Going to college in the first place is not easy, let alone being a transfer student on top of that. We have all already gone through the stage of going to a new university and meeting new friends during our freshman year, and having to do it all over again is no fun at all. It becomes a huge shell shock situation, throws you way off and takes awhile to adjust.
After you are a freshman you are expected to know where everything is and how everything works, but being new to the university and not being a freshman is a whole new challenge. It is a place all on its own that you are not used to and you get to figure it out all on your own, especially if you really don't know anyone. And let's be honest, you probably do look like one of the freshman, wandering around lost with your head cut off.
Another difficult aspect of being the transfer student is figuring out which of your existing credits are going to transfer over to the new university. What a pain in the ass it is if they don't, because you already worked so hard to get those credits and they may or may not being eligible to transfer for credit. And sometimes even if they do, it is hard to tell what classes those credits match up to at your new university. Teachers will reference a class you "should have" taken prior to their class and you never really know if your classes are similar to what was taught in their classes. It is a whole guessing game to try and figure out.
There's also nothing like having to try and make new friends again too. You worked so hard your freshman year to make connections and find people to hang out with, just to transfer and try and do it all over again. But this time it is even harder because people have already formed their friendship circles for the most part, so you just have to somehow squeeze yourself in there, be the awkward new kid who is trying to befriend people so you aren't all by yourself all year long.
The nice part though is that yeah it is a fresh start, it is a whole new place, and full of all new possibilities and opportunities. I would have never guessed I would transfer schools, but now I have this whole new place to try and figure out and explore. I have the memories from my old university and now I get to go out and make new ones, hopefully with some new people. Being a transfer really keeps you on your toes because each university is different, policies are different, and the culture and environment is 100% different.
My first few days as a transfer on a new campus were some of the most stressful days I have ever had. I was so shell shocked and stressed out that I actually got sick. I was dizzy all day for the first 3 days, trying to figure out how classrooms were run, where everything was, and how I was going to try and meet new people. Reflecting back on it though I realize how great that is, I have this opportunity to get my education in a new place and there are all these new and exciting things that I get to figure out. Even though it is still somewhat stressful, it is a nice change of pace and culture.
Take it easy on the transfer students, we are just as lost as the freshman, but please do not call us freshman. And to all the transfer students, hang in there and have fun exploring the new opportunities and experiences your university has to offer.
