Transfer Student Highlight: First Year at NDSU

Transfer students and their experiences tend to be overlooked, despite the incredible difficulty of beginning at a new university. The lessons they’ve learned are valuable, especially when coming to better understand the diverse students who make up our NDSU community. While I highlighted the ups and downs of freshmen’s first year last week, I now turn it over to two transfer students — Elana Anderson and Hannah Rebsom — to gain insight into the transfer experience of beginning anew.

What’s the most difficult part of transferring from one college to another?

“Finding the right atmosphere on your new campus,” stated Anderson. “It’s not so much different than first starting college, but there is an added fear of not fitting in because when you transfer, you are normally older than everyone around you.” Rebsom’s response focused more on the campus’s size and how it correlated to her old university. “I didn’t know what to expect. The school I went to before was tiny compared to NDSU. I was scared I would be running around campus. Thankfully, that was not the case.”

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“I would remind myself that all my hard work got me to where I am now and that I need to give myself some credit,” Rebsom responded. Beginning in a new place can have you rethinking your choices and cause doubt that overshadows your accomplishments. It’s important to remember that you are your harshest critic and you deserve credit; wise words from Rebsom, indubitably.

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“Classes,” said Anderson. “Classes don’t change from college to college. You can always count on a class being a class.” Rebsom answered similarly, “Getting signed up for classes” was the least difficult for her. “My advisor was able to easily pull up my other transcripts and show me what I still needed to take and the new classes offered to me.” From transferring credits to exploring new classes, it seems both are processes of ease, even when switching universities.

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“I recommend going to beginning-of-the-year events, especially transfer ones. Getting out there and meeting other transfer students can help so much with the anxiety of not fitting in around your non-transfer peers,” stated Anderson. It seems beginning-of-the-year events are the holy grail. Anderson expanded even further: “You gain a sense of community when you integrate yourself into events, and gaining a sense of community can be a huge difference in staying or going on a college campus.” Rebsom echoed similar experiences with her campus involvement. “I have joined a few clubs here on campus, and I’ve been able to meet some amazing people. Joining a club that pertains to your major is a great way to get to know your classmates more. It’s a great way to make friends.” Attending events, especially during the first few weeks after you transfer, is truly as essential as they say it is. It can be easy to want to stay inside and away from campus community events, but they are the gateway to creating a place for yourself, and they have the potential to make or break how homey your new campus feels.

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“NDSU is the biggest college campus I’ve been to,” Anderson began. “There is a lot more walking around campus than I thought there’d be. It was daunting at first, but as I’ve gotten used to it, I love taking walks first thing in the morning and late at night.” While the large campus may be a nuisance when you’re running behind, conversely, it can be an excellent resource for de-stressing, especially when you have a mile to trek back to your dorm. Additionally, Rebsom added that “how caring the staff are” has been a major plus. “All of my advisors and professors have been so helpful and kind.”

Wonderful mentors develop superior students.

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“The classes are easier in comparison to other courses I’ve taken on other campuses,” Anderson stated. However, Rebsom’s experience contrasted: “The classes at NDSU are more demanding than the ones at my previous university, but I have been learning a lot more here, so it is worth it.” Ultimately, academic demands in comparison to your former university rely heavily on personal experience. For example, Anderson expanded by saying that their switch from majoring in STEM/biology to English and the approach to English teaching at NDSU has greatly eased their experience with classes. At NDSU, English is more discussion-based with engagement from both professors and students, and emphasizes a more theoretical approach which is a different realm from the hands-on field work and little interaction with others that they experienced in their previous STEM/biology major. Additionally, NDSU and its expectations differ from the Minnesota colleges that Elana had attended.

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Anderson explained that their family actually encouraged them to go to NDSU from the get-go, but their lack of information about the college made them choose otherwise. “Now that I’m here, I wish I had listened to them and attended from the beginning.” Rebsom also felt NDSU was better equipped to support her educational goals. “My last university ended up cutting all the arts programs which [was] really upsetting, and I felt very hopeless there. The arts are thriving here at NDSU, which is refreshing.”

Transferring is daunting, and — while likely being done for personal betterment and alignment with educational goals — it can feel like starting over from square one. However, it often brings fruitful results, so long as you put in the work to involve yourself in the community and uphold your education. While academic demands and fitting in might be difficult to adjust to initially, time tends to smooth out those wrinkles. Many who transfer find their new university to be rewarding and far more fitting to them and their educational goals than their previous university. Even if you’re struggling as a transfer student, getting close to the end of your first year, second years are huge definers in many people’s educational careers. Let the words of fellow students like you invoke hope. You will make a place for yourself here at NDSU.