I could not have been happier to be done with that school.
I remember when I was going through the processes of trying to transfer, I had wished and hoped for someone to tell me if what I was thinking and planning on doing was actually the right decision or not. Before St. Thomas, I had not known what a regular college was like since mine was so small. After transferring, I realized that I would have to be that person to give insight to others on what transferring is really like. Here are some tips that I wish that I had when I was going through the decision-making process:
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Do your research- when I was in high school trying to decide on what schools to apply to, I did little to no research. I had applied to any schools that emailed me because I knew that I had a good chance of getting into those schools. Do not do that because then you are most likely going to get into and go to a school that is not the one for you. Also, research the major you think you’re going into to make sure that it is what you want.
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Get your grades up- transferring is a lot easier and convenient with good grades. Not only do good grades open up your options of schools, but the more credits that you can get to transfer over can lower the price of tuition at your next school. Also, there are scholarships for people who make Dean’s List multiple semesters in a row, and it shows well on you for making it at least once.
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Friends are not always for forever-don’t have your reason for transferring be because you feel like you have little to no friends at school. The best of friends come up when you aren’t even looking for them and some people are nicer and friendlier than you would think. If social life is part of your reason for transferring than that’s okay, but transferring because you feel like you have no friends or that the people you go to school with are annoying, you’re gonna have to get over that because you are only going to be around them for a few years, maybe.
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Actually, try it out- no one really wants to hear this, but you get out of the school what you put into it. If you never leave your dorm room or your house, never go to any career or club fairs, never speak in class or do anything on campus, college is going to be boring. You can try and make friends without joining a club or a sport, but if you’re not sure how to feel about your school, joining a club and walking around campus more can at least start to potentially change your mind about the school.
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Listen to your gut- I remember I used to think that all the schools I was looking at and applying to were so great because they looked so nice on paper. They would have my major, rated decently in my program, and would be a decent price, but it would not be the school. When you are applying to schools, you NEED to take a tour of the campus. Back when I went to St. Thomas, the only time a took a tour of the school was for accepted students day and I had this weird feeling in my stomach, and I realized that I did not want to go there. At that point, it was too late to change my mind. Take a tour of all the schools that you are applying to and really pay attention to your gut. When I had stepped onto the campus of Manhattan College, I knew that it was the school for me because I had felt so comfortable and eager to start a new chapter in my life once I had walked on the campus. Any place that feels like it is not meant to be, you will know.
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Take a deep breath- this process is long and annoying most of the time, but take a deep breath because everything will be okay and you will find the school that suits you best, it is just going to take some time.
After doing all of these steps, I could not be happier with my decision to transfer to the school I chose. I have made so many new and lasting friendships and am more confident in my future.