When I graduated from high school in 1998, I felt like a little sardine in a big sea. Afraid of what was ahead, I was apprehensive of my decision to attend a community college. Soon, I found myself feeling settled in and attending Monroe Community College (MCC). The classroom sizes were always small enough for me to get the personal attention I needed. The classes that were offered allowed me to experience a little bit of everything that interested me (which played a part in me changing my major three times). After taking various communication classes, my first problem was solved: I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in communications and media arts. I received my associate’s degree in 2001, and once again, I felt like that little sardine. The security I had established would need to be rebuilt once again as I continued school and pursued my bachelor’s degree. I found myself asking the same questions that I faced three years earlier: Should I go away and live on campus? Stay local and live on campus? Attend a private or a state school? How would I pay for it all? Academic credits I had earned and their value at my next school were also concerns. Credit transferring is the primary reason you should start thinking about transfer schools as early as possible. If not, you may find yourself taking similar classes over or possible first- and second-year classes that are required at your new school but weren’t at the previous. You may also find that many of your credits are counted as electives at your transfer college, which can leave little or no room for you to take other classes that might interest you. Both my parents had graduated from SUNY Brockport and encouraged me to attend there. Now, I’m in my senior year as a communications major at State University of New York at Brockport. My educational experiences, including transferring, have left this fish in the sea the power to realize my dreams.
