Transferring colleges isn’t something that everyone goes through, but it is getting a lot more common every year. Many students decide to go to a community college for two years and then transfer into a four-year university, while others just want to transfer to a different university from the one they were previously at.
How soon is too soon to start thinking about transferring?
I started thinking about transferring the first month or so into being at my first college. I talked about staying there for two years to do my gen eds and then transfer. I kept that in the back of my mind for the first couple of months. When the start of the second semester came around, the thoughts became a reality. Transferring sooner than later is very important credit-wise. There is a risk of all of your credits not transferring, so the longer you stay at a place and then decide to transfer, that risk of getting behind gets greater. Luckily for me, all of my credits transferred with no problems.
What is important to you in what you want and need from a university?
College is a huge investment, and it is important to make sure that your university has what you need and what you want so that you aren’t wasting the money. For me personally, I wanted a big school with a lot of school pride. Football and basketball games are something that I wanted, which I didn’t think about before. It is also important to make sure that the school you are at is right for your major. That could lead you to more opportunities, and possibly a foot into the real world after college.
How stressful can the process be?
Quickly throughout the process, I found myself very stressed. You are basically starting out as a new freshman again. There are many parts of the process, but it is worth it in the end. The first part is going to be the application. You have to get in the application and your transcript to the possible college you will be attending. After that you will have to do anything that your current university needs you to do to withdraw. After the semester you need to get your credits transferred ASAP. Finally, you will have to do the freshman things such as schedule courses, housing, meal plan, etc.
This may seem like a long and rough process, but it is so worth it. Only being at WVU for 5 weeks, I know that I made the right decision transferring.