Tate 1

Nick Tate
Feature Writing MWF Sec. 01
Trend/Issue Story
21 November 2014
Fitting Your Life into a Grid: The Struggles of Transfer Students
"It was a very intense isolation," Ann Marie Shankweiler says as her starry blue eyes
gaze at the floor in reflection. "It's still difficult for me. Socially was the hardest. It was really
hard for me to be social and put myself out there."
Shankweiler, a first-semester transfer student at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania,
joined millions of college students across the world who transferred to new universities this year.
In fact, the number of students transferring schools is higher than ever - a 2010 report from the
National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) states that 1 in 3 college
students will transfer at some point. But among all these students, there is a hidden common trait:
they all begin as outsiders at their new university.
While some transfers can seamlessly resume their education, many say they feel
neglected by their new school, and often have a difficult time readjusting. Transfer students face
a multitude of troubles when entering a new university. They face the possibility of getting
turned down by full universities - according to the same NACAC report, the acceptance rate for
transfer students is about 64 percent. They might have to scramble to find housing, since oncampus housing is full by the time they are accepted. The new, unfamiliar setting makes it tough
to find friends and activities. No two colleges offer the same stereotypical "college experience"
that students are trained to believe in throughout high school.

Tate 2
"You think that when you go to one, you could go to them all, but that's not the case,"
says Daniel Lobko, a junior transfer student at Drexel University. He transferred this semester
from Penn State's Lehigh branch campus, and now he commutes by train. "Adjusting to a new
school, that's something I struggled with," he says. "At my old campus, a lot of the assignments
were pretty easy; professors were laid back. At Drexel, they expect a lot more out of you. And I
had a hard time with that at first."
For some students, like Shankweiler, this sudden transition places strain on their physical
and psychological well-being.
"I psyched myself out," she says, her eyes widening as she recalls the initial fear. "I kept
telling myself it wasn't going to be difficult, that it was going to be perfect." Shankweiler already
had some college experience under her belt: she attended Muhlenberg University for her first
year of college, took a semester off, and then went to her local community college. "I thought,
'This is going to be easier for me because I have all this experience,' but it wasn't. That was the
challenge, because I expected everything to come to me," she says.
Shankweiler's attitude isn't as uncommon as it may seem. A student at a four-year school
typically settles in to college sometime during their freshman year. During this time, they're able
to form their social groups in dorms without having to walk far. Campus events are advertised in
the dorms. Freshmen have information right at their fingertips, and this conditioning during their
first year is what familiarizes them with the university. Everything comes to them.
For transfer students, it's as if they showed up late to the game, no matter their previous
academic experiences. They have some serious networking to do, and the pressure's on. They
must fit their life into a grid that's already been mapped.

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"The hard thing about transferring was trying to find people to hang out with and clubs to
join. Anywhere I've been before is like, 'Here's everything that's going on!' or 'Here are people
with your common interests!' Here it's like, 'Where are the clubs? Where is everybody?'" says
Michael Moniger, a senior first-semester transfer student at Bloomsburg University. Moniger
transferred from the University of Pittsburgh - Bradford branch campus after his junior year. His
old campus only had about 1500 students, so he was used to being catered to on a personal level
even after his freshman year. When he arrived at Bloomsburg, he quickly realized he was out of
the loop, especially since he lived off-campus. When students are stuck in situations like this, it
becomes harder for them to get involved.
A paper published by Appalachian State University in May 2013 says that there are five
dimensions involved in the student's transition process. Both the university and the student
should strive to accomplish these five dimensions: providing learning resources, connecting,
developing familiarity, negotiating, and integrating. Many colleges are starting to realize they are
falling short when dealing with transfers.
There is a significant gap between what colleges offer to transfers and the expectations of
transfers when arriving at a new school. To close the gap, schools are establishing transfer
orientations alongside freshmen orientations at the beginning of each semester. At these
orientations, transfers can learn the policies of the university, as well as how to get involved oncampus.
Shankweiler looks back on her transfer orientation fondly: "We had a transfer student
come in and sit us all down, that was super helpful," she says. "She let us know that while things
weren't going to be easy at first, we would end up loving it here in the long run."

