The wonderful world of transferring

Transferring to another college is a process that can sometimes discourage community-college students. Well, I’m here to save the day and get all you first-time transfer students on the right path.

The first step to transferring to another college is to prepare yourself for lots of work. This is a process that takes great patience and time. Prepare yourself for countless walks from the administration building to the financial aid building. It’s going to seem like you need a signature from every dean in every department!

You’ll need to make sure that most of your credits will transfer to the college you plan to attend. Make sure that your credits will go toward your major so that you won’t have to stay in school longer than needed. Take a trip to the school you plan to transfer to. There’s nothing like being mislead. School brochures display pretty campuses with lots of activities surrounding the campus. When you arrive, you don’t want to find out that that pretty picture looks quite different! So before you plan on attending a school, take a trip, research the school, find out if it is where you would like to be. Having a mentor would be a great help in this process. Ask a professor, your transfer counselor or academic advisor to warn you about the hidden procedures of transferring. 

The transferring process is like using rebates: You have to read the small writing at the bottom of the product to find out the real price. If you’re an athlete, you may have to transfer with a degree in order to continue playing sports at your new school. If you’re hoping to transfer your community-college credits, you’ll have to meet grade requirements as a condition of the transfer, such as earning better than a C- in all your classes, for example.

Transferring can be really rough, and it can seem like too much work, but it’s an important step in your education process. For a smooth ride through Transferville, start early, read between the lines, and do your research!

Shay Cathey is a senior at Delaware State University and an intern for The Next Step Magazine.

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