A year has passed since I've transferred to Florida State and it was by far the best choice I've ever made. At first it was really hard to trade the sunny beaches and palm trees for football season and Spanish moss trees. I am however very proud of myself for making it at a huge new school in a new city. Football season turned out to be pretty great actually and there's never a dull night in Tallahassee. Of all the the things I learned while at FSU, these were the most important as a transfer student.

1. Its okay to feel lonely.

Transferring to a new school and new city at the same time can be very overwhelming, especially when you don't know anyone in the city. Not even your roommates. It was very hard for me to accept the fact that I was so lonely. I am a very social person but suddenly I found myself in a new world of silence. Well not literal silence, but even my house was incredibly quiet. My roommates were chosen at random and I didn't meet them until a week or two after I had already moved in.

I felt like I was just being big baby until I realized I needed to cut myself some slack. I was after all in a new place and I was doing pretty well for someone who had never been on my own before. I realized in that moment that it is completely okay to feel lonely. Its okay to miss your home and friends. I learned to be okay with my own company and I realized that this lonely feeling was only temporary. I was going to meet my roommates eventually, I was going to join clubs, and I knew at some point I'd have to do group work for a class.

The most important thing to remember is that you're new. This loneliness is only temporary, but it is completely okay to feel a little lonely in the beginning.

2. Go to the club fairs.

A great way to meet people after transferring is to go to the club fairs. There are tons and tons of different clubs ranging from belly dancing, Frisbee, HOSA, or paint balling. You'll also notice that Greek life is very popular, but if you choose not to go Greek joining at least two clubs would be great. Not only are you surrounded by people with similar interests, but they can also introduce you to other people. Getting involved on campus keeps students in the loop but most importantly allows them to do something fun that they enjoy with other people who also like the same things.

3. Befriend your roommates.

The first people you'll really get to know are your roommates. Of course everyone won't automatically like everyone, but the people you live with will be the closest people you have. I did not meet my roommates right away, but when I finally did, it was nice to have roommate dinners or go out together. I knew that I could always count on my roommate if I ever needed to vent, needed help finding my way around the city, and we ended up becoming so close that we felt like sisters.

Your roommates are the first people you might meet so its important to make sure that you get along. Maybe you might not click with a roommate right away or not at all, but its okay because whether you live in a dorm or an off campus apartment you still have other students living all around you or your other roommates.

4. STUDY!

One thing that really caught me off guard was how much more studying I did once I transferred. Going from community college to a larger university might not seem like a big deal because its all college level classes, but it was a shock for me at first. There's nothing that really prepares you for the first day of class when you walk into an auditorium style classroom with 100+ students. You quickly realize that your professor knowing everyone's name will not happen.

Classes were also a lot more rigorous compared to my community college classes. Some professors lecture, assign things, and then tell you to talk to the TA if you have questions while other professors only have tests and no homework or extra credit. Its definitely an adjustment but studying and doing assignments right away are very important. Create a study schedule in your calendar or agenda and really try to stick with it because things pick up towards the end of the semester and it can get overwhelming really fast.

5. Get to campus EARLY if you plan to park on campus!

Everyone I spoke to said to get to campus at least 45 minutes earlier than my class start time. At first I thought that was just silly. My college back home had terrible parking, but it is nothing compared to the parking at FSU. IT. IS. BAD. Especially when you end up driving through the garage a few times before realizing you'll have to go to another garage because you are not parking in that one.

Parking is a nightmare so get to campus a lot earlier than your class so that you can calmly find a spot and walk to class. Especially on the first day of class, you will be dropped from class if you miss the first day, so don't be late because of parking!

6. See the campus the Friday before school starts.

No one really told me to do this, but I decided to go to the campus and see it the Friday before so that I'd have somewhat of an idea of what the semester would be like. I walked all over campus and was afraid to be late to class because walking across campus takes at least 10 to 15 minutes. But, I had time to see where my classes were going to be and which Seminole Express stops were closest to my classes in case I didn't want to walk across campus. Being on campus before class started also gave me the chance to take it all in. FSU really has a beautiful campus and during the semester it's easy to miss the beauty of the Spanish moss trees while you're running from one class to the next.

7. Use the myFSU mobile and transloc apps.

My neighbor actually showed me how to use these apps but they are pretty amazing. The myFSU mobile app can show you everything from academics to campus maps. I did not want to be that person who used a map to get around, but its okay to use maps. Sometimes you just need the map. The app also allows you to track all the Seminole Express routes and what time they will arrive at each stop.

I was told to play with the bus route part of the app a little bit before school started so that I knew how to use it before school started. That really helped me because the app does not show you the exact time a bus will arrive at a stop. The app actually tells you how many minutes away the bus is from the spot. Its a great tool for days you might not want to drive to campus or days you don't want to walk across campus. The main thing to remember is that the only route that runs around/through campus is the renegade route, all the other routes go off campus at some point in their route so be careful!

At first being a transfer student might feel like you wont always fit in all the way with everyone that's been at FSU since freshman year, but its not true. FSU is amazing with some pretty amazing memories, experiences, and new people just waiting for you. It may be overwhelming at first, but there are so many ways to help the transition, move, and adjustment phase of first moving to Tallahassee. There may not be a beach and unlike South Florida there are actually seasons but, football season makes it so worth it. Even if you don't like football you'll leave FSU liking it even if its just a little bit. There's nothing like game day or the after parties after games. Transferring to such a big school might be scary at first, but it's the best decision you'll ever make !