If you want to get your bachelor's degree from Boise State University but decided to get the first year or two of your degree out of the way at the College of Western Idaho, then you're making a wise choice! CWI's tuition cost per year for 15 credits a semester is $4,170 whereas Boise State's is $7,694. Additionally, CWI has free parking, charges only $30 extra for online courses whereas BSU charges $90 extra, and CWI's cost per credit is the same whether you take one credit or 18, whereas Boise State's per credit cost is more expensive depending on how many courses you enroll in.

While there are financial advantages to starting your higher education at CWI, there are also several obstacles facing perspective transfer students. In the forefront of difficulties faced by CWI students who wish to transfer to BSU, is knowing what classes will transfer to their BSU degrees. CWI students are often told that all credits from CWI transfer to BSU; however, this information can be misleading. Yes, your graphic design classes from CWI will transfer to BSU, but they're not going to help you towards your biology degree except by getting you closer to reaching the required 120 credits to graduate. A great tool CWI students can use to see what CWI classes will transfer as to BSU, is BSU's online Transfer Equivalency System. Using the Transfer Equivalency System, students can search for their school and then search for a class and see what it's named at both BSU and the school they're transferring from. This tool can help students ensure they're only taking CWI classes that will count towards their BSU degrees.

Along with knowing what classes from CWI will transfer to BSU, is knowing that just because you're planning on majoring in communications at BSU does not necessarily mean you should major in communications at CWI. CWI degrees often require courses to graduate that the same degree at BSU does not require. If your degree at BSU doesn't have room for many electives, you may end up graduating from BSU with more credits than you need. To compare degree requirements between BSU and CWI, google "Boise State" or "College of Western Idaho" and the name of your desired program. The degree and requirements should be one of the first few search results. If comparing the degrees is proving to be confusing, you can also make an appointment with a CWI advisor to help you!

If you're transferring into a BSU program that has few electives, what you may be better off doing is not earning an associate's degree at CWI at all. This will ensure you're only taking classes that will transfer to your BSU degree and will also allow you to avoid classes at CWI like Connecting with Ideas (also known as CWID). And the good news is, if you get core certified at CWI, you don't have to take Boise State's unpopular UF 100 or 200.

Figuring out what classes to take at CWI aside, another challenge CWI students have to face is getting the social-life aspect of college while at CWI. CWI is a commuter college, and while the environment there is supportive and friendly, it can be harder to make friends than at a residential college. A great way to make friends and meet people interested in the same things as you at CWI is to join a student club. Another option is to even join a student club at BSU while you're still going to CWI. I participated in BSU's Intervarsity while at CWI, where I made some great friends and also figured out where everything was on campus (which was definitely useful on my first day of BSU classes). It can be a little harder to join a BSU club when you're not a student, but one way to get around you not being a BSU student is to search up the club you want to join on Facebook. Then, message the club president and explain that you're planning on transferring to BSU shortly and are wondering if you can participate in the student club in the meantime.

Joining Bronco Connect can also help you get a richer college experience while at CWI as well as make your transfer process easier. Joining Bronco Connect includes benefits like free tickets to BSU sports events, and you also get guaranteed admission to BSU after completing a CWI associate's degree, priority registration at BSU, and several other benefits.

While carving out a few semesters from your BSU degree at CWI is a practical decision, it also raises several difficulties, but with a little planning and navigation of "the system," CWI students can set themselves up for a seamless transfer process and enjoy their time in college.