Transferring from a community college or state college to a university is a great thing to do because you save time and money on your college education. But this decision isn’t without its downfalls.
1. Age Difference
I graduated high school with an Associate’s degree. Although that sounds great and all, it means I’m always the youngest person in my classes. Sometimes it isn’t too noticeable and my classmates treat me like I’m their age, so I feel like I don’t stick out like a sore thumb. In other classes it’s very noticeable when everyone else is in their early to mid-20s. They can tell I’m younger and sometimes ignore me and talk to someone they’ll relate to more.
2. Few Friends
This goes along with the age difference thing. I know very few people at UWF, and most of them are friends I went to high school with. I try to get to know some of my classmates, but most of the time we only talk in class and are acquaintances at best. Most people get to know each other their first two years at college. Because I skipped those years, I don’t have that bond with anyone here, yet! I’ve found a great way to get around this is finding a club or organization you really love and meeting people that way.
3. You miss out on a lot of campus knowledge your first two years
I didn’t have to take any core classes at UWF, so my knowledge of the campus is very limited as I’m getting into my major studies. I know the basics like what building my classes are in, where the Commons is, and where to find the gym. Those first two years can be valuable for really getting to know campus better.
4. You have to immediately start thinking about internships and jobs
No one told me when I needed to get an internship or when I’ll be able to start working in the field I want to go into. I’ve heard people say they have an internship their junior year and some people don’t have an internship until their last semester. I have even less time to determine the best internships there are for me because most people find out early on what their options are their first few years and have more time to consider them.
5. Expectations are totally different
Because I’m in junior and senior level classes, people expect that I know all these different teachers. I can never agree or disagree with their statements about how good this class is and how bad the other one is simply because I haven’t been here long enough to know. Another example is me being clueless about how to go about getting textbooks from the UWF book store. It’s a strange experience to have been in college for two years but feel like a freshman all over again.
Even though being a transfer student has its rough patches, you get to take in so many new experiences and meet people you wouldn’t have if you had decided not to transfer. It takes a lot of motivation and discipline, but being at the right school makes it all worthwhile.