Transferring to LSU from a community college was very intimidating for Political communication sophomore Julie Smolsky, especially since she didn’t receive the Welcome Week activities or counselor support that many freshmen get in their first year.
Smolsky transferred from Northern Virginia Community College, or NOVA, to LSU during her sophomore year. She said it was overwhelming at first because she was online at her previous school and rarely went to campus.
“Going from such a small school to an SEC school blew me away,” Smolsky said.
Students transfer colleges for many different reasons and often face challenges making new friends and adjusting to new academic curriculums. However, through classes, extracurricular activities and campus groups, the process of making friends and adjusting can become more manageable.
Smolsky said she knew she didn’t want to stay at a community college all four years but didn’t know what she wanted to do after high school. She chose to do a year of community college before transferring and said that after visiting LSU twice and getting an academic scholarship, she knew it was the place for her.
Smolsky said she has found it challenging to get into the classes she needs, especially since some of her credits didn’t transfer to LSU from NOVA. She also said she had to figure out how to schedule her courses on her own since it was hard to get in contact with an advising counselor.
Smolsky said that she hasn’t found it difficult to make friends because she previously made friends when she visited LSU during her freshman year. She also joined the sorority Zeta Tau Alpha this past fall and found many new friends that way as well.
“I found a new home away from home,” Smolsky said.
Smolsky said she would only recommend transferring if someone knew the college felt right for them. She said that while the process was challenging and overwhelming for her, she found that she couldn’t be happier anywhere else once she got settled in.
Mechanical engineering sophomore Ashley Patton transferred to LSU from Lone Star College System in Houston, Texas, her sophomore year. She said there is a vast difference in opportunities between community colleges and LSU.
She said that a community college doesn’t have the resources that a larger college would have and that LSU had better research and internship opportunities than her previous college. Patton also said LSU has more tutoring options.
“I’d say the biggest and most important difference is the opportunity to be successful,” Patton said.
Patton said a major reason why she transferred is Patrick F. Taylor Hall. She said its brand-new amenities and amount of labs and workshops helped students receive hands-on learning. She also said LSU’s engineering program has many connections to bigger companies than her previous college.
Patton said that classes at LSU are much more challenging, and the work is more intense and rigorous compared to her community college. She said making friends has been easier, and the class sizes are large, so there is no shortage of people to create study groups with.
Patton said that students thinking about transferring should research the process beforehand and stay on top of their admissions process.
International studies freshman Riley Sullivan transferred to LSU from Northwestern State University in Chicago, Illinois. She said that while she applied to both LSU and Northwestern, Northwestern offered her a better scholarship, so she figured she would be a better fit there.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred during Sullivan’s freshman year, and she said she didn’t like how Northwestern handled it. Instead, she decided to join the army so she could come to college at LSU. Sullivan joined the Army National Guard and is a student at LSU.
Sullivan said Northwestern didn’t have nearly as many students from out-of-state as LSU. She said she had met more people from abroad than in Louisiana.
“I love being able to turn around and see a new face every day,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said that since there are so many clubs and organizations at LSU, it’s almost hard not to make friends. She recommends to anyone transferring that they find the balance between work and play as soon as possible.
Construction management sophomore Aaron Miller transferred from LA Tech to LSU during his sophomore year. He said that while the classes are harder to focus on since it’s a lot less personal and the class sizes are bigger, he finds the workload to be easier.
Miller said he had a couple of friends going to LSU who seemed to be having a great time. He said he attended a few LSU football games last year and then filled out a transfer application form a couple of months later.
Miller said that while classes have been easier, making friends has been more challenging. He said that people already seem to know each other from freshman year and the Welcome Week activities have helped introduce people to each other. Transfer students don’t get this opportunity.
“It’s hard to approach people that look like they barely want to be in class, to begin with,” Miller said.
Miller said that anyone considering transferring to LSU should consider it, especially if they are from a small school. He said putting in the effort to transfer was definitely worth his time.
