The reality of transferring to a four-year university, and the culture shock along with it.
I’ve lived in Los Angeles my whole life. When I was younger, one of my dreams was to move to the Midwest and have a restart – go to a smaller school, meet new people, and have fresh opportunities. I started researching which schools to visit and what degrees I should pursue, and honestly, the whole process gave me a nauseous feeling.
I’d be away from the only thing I ever knew. A metropolis filled with people who cut you off in traffic and don’t use signals. Freeways that look like parking lots, and humongous highschools with way too many students.
I wanted to dive straight into the deep end, apply to a four-year university, and move out of state. Then senior year came, and that did not happen. I felt so scared. What if this isn't for me? How many loans will I need to take out? What if I don’t like my dorm-mate? So many thoughts were racing through my mind. So I chose to apply to Santa Monica College and stay local.
Personally, my plan is to get my core classes and an associate degree in Journalism done here at SMC, then transfer to a four-year university and get a master's degree in English. I emailed several transfer departments at the universities I was looking at, and either got an automated response from a bot, an occasionally nice response from a counselor, or just flat-out nothing.
The frustrating part of transferring is how many classes aren’t in other school systems, or that they just don’t accept those specific classes. If I were to take Art History 18, a class that’s an introduction to African Art History, out of five schools I looked at, one university would accept it. Same with Journalism 2 or Art History 2.
In certain instances, you’ll transfer with all the classes you took, and then the university will tell you they don’t accept that class or it didn’t process correctly; then you’re stuck at the beginning, having to retake the class and spend more money on things you already learned. For low-income students, or students that move across the country and have limited financial aid, it makes the process of transferring extremely difficult.
To get a little more insight on the transfer process, I interviewed Janet Robinson, the faculty leader for transfers at Santa Monica College. I asked about how she supports students transitioning from a community college environment (which often has smaller class sizes and different academic expectations) to a larger or more “chaotic” university setting. Robinson also answered questions regarding how SMC works with students who have classes that aren’t accepted or don’t align with their degree programs, and how she helps students who feel anxious about moving from a large city like Los Angeles to a smaller town with fewer resources.
When asked about how she supports students transitioning from a community college environment, Robinson answered, “By encouraging SMC students to develop good habits and utilize ‘help-seeking behaviors’ at SMC that they can then maintain and take with them to their transfer institution. Behaviors such as maintaining good communication with their professors whenever they have questions or need assistance, meeting with a counselor/academic advisor on a regular basis to make sure you are on track towards your goals, seeking out tutoring if needed for a course, developing good study habits and perhaps a study group, knowing their own learning style and study techniques.”
Regarding how SMC works with students who have classes that aren’t accepted or don’t align with their degree programs, she said, “The best advice is for students to meet with a counselor on a regular basis so we can advise them on the proper classes to complete towards their transfer goal(s).” Robinson added, “It’s important for students to know if there are specific requirements (e.g. classes, units, GPA, etc.) that a transfer institution wants to see for admission eligibility and for admission consideration into their intended transfer major.”
To help students who feel anxious about moving to a smaller institution or just town in general, Robinson said, “We always encourage students to research potential transfer schools.” She added, “I always tell students that transferring to a school doesn’t mean you will be there forever. It’s just for a specific time of your life so why not experience another part of the state, country, or world! After you graduate, you can always come back to beautiful Southern California if you want.”
Transferring is scary. There's so much that goes into the process, especially when anxiety comes into play – you don’t know if it’ll be worth it in the long run, overthinking begins, and then the thought of moving away is even more terrifying, and the thought of staying home slips back into view. Overall, I think SMC has a good foundation of counselors that are here to support you if needed.
When speaking with a previous student of SMC, Tia Lucas who transferred to USC, she talked about resources that helped her through the transfer process, the biggest challenge of transferring to a four-year school, and advice for anyone considering transferring.
Regarding the resources that helped her, Lucas said, “I was fortunate enough to have an amazing counselor that helped me with my coursework and figuring out what I needed for school. I initially was at CSUN before transferring to SMC, and I had reached out before making the decision to reverse transfer to even see if my goals were attainable. Not only was she very helpful when it came to figuring out my class schedule, she was very supportive and understanding.”
The biggest challenge for Lucas was keeping consistent and having a positive mindset. Lucas said, “Having a positive mindset through the entire process. Taking my chances and going to community from a four year was a big risk I was willing to take. I was taking at most 17 units a semester and taking courses during breaks to meet my requirements. During this I was also playing soccer at SMC which was a whole different ball game. I felt like I was being stretched thin.”
For advice, Lucas encourages students to create a plan and stick to it. Lucas said, “Figure out every avenue possible that can allow you to reach your goal and stay on top of it. Research each school and their requirements, and talk to peers if possible on how they did their path to the school, and structure yours on that. Challenge yourself in the classes you take, but honestly, focus more on getting an A than challenge yourself too hard.”
Another student, Lia Agapitos, talked about the biggest challenge she faced. Agapitos said, “The biggest challenge was the significant independence. At community college I felt like I was very independent, however, there's a different kind of independence here. Teachers and counselors are much more hands off which I was not prepared for.” She adds, “There is much less guidance in everything, in a sense it’s everyone's assumption that you should know what you’re doing, and if you don’t, then you’re expected to be able to figure it out on your own without needing a teacher or counselor for help. There is much more coursework and it’s at a faster pace.”
If you have any questions regarding transferring, the phone number for SMC’s transfer service is 310-434-4210. You can check if you qualify for certain opportunities at https://www.smc.edu/student-support/academic-support/transfer-center/resources/