In only a few days, thousands of transfer students will begin their first classes at their new campus. It was only a year ago when I was in those exact shoes. Transferring to a new school is a scary move, especially if the school is about 10x’s larger than your previous one. So many ‘what ifs’ go through your mind. You wonder whether you will make new friends, or how different your new school will be from your old school. It is a difficult concept to grasp. Not keeping an open mind heading into a new school could hurt potential experiences there, but either way starting at a new school is definitely an exciting time.
Many people say starting school as a transfer student is similar to starting freshman year all over again. However, that is not exactly how my own experience felt. I felt slightly more intimidated walking on my new campus my first few weeks as a transfer student than I did walking on my previous campus my first few weeks as a freshman. As a transfer student, I was able to live in an apartment off of campus, so I missed out on those first few days of jitters in the resident halls most of the incoming freshman were feeling. Not living in a residence hall also meant I was not buddying up with my new roommate or floormates to head out and explore campus as I did at my previous university. I was basically on my own as a new student.
It was tough. All of the people I already knew at my new school already knew their way around campus. They knew the quickest routes to get around, nicknames for various campus spots, and best places to grab a bite to eat. It was a difficult time, wanting so badly to know all there was to know about my new school and meet new people to explore campus with. My biggest mistake entering was not joining any clubs or organizations. It made it extremely difficult to branch out of my comfort zone of friends from high school and my neighborhood back home.
Regardless though, I eventually got the hang of things. I met new friends through my various campus jobs, classes, and other friends. I learned the quickest routes to get around, nicknames of various campus spots, and best places to grab a bite to eat. It took time, but I 100% found myself a home at my new university. My short time at my previous university will never be forgotten. I met some life-long friends, and all because we attend different universities we still keep in touch daily. Whatever the reason is that you left your old school, I hope you will find a home at your new one. I know I did, and I honestly couldn’t be happier.
