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THE TRANSFER STUDENT EXPERIENCE
As the parent of a new transfer student, you may have concerns about how
your student will make the transition from their previous school to Clemson.
Many parents are as excited as their student about the opportunity to enroll
as a new transfer student and what that means for their son or daughter as
they continue their undergraduate education at Clemson. Parents should also
know there are unique situations many new transfer students face as they
begin their first semester.
Transfer students may find they are learning a new campus again: where
the academic buildings are; where the closest dining hall is located; where
they should park and what the parking rules are on campus. We find that
our transfer students tend to apply navigational skills they learned from
their previous institution to their new institution. This can sometimes bring
added stress, as the new campus has an entirely different culture and
process. Additionally, transfer students are learning to navigate their new
environment through communication and information received. Clemson may
have some systems in place similar to other institutions, but some things are
very Clemson-specific. New transfer students often tell us they feel a little
disoriented until they learn the routines for such services as the CAT Bus
system and how to find the campus recreation schedule for fitness classes
or intramurals. The feeling is usually short-lived, as new transfer students
will find the campus to be a welcoming place where people are friendly
and willing to meet other students.
New transfer students will also make new friends and expand their social
connections at Clemson. Most new transfer students report they meet new
friends in their classes by introducing themselves, joining a study group for
a class or working together on a group project assignment. Naturally,
students will also find they can join as many clubs and groups as they
would like by searching the TigerQuest system for organizations on campus.
Clemson has more than 400 recognized student organizations, and current
students can simply use the search feature on TigerQuest to find clubs and
groups they are interested in joining or learning more about.
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