I won't lie when I say that the favorite part of my job is dealing with students....it's right up there with transfer trips (my second favorite!), the fabulous ice machine at work, and the fun people I get to see every day at my job.
Transferring schools can be a seamless process, but it can also cause a great deal of anxiety for the student, and, in many cases, their parents, and/or their support system (friends, other relatives, kids, ADVISORS!).
Since this summer began, most of my time has been spent on transfer issues; whether the issues are with housing, transcripts, credits, GPA, or just plain old anxiety. I've had several types of transfer students in my office this summer (their names have been changed to protect their identity).
1. College Junior, recent transfer to a four-year, home for the summer, taking classes to improve his GPA and get off of probation.
The Problem; A very connected, driven student while in his two-year plan, he did completely get the right information about courses from his four-year advisor, enrolled in a class with a heavy load (with lots of busy busy extracurriculars) and tanked his GPA.
The Solution; Take six hours in the summer here (for much cheaper), increase his GPA, go back to his four-year in August with renewed energy, confidence, and a support system (so that I don't show up there) and knock those classes out of the ballpark this time.
2. College Freshman, transferring in August to a four-year, taking classes this summer to improve her GPA for improved chances of success at the four-year.
The Problem; Very anxious about her academics when I met her in November, had some issues with coping strategies. She was going to wait a year to transfer, because the two year setting provided the support system she needed to improve her GPA, and gain confidence academically and emotionally.
The Solution; Um, hello, TRiO? The four year where she plans to transfer has a very active TRiO program (very similar to ours!), and we are making a trip in July, so that she can meet her new TRiO advisor, and make the seamless transition from advisor to advisor. By taking summer classes, not only does she increase her GPA, but she also doesn't have a gap in learning, because she's continuously enrolled in classes.
3. Recent Associate's Graduate, transferring in January to a four-year, taking classes this summer and fall to finish the requirements for an AA in General Education (where 100% of the classes will transfer, as opposed to an AAS, where many of the electives will not).
The Problem; She is a single mom with two children, has experienced much success in her recent past, but in her not-so-faraway past, she has experienced what she deems as failures (which I call life experience...because she's fabulous...and obviously she got here by having all of that experience). She has great anxiety about moving her two children to the new town, new school, new friends, new everything. Commuting may not be an option, because of the crazy cost of gas, and the time spent in her vehicle will be away from her kids.
The Solution; Visit, Visit, Visit the campus. She needs to make sure this is what she does before she jumps. She has six months to make a plan, and explore all aspects of this transfer.
All of these students share a common theme; transfer anxiety! In our little two-year world (and I'm quoting a four-year transfer rep here...I won't name names...) we do a lot of "hand-holding", but so many of our students are first generation college students, who already may not have a support system at all in place. College is stressful, and trying to get information from some colleges can be stressful if you don't ask the right people the right questions. So, a two-year school, with many programs designed to reduce the anxiety of students, is the way to wade into the water without drowning.
Planning a transfer is a big decision. If you're a parent, or you already have an established job where you live right now, it's an even bigger decision! You have to put a great deal of thought into what will work the best for you. An online program may be the way to go for you, if moving would cause you greater anxiety than you already have in your life. Go and talk to your advisor, and transfer advisor, and always go and visit before you transfer.
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