Transfer Student Orientation

May 20, 2010 - 7:00 PM

Today, I served as a volunteer for the First-Year Programs' Transfer Seminar table at the Transfer Student Orientation.

Having been a transfer student in the seminar and the Teachers' Aide for the journalism transfer seminar for two years, I had a lot of positive experiences with the program, so it was my pleasure to support the program in attracting new students.

While preparing for graduation, I have filled out numerous surveys asking about my time on campus. Inevitably, I am asked to identify the most impactful part of my undergraduate experience, and my answer is always the same: the transfer seminars.

So I woke up on Friday and headed to the Erb Memorial Union, Starbucks in-hand. The day was fabulous. I got to talk with a ton of scared transfer students who had no idea what they were doing or where they were going. It was strange because people around campus generally know where they are going and aren't looking for help.

I started shaking hands and describing the seminars and my experience with them-trying not to sound too cheesy.

I felt like I connected with quite a few students who felt better talking to someone who is outgoing and friendly. And of course none of them could possibly know what a great resource the transfer seminars are, I sincerely hope that my enthusiasm for them came across as profoundly as I had hoped.

Being able to connect with other students, faculty and staff, and the resources on campus are invaluable parts of entering the University of Oregon. The school has SO much to offer every single student on campus, that it is a crying shame when the resources go untapped.