There seem to be about a million decisions to make when it comes to college. Everything from choosing a major, where to apply, SAT vs ACTÂ and, of course, school size. For me, one of the hardest decisions to make was what size school I wanted to attend.Â
My high school was very large with nearly 5,000 students and, although I didn’t have a problem with the size, I thought a smaller school might suit me better. The idea of a more personal, individualized education appealed to me. So, I ended up at a school that was even smaller than my middle school with around 2,500 students. However, once I got there I realized I wasn’t happy with my choice. Coming from a big high school, the small campus felt unnatural to me, almost like I had taken a step backward rather than forward.Â
Eventually, I decided to transfer to UCF. The transition from 2,500 students to more than 60,000 students provided its own challenges. Here are my four tips for transferring to a big school from a small school.
- Research
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There’s no question that transferring from a small school to a big school will bring change, but there are ways to anticipate some of those changes beforehand. Researching the school and the city it’s in to find out what you can expect once you transfer can bring you some peace of mind.
- Find Friends
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It can feel very lonely to transfer to a new school, from leaving the old school to getting settled at the new one. Try to see if you can find any friends at your new school before you get there. By knowing that you have friends at your new school, the wait at your old school will feel more tolerable, plus the transition at the new school will likely be much smoother. I happened to already know some people at UCF and one of my best friends from pre-school was there. It made it a lot easier for me to start at UCF because I felt comfortable.
- Join Clubs
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Whether you find friends before you make it on campus or not, clubs are definitely a good place to look once you get there. The bigger the school you go to, the more clubs there tend to be. Chances are, you will be able to find at least one club — if not many — that appeal to you. Clubs are a great place to meet new friends and establish yourself at your new school.
- Find Your Classes
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Finding your classes is understandably much harder at a larger school, so make sure you find where all of your classes are before the semester begins. It’s stressful enough to find all your classes and get to them on time when you know the school, if you know how to get to each classes before that first day, things are a lot calmer.
Transferring from any school can be scary and the transition from a small school to a big school comes with its own unique challenges. Overall, I am so glad that I transferred and any trouble was more than worth it.Â