Though you often hear about students who spend all four years of their academic careers at one particular university, many students actually go to college as transfer students who enroll in the college from which they will graduate either during their sophomore or junior year. These students could be transferring from a community college or from another university. In fact, nearly one out of five students who enrolled at a university for the first time in the 2003-2004 academic year were actually transfer students from a community college, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Students can choose to transfer later to their university of choice from a community college or from another school for a myriad of reasons. Some earn their basic college credits in community college to save money because then they would only have to pay the higher university price for two years as opposed to four years. Others simply want to attend a school that is closer to home for a few years before completing their education elsewhere. Whatever the reason, many transfer students face the same problem when they eventually move to their "final" school: they find it difficult to find a place amongst their already acclimated peers.
Unlike students who have attended the school from Day One, transfer students did not have the opportunity to bond with their peers during freshmen orientation and first-year classes. This is unfortunate, as many college students create their tightest bonds of friendship during the first year of school when everyone is eager to create new social groups from the ground up. By the time transfer students arrive on the scene, many tight-knit social circles have already been created and many students are not as eager to introduce themselves to new faces as they were during freshmen year. However, it is not impossible to find your place at your transfer university. You just have to take initiative to build friendships and connections and infiltrate your university’s campus life. Speaking up in class regularly will get you noticed by your peers and instructors, and joining campus clubs and programs like intramural sports will also introduce you to a group of like-minded individuals who share the same interests as you. Instead of waiting for someone to speak to you, you can introduce yourself to your classmates. Though it will not be as easy to build up a new social circle when you are a transfer student as if you had attended the school since your freshman year, it is not impossible. You just have to show some initiative to make yourself known.
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