TO THE EDITOR:
Monday’s front page transfer article left out a key statistic: the percentage of transfer students that drop out after their first semester.
I felt like I was thrown into the deep-end immediately after transferring to UNC, and I ended up taking my second semester off.
It gave me a much needed chance to come up for air, gain my bearings, and I have loved UNC ever since.
It’s not easy; transfers are expected to handle the course load of an upperclassman while making up for lost time on campus.
Making things more difficult is the common refrain among campus organizations that they simply aren’t interested in junior transfers because they “won’t be around long enough to contribute.”
It’s true that transfers need better assistance, opportunities and communication from the University in order to have a successful four semesters at UNC, but they also need more welcoming peers.
The University is making strides toward easing transfers into campus.
Let’s take it a step further — encourage them to take summer school classes. Allow them to sign up for first-year seminars. Offer a transfer housing community, peer mentors and a more holistic orientation.
I didn’t want advice from a rising sophomore on how to succeed in college; I wanted to hear from someone who’d been in my shoes.
