Did you know that transfer students account for 30% of the State University of New York at Oswego student population?
If you’re a new transfer student or plan on becoming one, I have some helpful tips for assimilating into your new school! If transferring is not a part of your college journey, I hope this article helps you to understand and reach out to your fellow transfer peers!
A Little About Me
After earning my associate’s from Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York, I started school at SUNY Oswego in the Fall of 2022 as a public relations major.
To preface my transfer experience, you should know that I graduated high school during the height of COVID panic. Over the course of the entire year and a half I attended community college, and I had one in-person class. The rest were online, and it was not fun at all. It was hard to watch many people with whom I graduated with go on to live at their colleges, do big things, and make new friends. I felt stuck.
So, upon entering SUNY Oswego, I had big expectations. I looked forward to my in-person classes, getting involved in clubs, watching sports competitions, making new friends, and yes, partying – you know, doing all the things college students do! It turns out being a transfer was more difficult than I thought it would be, so I am going to share some transfer tips I have learned firsthand!
Transfer Tips
- Get involved in clubs
My first semester, I made the mistake of joining a couple low-commitment clubs. This seemed fine to me at first, as I was trying to also manage learning how to navigate life in a new place. However, as the semester went on, I found myself becoming bored. I wasn’t making the connections with peers that I wanted to make, and I wasn’t passionate about anything outside of my studies.
This semester, I joined two more clubs that I really enjoy so far. One is an acapella group, and it has brought me so much happiness because I have not been able to be a part of a music group since high school with all the COVID restrictions. So, do not be afraid to immerse yourself in your passions or something you think could be cool. It helps with adjusting to your school’s community.
- Utilize social media for making friends
I never thought I would be promoting social media as a channel for making new friends, as I prefer to make new friends in person, but I cannot say how grateful I am to have taken the initiative to make friends online. As a transfer student, you will find that everyone your age pretty much already has their friend groups, and it can be so hard to make friends. This is not to say that people aren’t friendly, just that many are not actively seeking new friends.
I met an awesome group of friends through Snapchat‘s class of 2024 SUNY Oswego community. It turns out that they were transfers like me who also lived in my building! They were looking for new people to hang out with too! Fast forward to now: We do everything together and are all going to be living together next year! You never know the people you may connect with whom you otherwise may never meet if it were not for social media.
- Talk to people in your classes
You will find that talking to people in the same classes as you allows you to connect with people and organizations with similar interests to your own.
Trust me, I know how intimidating it can be to put yourself out there, especially if you’re not a natural-born extrovert. However, pushing myself to talk to and get to know familiar faces has made my academic experience enjoyable and even opened the door to a cool opportunity. A now-friend of mine who studies the same major as me introduced me to the campus radio station, and now I am on the station’s public relations team!
- Try not to put so much pressure on yourself
This is way easier said than done, but it is so important and healthy to offer yourself some grace during this period of change. As a transfer student, you have high hopes and expectations for a much better experience than the one you had before at your previous school. However, things do not always start out smoothly, and it can take work to create the experience you’ve dreamed of.
Just make a promise to yourself to do the best you can! You chose this new school with the wisdom gained from your past schooling experience, so trust that things will work out. You have the ability to make good things happen and to attract good things! Give it some time.
I hope this article was insightful to both transfers and non-transfers!
To transfers: These tips do not guarantee ‘success.’ I realize everyone’s experiences are unique, but I hope the tips are at least helpful.
To non-transfers: Find out which familiar faces are transfers, and talk to them! Learn about their experience and be a friend. Even simply saying hi to them or inviting them to grab some food can make such a positive difference in their day-to-day lives!