Advice for My Old Transfer Self

Going to college for the first time is tough, but eventually you find your way. Transferring to a new school is obviously difficult, too, but at least you have some college experiences out of the way, right? That’s true to some extent, but nothing can fully prepare you for a new college—and I think that’s a good thing. Half the fun of my time at W&M has been getting lost, getting acquainted, and trying to find my way. However, if I could go back in time, these are three of the things I would tell my newbie transfer self.

  1. Get excited for orientation! Transfer orientation won’t be the same as freshman orientation—in a good way. After a year of college under my belt, I kind of dreaded having to do orientation all over again at W&M. I assumed we would repeat the same activities and play a bunch of bonding games, but I was pleased to find that this was nothing like my freshman orientation. Transfer orientation is completely tailored to transfer students, as it should be! We did play the name game (which was actually entertaining, and I still call many of my fellow transfers by their nicknames), but mostly we learned about the process of transferring and all the resources available to us. Keep an open mind and don’t skip any of the events during orientation week! Your OAs (Orientation Aides) will probably end up being some of your favorite people on campus.
  2. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your future classmates! At first I felt awkward about sending FB messages to people I didn’t know, but I’m glad I did, because I ended up making some of my best friends that way.  Feel free to reach out to any of us with questions, email professors, and definitely check out the “W&M Admitted Transfers” group on FB.
  3. Bring rain gear! Our campus is spectacular, and the weather usually is too (I’m writing this as I sit outside the Campus Center on a beautiful 80° day). But occasionally some unexpected rain will come through, and things can get slippery. Rain boots might not be super comfortable, but they’re lifesavers. And don’t worry about being unfashionable because everyone rocks them from time to time. It might be smart to also throw a small umbrella in your backpack. You never know! We’ve all gotten caught in the Williamsburg rain. Have no fear; it’s part of the full W&M experience.

Feel free to reach if you have any more questions about what to expect! But like I said, it is a lot of fun to figure it out along the way.

– Cassidy Fazio

Categories: Campus Life, Move-In & Orientation, Student Blogs Tags: , , ,
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