For me, writing about SFU is writing about a novel topic. Being a recent transfer student from a smaller college, the only things I’ve learned about SFU, so far, have to do with being a transfer student who has already completed half of her post-secondary education and has to now revisit those initial feelings of confusion and excitement we feel as freshmen, straight out of high school.
The majority of struggles for transfer students may be universal, but I’d like to focus on the ones I’ve personally dealt with, as a brand new SFU student of five weeks:
1. Everyone has already established their circle of friends, so finding a new crew might be somewhat of a challenge.
I initially felt embarrassed admitting this struggle, since university should primarily be a place of learning and career development. I felt immensely lonely after transferring to a much larger institution. At my previous, much smaller university, classes didn’t exceed 35 people. Also, your classmates took classes at the same rate as you did (given the program you were in). As a result, you’d see familiar faces often and would connect with your classmates much easier than in a 300-person lecture hall where everyone sits at least one seat apart from their neighbour.
At SFU, the majority of people I really connect with are other transfer students who are feeling the same way I am.
2. Getting involved in student organizations is already hard—but even harder at a brand new school.
So far, I’ve found that SFU emphasizes active student culture and involvement around campus, whether that be volunteering, getting involved with clubs, applying for co-op or so on. This is a quality that my previous university lacked. Clubs and student life were virtually nonexistent. But at SFU, oh boy, the options are endless!
Joining clubs is encouraged for transfer students, but it feels foreign.
3. Being a transfer student is another way of saying you’re basically a freshman again.
This struggle is probably the struggle I feel on a daily basis. Although, thankfully, this is not a struggle I will feel for much longer, it is very real for me and other transfer students. I have absolutely no idea what the “AQ” is. I keep hearing about this avocado statue (Why would a university have an avocado statue, anyway?). Where are my classes? What exactly does a “TA” do?
Being a “freshman” again is not to say you will get treated like one—but you sure will feel like one.
This list is far from complete. It just goes to show that transfer students have unique struggles in bigger universities; however, they are ones that we will outgrow and overcome. With time, I, too, will learn the wonders and glories of SFU.