When transferring schools, it can be pretty difficult to integrate into the new campus community, especially at a university as large and densely populated as UCLA. When you’re coming in as a new freshman, it’s often easier to connect with other new first years in your residence halls, and build friendships and relationships from there. As a transfer however, it’s easy to find yourself lost on how to start making those connections, when it seems like returning students are already comfortable in their own friend groups and interpersonal worlds. A lot of the times transfers have other restricting circumstances, such as commuting and only being on campus a couple times during the week.
Don’t let that stress you out! As a new transfer myself, I had that fear immediately coming in, but have found a few great ways to make that transition easier, and being able to have a fulfilling social life on top of academics.
1. Go to the Transfer Events! There are endless opportunities to connect with other transfer students. At the first transfer event I went to during Week 0, I met tons of new transfer students who had similar concerns as myself about starting fresh at UCLA, and it was a great way to find mutual grounds with students who are making the same rocky transition. There was also a chance to connect with people who are in the same school and major as you, and that was where I connected with two girls that I have already created a close bond with! Transfer Pride Week is also around the corner, from October 13-16, where there will be events such as a transfer-pride carnival, a commuter breakfast, and multiple information sessions about topics such as greek life for transfers, studying abroad, and more.
2. Think About Your Interests, and Find A Club or Organization on Campus to Explore it. Not only does UCLA have over 1,000 clubs and organizations on campus, but getting involved into these organizations is an amazing way to connect with people that have similar goals and interests that you do! Whether you are passionate about volunteering, singing, or are a fanatic of a popular game, musician, or sport-there is a club for that.
While it is often tempting to scurry down bruin walk and pretend like you are on your phone to ignore the people waving flyers around, try and take some time to look around and see if there is anything that stands out to you. I took a flyer for a service association that really seemed to fit my interests and hobbies, and now I am eager to become a part of the organization, and have already met some wonderful people in it. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you find!
3. Make Connections in the Classroom to Form Study Groups. At UCLA, you’re obviously going to find yourself in very large lecture halls with an overwhelming amount of people, making it hard to just instantly befriend someone and promote them to study buddy. However, your lectures will often be tied with discussions, where the environment is much more intimate, and TA’s like you to work in groups during class time. Use that group time to your advantage! Try to find some common grounds with your group members, and jot down their numbers and e-mails. These people can become great resources for helping you understand difficult information from lecture, and to generally bounce ideas off of for paper or projects. And more importantly, they can become good friends to hang out with outside of the academic setting!