A new semester at Ohio University brings new friends, classes and activities. While many students are returning to their old routines, transfer students are being introduced to a brand-new campus for the first time.
The number of transfer students at OU fluctuates from year to year. According to transfer admission records, over 300 transfer students were admitted and enrolled in Fall 2022. From academic programs to social life aspects, students transfer schools for a variety of reasons.
Grace Duchon, a sophomore studying outdoor recreation and education, started her first week of classes at OU after transferring from the College of Wooster. She initially started there because of its swim team but did not like how small the population of the college was.
She began looking at other schools across the country and chose OU because of its outdoor recreation program and proximity to Hocking Hills. She said she knew other students before moving in but would also need to adapt to a new campus.
“It’s always going to be a transition when you’re going from place to place,” Duchon said. “So, that was an adjustment.”
Similar to Duchon, sophomore Cydney Platt also transferred to OU in the fall of 2023 because of the campus size and academic programs. Initially starting at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Platt didn’t like how large the campus was. She decided to transfer to OU’s music therapy program after touring the campus.
“OU has that big city feeling on campus, but it is a very small town,” Platt said. “You can be walking down the street and see somebody you know. That just wasn’t something I was getting at my last school.”
Ben Emery, a junior studying business economics, also enjoyed the social aspect of campus life after transferring from Columbus State Community College. He said he started at community college to save money, then transferred after two years.
“I wanted a full college experience,” Emery said. “I met a few friends at Columbus State, but there isn’t much campus life.”
Emery initially wanted to attend Ohio State University but fell in love with OU’s campus while visiting to attend the CAAMP concert. Emery also had friends on campus before moving in and joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
After he was admitted into OU, Emery said the biggest struggle was transferring his class credits from Columbus State. He said some credits didn’t transfer correctly because of the different program requirements.
Platt said the process of transferring credits from her previous college to OU was easy. However, she was required to live in a dorm for the academic year because she did not live in campus housing for two years.
“It gives me the opportunity to have my own space since I would have been living in an apartment had I completed that second year,” Platt said. “It’s a great way to make friends and have my own space without having to worry about finding housing in a place that I’m not familiar with.”
Platt’s advice to current and future transfer students is to be thoughtful about the process.
“Make sure that when you’re going to school, whether that’s at OU or somewhere (else) ... that you feel comfortable on campus, and that it’s really a place where you can see yourself,” Platt said. “Take a while to think about it.”
