College should be a positive chapter in your life, but this isn’t always the case. A lot of people can find themselves feeling overwhelmed when they start a degree program – but this isn’t always to do with the demand of academics at this level. A lot of the time, students might find difficulties when it comes to their social life and a lack of support from their professors and/or other college administrators, as some examples. If you are finding yourself unhappy at college, but it’s more to do with these issues rather than your willingness and ability to learn, you might want to think about transferring to a new college. Below are some key considerations and tips to help you do this.
· Don’t Rush This Decision
You might feel as though you are desperate to get out of your current situation, but if you do want to transfer to a different college, make sure you aren’t rushing this decision. The last thing you need is to find yourself in a new place but feeling the same way about it, so taking the time to do some research to find the right college to move to is important. You should take into account the reasons that are motivating you to transfer somewhere else and make sure that the college you move to can meet those needs for you.
· Speak to an Advisor
If you are thinking about transferring to a different college, you might want to take a few meetings with a student advisor to talk it through. The reason this is worthwhile as your advisor might be able to address the issues you have with your current college and perhaps help you to work through these without the need to transfer. If this is not possible or you are adamant about moving on elsewhere, they should be able to provide you with more tips and advice on how you can start this process.
· Understand the Transfer Requirements
You should also take the time to look into the transfer requirements of the colleges that you are interested in moving to. Just as you with your previous application, these different schools will have specific GPA scores, etc., that they are looking for in applicants. You’ll also have to prove how many credits you have already achieved in your current degree program. Look at these Middlebury College transfer requirements at CampusReel for an example of what you should be looking for.
· Ask for Recommendation Letters
You should also ask your current lecturers and professors if they would be willing to write a recommendation letter for you as part of your transfer application. Find a professor that you have the best relationship with, as they are more likely to help you and write a positive recommendation, particularly if you have been performing well in their classes. The reason a recommendation letter is worth getting is that it can help to make your application to transfer stronger and hopefully boost your chances of the transfer being accepted.
If you are finding your college experience difficult, but feel that it has more to do with where you are, think about transferring to another school and see if your experience could be different there.