After finishing my first semester as a transfer student, I thought it might be useful to pass along some of the knowledge I obtained from being a transfer student to others. Whether you are a transfer yourself, or know someone who transferred or is thinking about it, here are the five things that no one tells you about being a transfer student that everyone should know.

1. You are a freshman again

Even though you’re not technically in your freshman year, that’s exactly how you’re going to feel wherever you transfer to for the first few weeks. Navigating your way to class, going to the campus book store, and getting accustomed to your school’s new social life will all be new at first, but don’t worry! Once you get set in those first few weeks, you’ll know your new school like the back of your hand.

2. You can be as open about it as you want to be

It’s almost an assumption that you are going to tell people you’re a transfer student when you’re meeting new people, but keep in mind: how you talk about it is up to you! You can reveal as much or as little information about it as you want to, and if you don’t feel like explaining why you transferred, don’t! A simple, “I just wasn’t really feeling my old school” will suffice.

3. No one else is going to have it all figured out

The scariest part about transferring in my opinion is the fear that you’ll be the only one who doesn’t have it all figured out. Well guess what? You’re not alone. Regardless of whether you transfer, not every student knows exactly what they are going to do or what’s going on around campus anyways. Even seniors learn new information about their schools, so don’t psyche yourself out. Just take it one day at a time, and remember you are never the only one feeling this way.

4. Winter semester sucks. Everywhere.

Personally, I expected my transfer experience to be incredible. What I didn’t factor into my prediction was that I was transferring in the winter. I love my school, and the campus is beautiful, but no matter where you transfer to, winter semester is usually a lot less exciting than fall semester. Be prepared for this and don’t convince yourself it’s always so dead on campus, it’s not!

5. You CAN reinvent yourself

Regardless of if you are a freshman, sophomore, or junior transferring, remember that you always have the opportunity to reinvent yourself. You’re going to a new school, with new students, and new opportunities. If you were the athlete at your old school and want to be involved in theater at your new school, audition for a play! There’s absolutely no reason to feel boxed in, especially when you transferred to have a new experience. So, embrace this time of change and be whoever you want to be! Nothing is constraining you, and this is one experience you will want to take full advantage of.

Most importantly, remember that this is your experience, and nobody else's. If you transferred, you only have a few years at your new school, so you might as well make the most of it by taking advantage of all the opportunities you wish to have.