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It's important to remember, however, that the student is also responsible for transitioning
their five dimensions, and attending events like orientations does help. Moniger didn't go to his
transfer orientation, so he missed a big chunk of connecting, integrating, and developing
familiarity. He expresses regret for missing it: "I had trouble finding my way around, and now
that I look back on it, I kind of felt left alone. I didn't meet with my advisor that day, so I had no
idea where I was headed for that semester," he says.
Unfortunately, aside from orientations, colleges have yet to figure out how to properly
welcome transfers and keep them engaged. After all, the schools have thousands of other
traditional students to attend to. Some transfer students took matters into their own hands. For
example, in 2011, students at Northeastern University created the Northeastern transfer student
organization. It aims to not only act as a club for transfer students, but attempts to make some
positive administrative changes regarding transfers. It attracted almost 200 students in its first
year. Schools like the University of Arizona and New York University have similarly established
the Transfer Student Association (TSA), another student-run club whose main focus is to make
transfer students as comfortable as possible.
At Drexel, Lobko recalls what his school did to help him out: "They had some commuter
meetings. They have this little club and a building just for commuters. And they held this little
social meet-up. They have stuff for all different kinds of students." Drexel and the previously
mentioned colleges seem to be taking a step in the right direction when it comes to transfer care.
Student groups and their respective universities can only do so much for transfer students,
though. It's tough to assess all that can be done, because in the end it all hinges on the students'
attitude towards their situation.

Tate 5
And while transfer students think the awkward feeling of adjusting to their new home
will last forever, most eventually find their way. They use this moment in their life as as a
motivation to dig themselves out of their hole. After climbing out, they can offer both struggling
students and their colleges some words of wisdom.
"I wish somebody would have told me not to walk in expecting everything to be peachy,"
says Shankweiler. She grins slightly. "Set your standards low. Say, 'I'm going to meet lots of
people, and try out lots of activities, but I'm not going to like all of them. And that is okay.'"
Lobko agrees. "Tell students what to expect. Don't lie to them and say, 'everything's
going to be fine'. Be honest. You're just going to need to work a little bit harder," he says, his
brow furrowing as he remembers learning this lesson on his own.
Moniger, who shakes his head in pure disbelief, says, "My friends and family told me
'You have to put yourself out there'. I spent months refusing their advice, holed away in my
room. But I finally realized: hey! I'm in college. And I need to get out there and live."

Tate 6
Works Cited
Ann Marie Shankweiler, Student, face-to-face interview, November 18, 2014, Bloomsburg University,
484-821-7650.
Daniel Lobko, Student, face-to-face interview, November 20, 2014, Drexel University, 267-374-4204.
Erin Grills, "Transfer Students Face Same Problems as Freshmen", The Daily Helmsmen, August 7,
2003, accessed at http://www.dailyhelmsman.com/news/view.php/332188/Transfer-students-face-sameproblems-as-, November 18, 2014.
Melanie Dostis, "Transition can be Tough for College Transfer Students", The Boston Globe, December
26, 2012, accessed at http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/12/26/for-transfer-students-problems-canrange-from-credits-housing-friends/XvuSJbEHOHluufOTFMbbvM/story.html, November 18, 2014.
Michael Moniger, Student, face-to-face interview, November 18, 2014, Bloomsburg University, 717-7566835.
Phil Lewis, Transfer and Transition: The Challenges Faced by Transfer Students and Service Best
Practices, A Review of the Literature Prepared for the Transfer Services Team, Appalachian State
University, May 2013, accessed at
http://transfersymposium.appstate.edu/sites/transfersymposium.appstate.edu/files/TST%20%20Literature%20Review_0.pdf, November 18, 2014.
Rebecca Joseph, "10 Tips for Prospective College Students", Huffington Post, February 29, 2012,
accessed at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-joseph/college-transfer-tips_b_1176750.html,
November 18, 2014.
Samantha Stainburn, "Transferring? Get Schooled", New York Times, April 15, 2011, accessed at
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/education/edlife/edl-17guidance-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0,
November 18, 2014.