<p>So I help run Transfer Student events at my new school . . .</p>
<p>but our turnout is pitiful. Pathetic. We want to offer things that will help transfer students acclimate to a new school and to NYC, but whatever we offer seems to fall flat.</p>
<p>So I've decided to ask other transfer students.</p>
<p>a) Upon arriving to a new school, do you actually WANT to get to know other transfer students? Or would you rather join other clubs?</p>
<p>b) What kinds of transfer student "services" should we offer? </p>
<p>c) Do you respond better to e-mails or Facebook?</p>
<p>I want to help transfer students, but they don't seem to want help :-(.</p>
<p>Last year my D attended a week long community service program that her school offers to continuing soph and both soph and jr transfers. She though it was a great way to meet other kids in her year as well as other transfers.</p>
<p>I know that she complained that it was difficult for the transfers to figure out how to register and learn all of the stuff others did as fr. This year she’s a leader for the same program and they are bringing on the transfers a couple of days earlier for just such an orientation.</p>
<p>So, I think there are transfers who want and appreciate transfer events that help them to adjust to the new school and meet other transfers. However, the difference might be in the student body at NYU, which tends to be more disperse and not as tight a community as other schools (my Ds school has residential colleges and the majority of students stay on campus all 4 years).</p>
<p>a) Upon arriving to a new school, do you actually WANT to get to know other transfer students? Or would you rather join other clubs?-- I liked meeting other transfer students at my transfer orientation so that I could see everyone else had the same worries I did. After that I wanted to forget I’d ever transferred and be a REAL student. I joined some transfer mentor program because my roommate is a freshman and I thought I might need it, but I hate that I have to go to these stupid programs now. I feel alienated enough without even more attention being drawn to the fact that I missed the first two years there. </p>
<p>b) What kinds of transfer student “services” should we offer?- I like that I have my mentor. I guess he is supposed to take us out to dinner once a month to check up on us, and we get his contact info so we can ask them any questions that come up our first semester. That aspect of the program I like, because I can get help but it’s still hands off. It’s really sad for me that I didn’t get to attend all four years, and I am eager to get involved with other juniors who are where I want to be, not just other people who feel like misfits. Emphasizing for me that I am a junior and still don’t have a niche is not desirable, I want programs that can help integrate me with current students. I only have two years to get comfortable and feel at home and enjoy myself, I don’t want to spend any more time sitting and thinking about how I’m a transfer.</p>
<p>c) Do you respond better to e-mails or Facebook?- Either but it is easier to make friends with people via facebook than by email.</p>
<p>im actually an incoming transfer to nyu and i kinda agree with twisted on a). Initially id like to know other transfers but after that id kinda like to forget i was ever a transfer.</p>
<p>for b) im not too sure about this other than some parties/events in the first semester would be nice.</p>
<p>c) either , but me and most of my friends like Facebook alot</p>
<p>I think some of the most important issues for transfer students are never really tackled by transfer services. Some include:</p>
<p>1) Housing - Especially in NYC. Students need help and help early to find comfortable and more importantly, affordable housing in the area.</p>
<p>2) Academics - They don’t want to hear the same generic information at orientation that every student will hear because they have probably read up on it before hand. Transfer students need a solid adviser who will help them on their specific needs. Whether it be finishing needed pre-reqs or taking the right type of classes with inspirational professors. The mentor idea mentioned above is good.</p>
<p>3) Meeting other students - It is not easy to start over, especially in such a big city. However, it is college and students want to meet other students. You probably need to get a little creative with an ice breaker event.</p>
<p>Responding to facebook or emails? It really depends. I hardly ever check my facebook but some students hold their profile as a sacred place of worship. I check my email three times a day but some of my friends don’t check it for months. Text messages are probably the most widely used means for spreading information.</p>
<p>TSA is planning Welcome Week events, but it always feels like after the first meeting, turnout to our events drops by 75%. it’s not like we do “transfer” themed events. we do dinners, museum trips, free relaxation parties during midterms week and finals week and free movie trips. we’re more of a social club.</p>
<p>@Posh</p>
<p>we have other student groups for non-trads. although we never, ever turn anyone away from our events. </p>
<p>@bquin</p>
<p>we’re aware of those issues that transfer students face and we’re trying to address them at NYU. we’ve also recently established transfer student advocates and a new association to deal with those very issues. transfer students are always offered student housing, but i think we need to address those other issues as well.</p>