<p>How is it to be a transfer student to Notre Dame? in the end do you think it was worth it? Was it a hard transition? Did you feel like you missed out not being there freshman year so that it made it not worthwhile or was it all you hoped for? Just wondering...</p>
<p>I transferred into Notre Dame in Spring 2010. I’m now a first-term junior and I absolutely love Notre Dame. A few reasons why…</p>
<p>First off, the transfer community at Notre Dame is huge, highly supportive, and very tight-knit. There are over 150 transfers a year (the vast majority, about 150, entering ND in the fall), and Transfer Orientation is a huge factor in creating that community. Not to mention all the fall transfers sit with each other for the football games.</p>
<p>Second, the academic support is wonderful. The Admissions Office and the academic deans are amazing at helping figure out which of your previous classes will satisfy what requirements, and they will bend over backwards to help you if they can do something to make a difference.</p>
<p>Third, the transition was not that hard for me, although I realize I may be a special case, since I’m originally from South Bend anyway. As a result, I was very familiar with all the traditions and “mystique” of Notre Dame…although just knowing about the Alma Mater, and actually signing it while swaying with 8000+ of your fellow students, are two incredibly different experiences. That said, one of the major goals of Transfer-O is to help transfers learn about ND traditions, and my experience is that transfers who’ve never even heard of Notre Dame also adjust very well.</p>
<p>Fourth, I made a conscious effort to “put myself out there” and get to know new people. For example, I joined a couple of student groups, which was wonderful for meeting people beyond the transfer community. I was also lucky enough to get into a dorm right away, which made a huge difference in my social life my first term, as I was surrounded by 200+ other men who were all interested in meeting and talking to “the new guy.”</p>
<p>Overall, yes, Notre Dame has been all I hoped for and more. I’ll stop myself with this, but feel free to reply or PM me if you have any additional questions.</p>