Rebecca Caldwell

Office/Department/Unit: Residential Well-being
Institution you transferred from: Bates College
Institution you transferred to: University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill
What was the biggest challenge you encountered as a transfer college student and how did you overcome it? I moved from a small college to a large university with its own lingo and traditions, which made me feel like "a stranger in a strange land" at first. However, I attended transfer orientation and lived in a residence hall with lots of other transfer students. My roommate, hallmates, and the friends I made at orientation became my social circle in my first semester, so I felt less alone. After that, I was confident taking advantage of all of the opportunities of my big new university.
What is one piece of advice you would give transfer college students? Recognize that you have developed tremendous skills in your first college experience to navigate this new environment. Take advantage of the transfer-specific support and experiences, especially at the beginning, so you have people to answer yours questions and know peers who are going through the same transition.