Hello,
I am sophomore at a highly ranked small liberal arts college. I want to transfer to Elon in order to have a greater selection of courses, and for a new environment. My current school is suffocating with its extreme liberal students. There is no tolerance for anyone who has different opinions. Most importantly, I am having trouble scheduling the courses I need for dental school. Elon appears to have everything I am looking for in terms of courses.
I am nervous about starting over with no friends. I have never been interested in joining a sorority (my current school has no Greek life), and I am not sure I could even join a sorority as a mid-year sophomore transfer at Elon.
Doe anyone have ANY input regarding my situation? I would like to make the change, but I am afraid that I will be socially isolated coming in so late. Do I have to be part of a sorority in order to make friends?
Are the professors helpful and approachable? Are the chem and bio courses good and challenging? My current school has wonderful science professors who are always happy to meet with me. I just cannot get the courses I need.
Thank you!
@taternappy First let me wish you the best of luck with your transfer. If you did want to rush for Greek life, you wouldn’t be able to do so right away. I believe you have to have 12 or so Elon credits and demonstrate a certain Elon GPA before being allowed to rush.
However, if you’re not interested in Greek life, there’s still plenty to do. While ~1/3 of Elon students are Greek, that means 2/3 aren’t. And with your course of study, it might be difficult to balance the demands of Greek life with your workload. Best to see how the classes work for you before committing to too much extracurricular activity.
The professors I know are very helpful. Go to office hours, talk to them about your situation. Also, look for groups on-campus that have similar interests. Are you a member of a particular faith group? Are you interested in community service? Intramural sports? Singing a capella? There are many organizations on campus for diverse interests - but they won’t find you, you need to introduce yourself to them. Joining a group with a common interest is a great way to make friends.
As a biochem major, it will be important to connect with faculty for research opportunities. Doing well in your classes, participating actively in them, seeking out faculty, attending tutoring (if needed), all will help you build relationships that will be beneficial to developing research opportunities.
Again, best of luck to you!
Thank you @InigoMontoya! I will definitely take your advice. I am a good student and I really want to connect with professors. I also love sports. I am interested in women’s club soccer, equestrian, and biology and chemistry honor societies. I also love art classes. Please everyone continue to provider advice and info about the good and bad of Elon!