Looking back on my first day at the University of Oregon leaves me feeling carefree and elated. Starting school here just over a year ago was a moment I won’t forget. We can all reminisce about the early days with great fondness. Each experience is remarkable in its own way, but it took me much longer to realize just how differently we all experience college, especially when we’re just starting out.
One of the greatest disparities I quickly picked up on was between transfer students and those who started here as freshmen. Being a transfer myself, I could only look at college through the lens of someone who had already completed their first year, albeit somewhat vastly different.
Transfer students have a unique experience at the UO. My first few months here made that abundantly clear. I met people of all types: some new freshmen who were learning about independence, and others slightly older, with a sense of focus that I didn’t see often among my younger brethren.
That’s not to say that I didn’t meet my fair share of mature freshmen, but often the students who had already spent a year or two (or three) somewhere else had different goals. When someone chooses to switch schools after having gone somewhere else, there’s usually a pretty substantial reason why.
Even before we start attending school here, transfers and freshmen are led on different paths. For starters, IntroDUCKtion is completely different for both types of students. Freshmen attend a two-day program and create deep roots while forming connections with other students. Parents and kids become familiarized with the school while learning diligently about conduct and expectations.
Sophomore Emilee Nutt started here as a freshman last year and described the impact that meeting with faculty had on her.
“When I came to orientation, I talked with a woman in sports business who inspired me that if I worked hard enough and utilized the networking and resources at my disposal at UO, then I could accomplish anything,” she said. “I knew the UO was perfect for my ambition to go into business and when I visited it just felt right.”
On the flip side, transfers are assumed to already possess the independence and preparedness of a university student. Cora Bennett, director of student orientation programs, pointed out how IntroDUCKtion for transfers is only one day, and its emphasis is almost entirely on helping students achieve their academic goals, with discussions about transfer credits, major requirements and graduation planning.
“In orientation for transfer students, we work really hard to address each student’s individual transfer needs when it comes to course selection and degree completion,” Bennett said. “Because many transfer students are so focused and have already developed both short and long-term plans and a sense of purpose for what they intend to do with their UO degree.”
I made the decision to live in the residence halls when I came here my sophomore year because I, like other transfers, wanted that traditional college experience that I couldn’t get at a commuter school. Many others share the same sentiment and the UO is no doubt a great place to facilitate that desire. Senior Michael O’Dell transferred here as a junior last year, and also lived in the residence halls.
“I decided to stay in the dorms when I transferred to UO because I wanted to feel what it was like to come here as a first-year,” O’Dell said. “If I had lived off campus I wouldn’t have made nearly as many friends.”
That being said, not everybody who transfers here does so for the social experience. I knew plenty of transfers who lived off campus since day one, sometimes alone, and came to Oregon for the sole purpose of their education. They knew exactly what their goals were and what they had to do to achieve those goals. They had all their ducks in a row, so to speak.
With the first week of fall term upon us, it’s safe to say we’re all in for an experience. Whether you’re a freshman ready to experience the salvation of being away from home for the first time, or a new transfer prepared to finish off your education strong, we can all take comfort in knowing that the UO has something for just about everyone, even if we all experience it differently.