I never expected that being a transfer student would be this hard. Transferring is a way to restart your life at a new school with new people, but it isn't as easy as it sounds. Here are 8 steps every student goes through when transferring to a new university.
1. Re-applying and waiting for an acceptance
Do you remember playing the "waiting game" back in high school? Well, the waiting game is 10x more difficult as a transfer. The school has to get your transcripts from your current university and high school. This may take longer than when you applied to university in high school.
2. Credits transferring
If you are like me, you went to a private university that required classes that only private colleges offer. My school even seemed to make up their own classes so you would not get credit when transferring. There is a possibility that all of your credits may not transfer, and this could set you back.
3. Leaving your friends
When transferring, you are leaving the people you have spent a year or more with. When I was at my old school, I made three best friends that I spent every waking second with for a whole year. We were the best of friends and nothing could come between us. Well, you may meet many amazing people, but you have to do what is best for you and your future. Leaving these people will never be easy and you may seem like you're missing out when you leave, but they understand what is best for you.
4. Housing
Now that you're accepted into your new university, you have to live somewhere on campus if you're away from home. Finding someone to room with is the hardest thing possible. You join the "Class of ..." page on facebook where everyone is asking for roommates, but you want to find the perfect person to live with. People already have their friends so it makes it harder to find people.
5. Move-in date
You have found someone to live, with but you are a little nervous to move in. If you're anything like me, you get so nervous that you have a breakdown because you hate change. When moving in, you meet the person you are going to live with for a year. You may become best friends with this person or you may not get along with them. That is the chance you have to take when you transfer or even start out at a new school.
6. Making new friends
Now that you are settled in and your family has left to go back home, you are alone in your room. The hardest part of college is making new friends. As a transfer, you miss your old friends and nothing can replace them. Joining clubs is the key to making friends in college. Join as many things as you can... but only the things you really want to be a part of. I joined random clubs, but never went to the meetings after I asked myself, "Why did I join that if I'm not even interested?"
7. First day of school
You look at your school schedule and you see your classroom name. The school may be bigger than your other school. It is confusing because you have no idea where you are going. People say that you make friends in your classes and they are right. The girl or boy you sit next to the first day of class is most likely the same person you sit with for the rest of the semester. You want to make friends with that person because they may be going into the same program or major!
8. You're going to be fine
Even though you can't navigate or make hundreds of friends, you know you will be fine. You have made enough friends so that you feel like you belong again. They may not be the friends you had previously, but they aren't supposed to be. They will never replace the old friends. But these people are equally genuine to you and will be there no matter what.
