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Life as a Transfer Student at Jefferson

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Jefferson chapter.

I didn’t know anyone here when I decided to transfer to Jefferson after finishing my associate degree at community college. The admission process was easier compared to other schools I considered, thanks to the staff in both financial aid and residential life’s caring personalities. The people I connected with were friendly, happy to help, and patient to answer any questions. 

During the transfer process, I never matched with a roommate online. I never got placed with one, so I live alone, which is nice after hearing about some people’s roommate conflicts! However, this completely shifted my expectations of what college life would be like. It certainly made the first few days a bit more lonely and forced me out of my comfort zone to get to know people.

Academically, the classes are a lot different than community college, which I expected them to be. Community college more clearly recognizes that most people have other priorities outside of class, families to take care of, or working full time or multiple jobs. The coursework was very straightforward. Almost all of the classes I took as a Business Administration Major had all required assignments posted and available at the beginning of the year. Also, most of the teachers I had were much more flexible about due dates, the general rule was if you turned it in before the semester was over, you got full or at least partial credit. While at Jefferson, the classes are much more ambiguous. Some of my teachers have said that they don’t post grades in Canvas or use the Canvas Grading system. The majority of my teachers use full partial and no-credit grading systems. 

Overall I am happy with the process of transferring to Jefferson. One thing that could be improved for future transfer students would be more welcome week events where we could meet and connect with students like us. 

Jasmin Bickham is a writer at HerCampus of Jefferson chapter. She writes articles relating to student life, business, and social media. Jasmin is a third- year transfer student at Jefferson University, in Philadelphia, majoring in Marketing. She graduated from Reading Area Community College in May 2024 with an Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration. She worked as a Social Media Content Creator and then Marketing Coordinator for the Reading Science Center. In this role, Jasmin learned how to increase engagement for small creators, the power of persuasion through digital marketing, and the importance of why. When Jasmin’s not writing articles you can find her staying active by taking a spin class or taking a walk. On the weekends she enjoys exploring the city of Philadelphia, going to concerts, and all of the good restaurants, it has to offer with her friends. On chiller days you can find her watching anime, scrolling on Tiktok, or doing a facemask. Jasmin is passionate about not only staying active physically, but on campus, and within the greater Philadelphia community.