Transfer students: You're not alone

For all transfers students who looked like first-years last Tuesday, you're not alone. Your fellow new students don't exactly know where Cobb Hall is either. 

Aside from the necessary adjustments when transferring to a new school — learning your way around, making new friends and finding time for both homework and a social life — there are additional obstacles that transfer students must overcome in their time at UNC. 

Jim Hefner, a School of Media and Journalism professor, said life for transfer students is made difficult because transferring sophomores, junior and seniors must catch up with other students who have attended UNC since their first year. 

“From what I’ve seen, the University and our school have a hard time dealing — I think the word fairly is not unfair — with junior transfers,” Hefner said. “There’s the registration issue — if they’re not the last, they’re among the last to register.” 

Juniors and seniors have at least one month to sign up for their classes before transfer students are even told of their acceptance. Prerequisite classes may be full, which can extend a transfer student’s graduation timeline by a semester or two. 

Sarah Kaylan Stricker, a UNC class of 2016 graduate, who previously worked for The Daily Tar Heel, was a member of the Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program at her community college before transferring. 

“Through the Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program, we have a much easier time transferring because we are given people at our community colleges who act as advisers and look through our proposed classes before we even enroll,” Stricker said. “People who transfer from other four-year universities — even if it is another North Carolina school — their credits are not received well. They transfer over, but they transfer as elective credits.”

Katie Cartmell, UNC transfer student coordinator, said in 2010, 89.7 percent of junior transfer students graduated within three years. In 2011, 90 percent of junior transfer students graduated within two years. 

While life for transfer students may be hectic at first, all have one thing in common: choosing UNC over another university.

Journalism student Nicole Vandiford began her junior year at UNC this fall after transferring from Craven Community College in New Bern. 

“You plan for so long to get here and when you finally are, it’s almost like starting all over again,” Vandiford said. “It’s important to just remember to go with the flow and see where each day takes you.”

For any transfer students attempting to navigate through their remaining years at Carolina, here are 10 tips to make your experience at UNC memorable and successful:

1) Fake it till you make it. 

Everyone does this for the first few weeks — some people are just experts.

2) Do not be afraid to seek out help. 

“The University as a whole really is here to help students — to help all students and to help transfer students,” Cartmell said. “I think it is easy for transfer students to feel like they are alone sometimes and we recognize that here.”

3) Taking an extra semester is not the end of the world.

4) Along the same lines, don’t be afraid to drop a class if you need to.

5) Explore your hobbies and make a point of discovering something new.

6) Live on, or close to campus. UNC’s vast campus holds a lot of opportunity. Living within walking distance to classes makes it easier to get to know your way around and meet people on your way.

Junior transfer student Cammi Morton lives a quick bus ride from campus in Carrboro. 

“As a transfer student, you should try to live on campus your first year or first semester at least, because it is super hard to find where everything is because nobody shows you,” Morton said. “If you live on campus, you have your dormmates that will help you.”

7) Make use of your resources. There are 13 libraries on campus — use them.

8) Check your email. You'll be glad you did.

9) Remember that your professors are people too. Talk to them. Network with them. They have connections beyond our reach, and they may be able to connect you with a job in the future.

10) Make a UNC bucket list. Transfer students have a limited time at UNC, so take advantage of the time you do have.

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