After years of being in school, I have learned that you should always use every resource necessary to ensure that you set yourself up for success in every way possible.
My name is Jarrod Gunn, better known as “Rodd,” and I am a senior at Florida A&M University majoring in broadcast journalism. I quickly learned that using my time wisely would always have an impact on the outcome of any situation I was involved in.
As a transfer student from Tallahassee Community College, there were many people who helped me along the way, but there were also a lot of stones that I felt I left unturned that could have helped me get more involved to set me up better for when I transferred.
Coming straight out of high school, I chose to attend a community college because I didn’t have the necessary funds to jump straight into major university life.
While TCC is a great college, I still wish I had begun my academic career at FAMU rather than transferring in. As a transfer student, there is a lot of ground you must cover to make sure that you don’t get left behind.
The scariest part about transferring into a big university is not knowing what to expect. While getting your education is always one of the most rewarding parts of your life, it can also be very challenging.
Coming into FAMU as a transfer student taught me that if you didn’t speak up for yourself, there is a real possibility that you could get left behind.
Partying and being socially interactive with your peers is always exciting — but also potentially traumatizing because they probably aren’t dealing with the situation of being a transfer student.
Transfer students deal with a lot, including credits not transferring all the way to the point where you must find new friends. Whether you start at a local community college, a sister school to your dream university, or some art school you decide you hate after a semester, transferring to a new school is emotionally and mentally challenging.
As a result of being a transfer student, there are lots of frustrations or regrets that you might feel, but the moral of the story is that you must keep going. A lot of people get caught up in trying to fit in when you may have been made to stand out.