According to a research paper for The Journal of Higher Education, almost 60% of college students attend more than one institution. These adolescents often experience what has been termed as “transfer shock,” the phenomenon of receiving lower grades when adjusting to a new university (Tobolowsky & Cox, 2021). Despite these odds, the media rarely portrays the transfer student experience. Growing up, we are fed the dream that after high school we will find ourselves at the perfect college for us, where we will make friends for life, earn the degree that will bring us a good future, have our wild party phase, and meet our soulmate, all culminating as the “best four years of our lives.” This series questions the narrative surrounding being a transfer student, following the daily activities of two recent transfers at Skidmore College.
References:
Tobolowsky, B., & Cox, B. (2021). Rationalizing Neglect: An Institutional Response to Transfer Students. The Journal Of Higher Education, 83(3).
