How did you feel about back in college, before transferring, after transferring, and soon and long after graduation?
Do you feel like you got everything you want out of college and the “college experience” despite not spending 4 or so year at the school?
Do you have lots of good memories outside of the classroom in college, and or look back at college fondly? Do you think either would be to a higher degree if you came into the school as a freshman?
If you didn’t, did you eventually get over it, did like get better for you after college? (I would rather you didn’t answer this if it doesn’t apply to you)
How many friends did you have at school you transferred to? Do you still talk to or are still close with them? Do you think you would have had more friends and or deeper friendships if you started at the school as a freshman?
Please read or skim this before answering
Right now I’m in community college and plan on transferring this fall as a junior. If you have read my other CC posts, you would know that I’ve been wondering if attending community college was the right choice. I know I will keep wondering that, and if I would or would’ve been happier starting at a 4 year school, even if my freshman year would’ve been online at whichever school I would’ve attended otherwise.
I don’t want to hear responses about me becoming a transfer student, but rather hear stories of people who were transfer students in college, as stated in the title.
My DH was a transfer student. This was way back in the olden days of the 90s. Prehistoric times. He attended community college first. But it took him longer than 2 years to finish community college…he had some stops and starts due to having to pay his own way for everything.
Here’s what he’s said re: your questions:
How do you feel about it now?
It was fine. I don’t feel like I ‘missed out.’ Going full time to a 4-year college right away was not ever an option for me. I couldn’t afford it. Parents wouldn’t and couldn’t sign any loans for me so I had to figure out how to do it all on my own with no financial help. Plus, I had to put a roof over my head and pay all my own bills, so there was literally no time to feel sorry for myself by comparing myself to other kids who got the “full college experience.”
How did you feel about back in college, before transferring, after transferring, and soon and long after graduation?
While in college & before transferring: I wanted to transfer ASAP. But couldn’t as quickly as I wanted to because I had to work full time to support myself and I tried to take a full load of classes at the same time. Because of that, I failed a few classes and had to repeat them, which took extra time. Plus, I didn’t know how to study at all right out of high school. It took me some time to figure that out the hard way.
After transferring & after graduation: I was glad that I started out at community college because it helped to keep my overall college costs a lot lower. Looking back, I needed the smaller class sizes that the community college had. The only regret I have is that it took me so long for me to get my act together in terms of academics & study habits.
Do you feel like you got everything you want out of college and the “college experience” despite not spending 4 or so year at the school?
Yes. Because my #1 main goal with college was to graduate so I could get a decent job and more easily support myself instead of slogging away at minimum wage jobs with no benefits, no paid vacation time. I wanted to have an easier life. Going to college for me was never about having the “college experience.” It was about the end goal. I didn’t want to have to struggle so hard like I did when I was dirt poor, could barely afford gas for my car so I could get to work, and had to work 12-hour shifts in a hard drive factory sniffing hot acetone fumes all day.
Do you have lots of good memories outside of the classroom in college, and or look back at college fondly? Do you think either would be to a higher degree if you came into the school as a freshman?
I have good memories outside the classroom in college, both from community college & at the university I transferred to. Lots of good memories from study groups and get togethers with friends. I never lived in the dorms, but don’t feel that my life overall has been “less” from not having lived in the dorms. I don’t feel like I missed out.
How many friends did you have at school you transferred to? Do you still talk to or are still close with them? Do you think you would have had more friends and or deeper friendships if you started at the school as a freshman?
When I transferred, I didn’t know anybody at the college. But I made friends in my classes. I’m still friends with a couple of people from college, but not with everybody. But that’s ok because, as you will see as you get older, some times you are friends with people for only a certain period of time in life. You won’t be best buds forever with the people you went to high school or college with. Re: the 3rd question - no. I don’t think I would have had more or deeper friendships if I had started at a school as a freshman.
I had really a reverse situation. I got married half way through college so I went to a private residential college for my first two years, and to night school at a different school’s satellite campus my last two years. Our classes were held at a community college and at a high school, and I commuted, so my last two years were like community college. It did save me a lot of money!
I had a great time at the residential college, and am glad I had that opportunity, but I’m not sad it was only two years. I had a good time then and I had a good time at night school. I have a couple of friends from the first school on FB and we got together for my 40th. I see one friend from the second school, she goes to my church now and I actually introduced her to her husband. But college friends, while they were good during the time I was there, are not integral to my life after college.
You do what you need to do and just try to enjoy every stage of life wherever it takes you.