The transfer's transition

When transfer students moved into Carmichael and Lewis Halls at the beginning of orientation, they brought with them one thing that new freshmen do not _ knowledge of what the college experience is like. A month and a half later, the transfer students have adjusted to the new environment.

Leaving a school where connections have already developed can be difficult, and transfer students have various reasons for leaving their former institutions. Some students are drawn by the academic resources to be found at Tufts, in general or in specific fields of study.

Sophomore transfer student Matt Pohl left his previous school when he discovered that it did not offer enough classes in the disciplines that interested him. "Dickinson lacked certain academic resources in the areas of international relations and political science," Pohl said. "It would not have been able to accommodate my interest in learning the Hebrew language."

Other transfer students decide to switch schools based on criteria other than academics. The make-up and behavior of the student body as a whole can be just as important in the decision to transfer.

"The reason I transferred was because of the homogeneous student body at my old school; it was about 72 percent Texan," said sophomore Jon Kruesi, who spent his freshman year at Trinity University of San Antonio, TX. "I was looking for a more worldly community. People would ask me, 'Why in the world would you come to Texas?'"

The social life on a campus can also be a major draw to students.

"I was happy with it academically, but I found the social atmosphere unfriendly and cold," Wellesley transfer Liz Francis said. "It was very work-driven, and there wasn't much of a social aspect there."

The all-female student body at Wellesley was detrimental to the students' social lives, Francis said. "People would ask me if I transferred because it was all girls," Francis said. "Because it was all girls, people would leave campus on the weekends. It was a lot harder to meet people."

Academic adjustments are sometimes necessary for transfers, as different universities have various class sizes and different workloads. Coming from a smaller university, Kruesi said he was surprised at the number of students enrolled in lecture classes at Tufts.

"The most striking thing for me was the size of the classes; the class says there should be a max of 70, but then there are well over 80 people in the classroom," he said. "Whether or not we're meeting fire codes, there are more than expected. All my classes at Trinity had no more than 30 people."

The caliber of academics is also often surprising to transfers, as senior Joi Brown pointed out. "What I noticed in transferring was that because Tufts is obviously a prestigious school, there was a higher standard here than at Temple" University, she said. "I realized it was a lot more work. There is a lot more effort involved in classes here to get an A."

The social life at Tufts is an important factor for any student, but expectations are sometimes not met. One transfer student described the atmosphere as more focused on the Greek system than anticipated. "Although there was a higher percentage of students in fraternities at my old school, the fraternities here seem to be more dominant," the student said. "I would say that there is a greater emphasis on smoking [marijuana] and heavy drinking here than I expected."

Making social transitions is often as challenging as adjusting to the new academic setting. "You're considered a sophomore but you have the blank slate of a freshman," Pohl said. He advised, however, that transfers can find their place at Tufts by getting involved with activities. "As long as you jump into it, and make an effort to involve yourself, you will meet so many people," he said.

Students say this transition was eased by the fact that they were included in freshman orientation and that they often live near fellow transfers.

"A good number of the transfers are together in Lewis; it's good to have some cohesion," Kruesi said.

Rediscovering how to balance academics and social life can also be a challenge. "At Temple I had a lot more time to be socially active, outside of organizations," Brown said. "Here, I have my classes, my job, and the organizations I am involved in, and don't have time for much else."

On the other hand, the academic atmosphere can be appealing to some students. Pohl said he appreciated the increased interest in academics at Tufts. "I thought [Dickinson] was stifling, particularly in the way the academics did not leave the classroom," he said.

Adjusting to another school can have its trying moments, transfers say, pointing to transferring credits as an initial stressor. "It is kind of frustrating when classes were not accepted [for credit]," said Brown.

Additionally, the process of transferring credits to Tufts differs from that of other institutions. "The process is exasperating. The other schools to which I was accepted basically gave me a report of which credits would be approved," Pohl said. "Here representatives from individual department approve credits of the courses you have taken, requiring bulletins and course descriptions. In some cases, you need to go seek out reps from certain departments on your own."

But though the process can be irritating, it is an expected part of the transfer students transition, Pohl said.