Whether it’s through the Coordinated Admission Program or a more traditional transfer experience from another institution entirely, transfer students are expected to make substantial adjustments to their lives. However, the differences between traditional first-year and transfer student orientation keep transfer students from attending a range of social opportunities.
Transfer decisions are generally released in June, only giving students about two months to make important logistical decisions like housing or registering for classes. Along with adjusting to new organizational structures, transfer students also make a social adjustment. This period is key to ensuring any student’s happiness during a major academic transition.
Through the New Student Services Orientation program, the University aims to make these significant changes as seamless as possible. Kyle St.Nicholas, the associate director of NSS, emphasized the takeaways UT hopes students gain from orientation.
“The three main takeaways we hope that students get for orientation (are) number one, walking away having successfully registered for classes; number two, (making sure) that they’ve had a chance to meet or connect with other students; and then the last one, which I’d say probably happens a little bit more subtly, is starting to become familiar with available resources that are an opportunity for students to utilize during their time on the Forty Acres,” St.Nicholas said.
One of the most important parts of a successful college adjustment is maximizing the opportunities at orientation to bond and interact with other students who are in a similar position. Accordingly, freshman orientation is designed to encourage social interaction with multiple social gatherings, required dinners, group campus tours and other activities woven into the three-day schedule.
Conversely, the separate sessions for transfer students involve a more compact orientation that lasts a day and a half. Transfer students focus on the logistical aspects of getting accustomed to UT, like getting registered for classes and getting to know more about their respective colleges. But, social-centered events only occur on one day of the transfer orientation schedule.
Because their orientation experience offers less social interaction, transferring students may find it difficult to view UT as a home, which can make them feel lost in the fast-paced environment of campus. As a transfer student, I found it difficult to socialize with people in my classes because the majority of the courses that were available when I registered were large lecture-style classrooms that granted less opportunity for peer-to-peer interaction.
While I consider myself fortunate to have a foundation of friends from high school, many other transfer students may not have this privilege, making their social transition even harder. Therefore, NSS should give transfer students the option to participate in traditional first-year orientation as their sessions are considerably longer and allow for more opportunities to meet fellow students.
“More small group time would be beneficial since I only saw my orientation group for a couple hours of the day,” said Jack Son, a junior electrical engineering transfer student. “So it’s kind of hard to get to know people really when you’re only with them for maybe two or three hours.”
To enhance transfer student orientation, NSS is hoping to include Co-op trips and activities in the Texas Union.
“I’m all for transfer students having more opportunities to fully jump into the UT experience, both through orientation and through a strong transfer year,” said Jeff Mayo, director of the First-Year Experience. “To expand those opportunities would be beneficial.”
Through an abundance of social activities and the added option for transfer students to attend first-year orientation, UT can guarantee a smoother transition for transfer students. Making these changes could allow the University to become a more transfer-friendly school while also allowing new Longhorns to feel at home on campus.
Lam is a government sophomore from Round Rock, Texas.
