Transfer students find new home at UNI
Transfer students find new home at UNI
College always brings new faces and new adventures. For transfer students, the journey is a unique combination of continuing what they’ve already begun at a previous institution and starting fresh. At the University of Northern Iowa, resources are in place to ensure transfer students are equipped to handle this new and exciting transition.
“It was a little bit scary at first, but UNI does a really good job of including all of the incoming students in Welcome Week,” said Emily Meth, a transfer student majoring in family services. “I really took advantage of that and went to a lot of events during those first couple days that new students were on campus, and I met a lot of my current friends that I have right now.”
Of course, there are many steps transfer students take to become UNI students. Olivia Umbaugh, assistant director of transfer recruitment at UNI, recommends transfer students connect with UNI Admissions as soon as possible, even before they are ready to commit to a school.
“It's never too early to reach out and start chatting with me about that process,” said Umbaugh. “Even if you're still deciding between 10 schools, it's good to reach out just so we can see what that transfer process would look like for you transferring to UNI.”
For some students, like Pablo Cuevas Montes who is an elementary education major, the process started while he was still in high school. His experience visiting UNI during an education visit day was so positive that he knew wanted to come to UNI for his four-year degree, even before he enrolled at a community college.
Once he was at community college, Cuevas Montes kept close ties to UNI, even being able to meet virtually with an academic advisor. The advisor made sure he was taking the right classes at community college so that his credits would seamlessly transfer to UNI when he was ready.
“I was nervous, but talking with someone before I was even at UNI made me feel more safe and welcome,” he said.
Cuevas Montes attended Jump Start, an extended orientation program, which gave him extra time to adjust to his new institution. He admits that his first few weeks on campus came with a lot of homesickness, but he was motivated by his goal of becoming a teacher. During that time, he appreciated the way professors went above and beyond, checking in to see how he was adjusting. Living on campus and getting involved by joining the Transfer Advocacy & Involvement Group (TAIG) and men’s soccer club also helped Cuevas Montes feel more at home at UNI.
“TAIG is a really great way to meet other students who are also new to UNI but have that experience of attending another institution,” said Umbaugh, who advises the group. “You’re going through it together as students and getting familiar with UNI and learning more about your programs.”
Wyatt Heideman, a transfer student who is a science teaching major, is also a part of the group. In addition to TAIG, he’s found community with fellow transfer students by living in a dedicated transfer community in Shull Hall and attending regularly scheduled transfer luncheons.
“Just having that awesome transfer community helped the transition,” he said.
TAIG shows students they are far from the only ones who have transferred to UNI. In fact, about a third of new UNI students transfer from another institution.
One major concern for transfers is that their credits will not transfer to their new college. Umbaugh said students are often amazed by just how easily their credits transfer at UNI. And for students with an associate of arts or associate of science, this degree waives UNI’s general education requirement, meaning students can focus on their major courses right away at UNI.
For students who want to be thinking ahead, UNI offers numerous helpful tools on its website. The Transfer Plans of Study allow students to plug in their community college and major to see a list of classes that are beneficial to take before transferring. The Transfer Course Equivalency Lists shows how courses transfer one by one. These are just some of many ways UNI makes the transfer process easier for incoming students.
“I was super happy with how the process of transferring went,” said Heideman. “It was super easy. I can always go back to Olivia if I have any questions. So just having those resources is incredible and so helpful.”
