If you enroll in a community or junior college, you may be planning to transfer to a four-year institution to continue your education or finish your degree. (Sometimes students that enroll in a four-year institution also change schools, transferring to a different college or university. Reasons for doing so will vary from student to student.
No matter where you transferred to, or why you transferred, you will face a period of adjustment. Other students have already formed friendships, relationships, and study groups. They are familiar with the campus, with its resources, with the sought-after instructors, with the local hangouts. How do you catch up and feel as though you really belong? Here are some suggestions:
Take advantage of orientation activities for transfers. Yes, you already know about college, but this is a new place with new demands and options. It’s much like moving to a new city, where we need to locate stores, post office, doctor, dentist, etc.; no matter how many places we’ve lived, we need to learn about the new town or neighborhood. Orientation is a prime opportunity to learn all you can about your new school. You’ll get acquainted with advisors, instructors, other students– and available services – before the term begins and you are too busy to search them out.
Use the catalog, a campus map, and the campus newspaper or weekly announcements to learn about your new home. Study the catalog, especially requirements and course descriptions in your major. With a campus map, walk around campus and visit each building; read the campus paper cover to cover. Get off-campus, too, to discover social and cultural opportunities in the neighborhood. It can also be helpful to explore the institution’s website, information in the catalogue will also be found there but may be more easily explored. If your college has a portal, log in and explore the information there. Information not found at the public website will be found there.
Locate the College library and look for a library map or ask for a brief tour before the semester gets busy. Libraries can seem to be intimidating places at first. Every college library is organized differently, and you’ll be a step ahead if you visited ahead of time before that first assignment sends you there – with a deadline. And, don’t hesitate to ask a library staff member or student worker for help with a specific task. No one expects you to know it all, and a little guidance could save you hours of frustration – and make the library seem less intimidating. Make sure to find out where study areas are and what the general rules are about the study areas.
Continue reading “Tips for Escaping “Transfer Shock””
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