Transfer Students
Yeah!!! You transfered into Notre Dame. No matter how excited you may be, there are two major adjustments with being a transfer student. These include adjustment to the change in academics and a change in social life. It is very normal to experience some discomfort with these changes and it will take some time to adjust.
Briefly are listed some of the academic adjustments:
- Making up credits that did not transfer
- Exploring and adjusting to different requirements for your major, or maybe changing majors
- Adjusting to course loads and expectations
- Class size and availability
- Career Counseling
- Exploring internships
- Academic advising
Social Life Adjustments
Social life adjustments are often harder than the academic adjustments.You have experienced the academic side of college prior to transferring and have some idea of what to expect here. The social side of college varies from campus to campus and is something you can’t experience until arriving. Oftentimes, transfer students have to be more assertive in finding a group of friends, as many friendships are established during the first year of studies. It is not uncommon for transfer students to feel isolated and disconnected after arriving on campus. It is almost like you are a first year student all over again!
It is important to seek places to begin to establish friendships. One of the more common places is at parties where alcohol becomes the social lubricant, and there is a captive audience of people to meet. While parties can be a way to meet new people, it is important to find a balance of activities so that alcohol does not become the focus. Sometimes it can be easy to fall into the traps such as drinking to fit in, over-drinking because you might feel anxious, or feeling pressured to drink.
Social activities that will help to meet people:
- Attend the transfer orientation fair
- Seek out people you knew from high school that may also be attending Notre Dame
- Join intramural sports
- Reach out to organizations and clubs
- Attend Student Activities Night – there will be over 300 student organizations/clubs looking for new members
- Attend dorm functions and get involved
- Volunteer at any of Notre Dame’s numerous functions