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Making the decision to transfer schools midway through your four years can be both frightening and exciting at the same time. It’s one of the toughest decisions you’ll ever have to make, but if your current college just isn’t cutting it, it’s also one of the best you’ll ever make. I would know. After spending my first year at Ithaca College, a small college in Upstate New York, I made the decision to head south and attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Let me tell you: It was an adjustment. Thinking of following suit? Here’s the lowdown on what you need to know.
1. It’s going to be tough at first
If loneliness strikes at the beginning of your time as the new girl on campus don’t freak – those feelings will go away eventually. When I first transferred, I was overwhelmed by a huge new school that was three times the size of my previous one and a sea of people who already seemed to know each other and have everything figured out. It gets better, I promise.
2. You’re going to feel like a freshman again
I would not be able to count on both hands the number of times I had a serious case of deja vu from freshman year. Being on a new campus with new opportunities, with new people to meet – it’s easy to feel like you’re a wide-eyed freshman adjusting to college all over again. Embrace it.
3. Finding a roommate will be a weird process
Finding your roommate might not work exactly as it did the first time around, and that’s okay. It can be intimidating when everyone who spent their freshman year at the school you’re transferring to has already planned to live with their besties, but getting a little social media savvy will definitely help your cause. Check and see if the school you’ll be heading to has a Facebook group specifically for transfer students or for other students your year. Finding a roomie online allows you to at least know what they’ll be like going into the semester. (Unless you want to go random – if so, more power to ya!)
4. Getting involved is a must
Real talk: meeting people is going to be hard. You’re going to have to go out of your way to join clubs or be extra outgoing in class in order to start forming friendships. For me, this meant rushing a sorority (shout out to Alpha Delta Pi!) and joining clubs where I knew I’d meet people with similar interests. There’s nothing wrong with putting yourself out there in the beginning – you can always narrow down your involvement to a few specific organizations next semester.
5. Transferring credits will be the ultimate struggle
It’s likely that not all of the credits you took at your last school will transfer over, but don’t panic. Make an appointment with an academic advisor ASAP when you get on campus so you can discuss what transferred, what didn’t, and what you should take during your next two or three years in order to graduate on time. It will be SO helpful later if you get your ducks in a row now – trust me.
6. You WILL eventually find your people
Coming from a school with only 6,000 students and being thrown into a student body of 18,000 was tricky to navigate at first. Especially if you’re transferring to a large school, how are you supposed to find your squad? It takes time – don’t expect it to happen overnight. Getting involved and asking that cool girl in your chem class to grab coffee and study will help, but like with freshman year, it’s going to take a little while to find your lifelong besties, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
7. Your study routine could change
Let me tell you, taking a full 18 credits at my old school is nothing compared to attempting to juggle 18 credits at UNC. (Read: It’s only possible with superwoman powers.) Coming into UNC, I wanted to take it easy and took 15 credit hours after taking 18 at Ithaca both semesters – and even that was a struggle. I definitely did some amping-up in terms of my study habits. Once you transfer, you may find you need to study more or less depending on your new class load – this is totally normal.
8. You’ll miss (some) things about your old school
I love UNC and if I had to do it all over again, I would. That doesn’t mean I don’t miss some things about Ithaca and Upstate New York like long nights in the library with two of the best friends I’ll probably ever have, really amazing bagels, and the proximity to NYC. Transferring is an adjustment, and getting a little nostalgic about old times doesn’t mean you made a mistake.
9. …but your new school will finally feel “right”
Remember that time all your friends talked about coming to their campus and realizing that “it just felt right”? You’re going to feel that way about your new school. It may not be right away, but little by little, the new place will start to feel like home. With all its highs and lows, making the decision to transfer isn’t easy, but it will be worth it.
