Dear Incoming Transfer Student,

Before you assume that there are not many people who can relate to everything you have gone through in the process of transferring to another school, let me tell you that you are far from alone. I can relate to the struggles you have experienced no matter whether you transferred to another school after attending community college or if you transferred from another four-year school.

There are a lot of aspects that are part of the transferring process that are stressful such as feeling like you do not have much time to apply to schools, visiting a school that you had high hopes for only to be completely let down, figuring out if you can afford the next two years of school and deciding which school you want to attend but finding out that you have to fund your education on multiple loans instead of getting the scholarships you were hoping to receive. Believe me. I have had to deal with all of those stressors and it was difficult for me given how well I felt I did at a community college. Still, even when you feel hopeless, you need to remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

As a transfer student from a community college or another four-year school, there is a lot you will have to adjust to such as making new friends, the size of the campus, finding out where everything is on campus, living with roommate(s) and the faculty and staff who work on campus. However, there are ways to make the best of your experience as a transfer student. One way to get involved is by checking out the different clubs, fraternities, and intramural sports teams. At SUNY Oneonta, there is the Creative Writing Club, the Transfer Student Club, the Oneonta State Fencing Club and the A Capella group Hooked On Tonics along with over 200 other student organizations.

Additionally, transfer students can take advantage of opportunities such as Transfers in the LEAD, which educates transfer students about the resources that are available on campus, internships, Alumni Engagement, and provides crucial leadership skills.

Plus, attending Transfers in the LEAD provides transfer students credits through the Leadership Education and Development program. The Leadership Education and Development program expands perspectives of students and gives them opportunities to develop as leaders and network through conferences such the Harvey Delaney Leadership Institute, Leaders Lunch series, and guest speakers. If you enjoy music, then SUNY Oneonta has O-Fest in the spring in downtown Oneonta where local bands perform throughout the day and the day ends with a big name concert and the Fall Concert each fall which hosts a college band, some lesser known acts and a famous musician / band performs at the end.

Lastly, if you feel lost or confused, then there are Transfer Student Mentors who are knowledgeable about the campus, its programs and the opportunities for getting involved and they are also able to provide assistance with problems you might have or refer you to programs that can be of service to you.

Obviously not all transfer students are transferring to SUNY Oneonta and every college or the professional school has different services and opportunities to get involved. With that being said, there are many factors to consider. For starters, it is important to think about if the college is somewhere you can see yourself for at least a year or more. Secondly, make sure that if scholarships are important to you, the college or professional school has plenty of scholarships that are provided in their financial aid package and/or by the school. That way, you can avoid having to take out multiple loans. Thirdly, make sure that you visited the campus at least twice so you know if the staff are helpful, kind and competent and that the campus meets most if not all of your criteria. Lastly, do whatever research you can do in order to learn what you feel you need to know about the school so you are not confused when you begin the semester.

Sincerely,

Andrew Edwards, A Fellow Transfer Student

More resources can be found here and here.