When I was accepted to NYU in December 2021, I was grateful and excited for the opportunity to transfer colleges. However, I did not know any other transfer students who I could ask for advice about the experience. I was inspired to write this article to share what I have learned with other transfer students!
The reality of my transfer experience is that my first few weeks at NYU were quite lonely. I ate and studied alone a lot because I had not yet made friends. There were times when I questioned if transferring was the right choice. However, in hindsight I am grateful for this challenging situation because it inspired me to become more independent and to enjoy my own company. My strategy to make the most of this time alone was to take myself on dates around the city! Strand Bookstore is my favorite bookstore to visit and is close enough to NYU for a great solo study break activity.
Rosecrans Florist & Cafe next door is the perfect florist boutique where you can buy yourself some flowers or sit with a matcha latte and read the books you bought at Strand Bookstore! If you’re hungry, I recommend getting a window seat at Ramen Takumi to enjoy amazing ramen while people-watching.
I started to make friends by using the first few minutes of class to socialize with the person sitting next to me. As the class progressed, I got to know people and was able to continue to be friends with some of them outside of class! Sometimes I felt intimidated about starting a conversation. However, a strategy that has worked well for me is to introduce myself as a transfer student and to be honest that I was eager to make friends to study with and to try food spots around NYU. I found that most people welcome the company enthusiastically.
Outside of extracurriculars, I found a sense of purpose by getting an on-campus job. I recommend going to the Wasserman Center to get advice for your resumé, and then going on Handshake to look for on-campus jobs. I currently work at NYU Athletics at Palladium as an Equipment Room attendant. At my job, I enjoy getting to meet varsity athletes and socializing with my co-workers.
A critical component to adjusting at NYU was becoming involved in the school’s community. Through this experience, I gained friends and acquired leadership positions to demonstrate to future employers and graduate schools that I had acclimated well to NYU. A strategy that I had when applying to club leadership positions was to indicate that I was a transfer student on the application I was filling out so that the club would understand why a leadership position would be so beneficial for me. Currently, I am a member of Alpha Phi Omega, WNYU, West 10th, the Student Activities Board, and the 1831 Fund.
Alpha Phi Omega is a national co-ed service fraternity that offers volunteer, fellowship, and leadership opportunities. Volunteer events include cleaning up parks, designing cards for children in hospitals, and making dog toys for dogs in shelters. Fellowships are fun bonding activities such as getting boba or making friendship bracelets. Leadership events are sessions built to develop professional skills, like learning how to edit your resumé. What makes these events special is that you get to do them with the chapter’s brothers! A special moment for me was when my brothers selected me to be the Interchapter Chair on the e-board. In this position, I create, promote, and host events between our chapter of APO and other chapters of APO. Events include visiting the Metropolitan Museum and virtual movie night.
WNYU is NYU’s student-run college radio station where I host a two-hour, weekly music show on Italian pop music! I am grateful for the chance to be a DJ and share the music that I love with those who listen to my show. While I host the music show by myself, I have been able to meet other members of WNYU through listening parties, where station members gather together and listen to the music that has been sent to WNYU be listeners. While I was not part of college radio at my previous college, my mentality for transferring is that a new school is a new opportunity! I recommend trying out a new club and exploring a new interest as you begin your journey at your new college.
West 10th is NYU’s undergraduate literary magazine. I am a member of the events committee and art editor team. These roles have been an amazing way for me to be exposed to the creativity of NYU students! I appreciate the opportunity to help host open mic events and to select artwork for the magazine.
The Student Activities Board oversees NYU’s various student clubs and provides leadership and guidance. As a board member, I help read new club applications in the fall to decide which ones will be approved as clubs for the spring. I love how I am helping create new clubs that will contribute to the NYU community and aid in future students’ own experiences.
The 1831 Fund is NYU’s scholarship fund for incoming NYU students, including transfer students. I am the Outreach Chair for the 1831 Fund and am responsible for securing donations from vendors for our fundraising events. I feel a sense of pride helping raise money to fund the dreams of fellow transfer students!
I am continuously seeking ways to be involved at NYU! Most recently, I applied to be a Transfer Welcome Ambassador. I hope to get the position so that I can motivate incoming transfers to join clubs and to assure them that if they want someone to eat or study with, they can text me! I hope I can instill the same welcoming environment to future students which I received upon entry into the city and NYU.