I came to BU this fall as a transfer. While it has been an incredible experience, a part of me wishes that I had the opportunity to learn about another BU transfer student’s experience. I feel like having another person to relate to could have helped me integrate into the BU community even more. I interviewed a fellow transfer student who wishes to stay anonymous about her transfer experience at BU in hopes of spreading awareness around this topic.
Her Campus: What is your year and major?
Transfer Student: I am currently a junior majoring in Public Relations in the College of Communication.
HC: Where are you from, and which college did you transfer from?
TS: I’m from San Diego, California. I transferred from San Diego Miramar Community College.
HC: What made you decide to transfer to BU?
TS: I wanted to go somewhere completely different for the last couple years of college. I’ve lived in California all my life. I remember really liking Boston along with BU’s campus location. I felt like the resources and opportunities offered for my major are more accessible here. I also wanted to attend BU because it is good for networking.
HC: How has adapting to life in Boston been?
TS: It has been complicated. Adapting to Boston has been good in the sense of being in a new city and school itself, it is refreshing for sure. On the other hand, it’s been more of a struggle for me socially, with making new friends and all that.
HC: Do you feel a difference in BU student culture compared to your previous institution?
TS: Oh definitely — my previous institution was a community college so it had more of a commuter culture, it personally didn’t feel like college to me. Whereas here, it feels like students have more of a sense of community.
HC: What do you feel BU does well regarding the integration of transfer students into student life?
TS: To be honest, I don’t think they do as good of a job with integrating transfer students in comparison to freshmen. The only thing they really have is Transfer to BU, but it’s not the same, because not everyone knows about it. For freshmen, there are so many events and activities that aid them in adjusting to campus life.
HC: What do you feel BU can improve upon regarding the integration of transfer students into student life?
TS: BU should give the same effort to transfer students as they do to freshmen. I feel like BU needs to host more transfer student events at the beginning of the year.
HC: What is something you wish you knew before transferring to BU?
TS: I wish I knew more about clubs and social activities. That way, maybe I could’ve been more involved on campus.
HC: What have you done to enhance your transfer experience at BU?
TS: Truthfully, I haven’t really done much to enhance my experience. Not because I don’t want to, but because I’m not quite too sure how. I wanted to meet more people so I joined a club, but there’s definitely more I feel like I could be doing but it’s just hard to figure out how to go about it. I know that at other colleges a lot of girls join Greek life during Fall semester and they are able to make friends that way, but at BU that doesn’t start until Spring semester.
HC: Has being a transfer student affected your mental health in any way, whether negatively or positively?
TS: Being a transfer student has impacted my mental health in a multitude of ways. On one hand, there are so many students here yet I still feel somewhat alone. I think it’s due to it being difficult to reach out to people as a transfer. As a junior, most other juniors on campus have already established their friend groups. Unlike freshmen, juniors are not as quick to jump into making new friends. It hasn’t been easy forming meaningful friendships. In that way I would say my mental health has been impacted negatively. That’s not to say that my entire perspective on BU is negative. Overall I really love it and I am super grateful for this opportunity. I don’t regret my decision at all but that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been difficulties.
HC: Do you have any advice for other transfer students?
TS: My advice for transfer students is to make sure you reach out to other people. Even though it may be scary, it’s something you need to do. Because even as early as one month into the semester, so many people will already have been integrated into their new friend groups, which makes things a bit harder for you. As fun as it is to go to a school in the city, especially Boston, that doesn’t mean that it’s going to immediately be some awesome experience like you see in movies. Sometimes I still feel like something is missing and I know other transfer students feel that way too. That void of loneliness isn’t going to get filled unless you put in effort.
HC: Any final thoughts on this matter?
TS: BU is an excellent school to go to if you like the city. Even the campus offers a diverse perspective on Boston. For me personally, seeing the contrast between West Coast and East Coast schools has been fascinating. BU has so many good resources and opportunities that can be very helpful as long as you know how to utilize them. However, if you are not an independent person that is content with being alone, city life is definitely not for you. As a transfer student especially, you must be able to thrive in a new environment without your usual support system. I’ve been told that it takes a whole year to become fully immersed in BU as a transfer student, so you must be able to handle that.
The struggles of being a transfer student are often understated, as imposter syndrome and loneliness can overtake one’s thoughts. It goes without saying that adapting to a new environment can be incredibly difficult. The act of transferring to another college or university in the midst of pursuing a degree is a daunting maneuver in itself. Thus, it is imperative that institutions provide the proper resources and aid to ease the transition.
As a transfer student myself, I find peace in knowing that other transfer students have similar struggles as me. I believe transparency is key, especially when it affects a large group of students. I hope this interview sheds light on some of the issues revolving around the transfer student process.
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