While freshmen form the majority of incoming students, they are not the only group of new students making the transition to University life. The UCSB community is thrilled to welcome approximately 1,500 new transfer students each year, who bring with them a wide diversity of life experiences and circumstances which enrich the campus greatly. The intent of this section is to offer some insights into these unique students, in the hope of assisting them with their often distinctive and sometimes bumpy transition to UCSB.

The term “transfer student” is given to any student entering UCSB with post-secondary higher education experience. Students who are considered “re-entry” or “non-traditional” have usually had a break in their education and generally are older than age twenty-four, and may have additional responsibilities such as family, children, or a full-time job. For these students, life circumstances are almost as varied as the students themselves. Regardless of the situation, those who share in the life of a UCSB transfer or re-entry/non-traditional student will, without a doubt, participate in the joys as well as the stresses of academic success.

One of the major concerns for transfer students is the length of time available to experience and enjoy campus life. Most transfers are expected to know their major upon arrival and, therefore, to focus their academic schedules on completing major and elective requirements. As important as it is to create a timely schedule for graduation, transfer students must not allow that to overshadow the tremendous opportunities they have while here for their two years. UCSB encourages transfer students to get involved in research, study abroad, complete an internship, join a club or organization, and much more. Transfer students who take advantage of these opportunities report feeling much more connected to the campus as well as prepared for graduation, the work force, or graduate school than those who do not.

Many transfer students expect that the demands of the UCSB academic experience will fall mainly within the classroom. It is important to know that for every hour of scheduled classroom attendance, a UCSB student will generally spend at least two hours on outside preparation including reading, library research, and writing papers. For a student carrying a 16-unit load of classes, that translates to approximately 48-hours of work per week inside and outside of the classroom. Study time for midterms and finals is over and above that amount. When you add the commitments of keeping up a household, job, and possibly children, time management skills may face a major overhaul.

It is helpful for those close to the student to be aware of some of the transitions that will be encountered. Most transfer students, having become adjusted to the semester system, suddenly find that life within the quarter system is like “fast forward” on a DVD player. Midterms occur from three to six weeks into the quarter. Between the seventh and tenth weeks, papers and projects are due, with finals immediately thereafter. Furthermore, that tenth week just before finals, referred to as “Dead Week,” isn’t free time for catch up on studying—all classes continue until the start of finals. With this kind of schedule, it is not uncommon to find students spending all day on campus studying in the library, eating at the UCen, meeting with professors during office hours, and catching up on e-mail.

Another common issue for transfer students is that they frequently fail to reach out for help when they need it. Transfer students generally have significant higher education experience, usually two years or more, at another college or university. Typically, this experience gives them significant advantages as new students. However, they are often not familiar with the structure of the university and its student services. It is this area where transfer students require the most assistance. As a family member of a transfer student, you can help your student most by encouraging him or her to seek out support when they encounter a problem or road block. This handbook provides information about many of the free support services for students at UCSB.

Finally, transfers sometimes struggle socially. Showing up as a new face in a junior class of four thousand students can be daunting. Many students report feeling like everybody already knows each other. Families of transfers can help out by encouraging their students to reach out to others, work to make and keep friendships, get involved, take on a campus job, or sign up for some small classes that encourage interaction and discussion.

We hope that you will share in the success of your student here at UCSB. Below are the experiences of three transfer students, one of whom is a re-entry student, who have volunteered to share their stories with you.

Diana's Experience

I was the first in my family to attend college. This made my transition to UCSB difficult because I had no guidance as to what my plans should be after community college. I grew up in Baldwin Park and I had never imagined leaving it. I attended Mt. San Antonio College for two years and then chose to transfer to UCSB because I felt that it was important for me to step out of my comfort zone. I definitely did! I was overwhelmed at first because it was so different from what I was used to in community college. One major difficulty was the change from the semester system to the quarter system. It took a lot of effort to keep on track at first, but I eventually learned to adjust and now I love the quarter system. Another difficulty that I encountered was my feelings of loneliness. Many of the people that I met at UCSB had been here since their freshman year and had already built strong friendships, but I didn’t know anyone. I joined the Transfer Student Association, which allowed me to meet other people with experiences similar to my own and we were able to support each other. I also became a member of the Summer Orientation Staff, which allowed me to make new friends and to help other incoming students who were just starting their journey through college. I am a senior now, and it is startling how quickly I have had to begin thinking about my post-graduation plans. Coming in as a junior, time flew by and I feel as though my time at UCSB is beginning and ending all at once; I had to start planning for graduate school almost immediately after my arrival. As a new transfer student at UCSB, just remember that time will pass so quickly that you have to take advantage of as many of the programs that UCSB offers as possible. The best advice I can give to an incoming transfer student is to get involved, because it will greatly enhance your college experience.

—Senior, Sociology & Minor in Education

Hun's Experience

Arriving at UCSB’s predominately white, upper middle-class atmosphere was a culture shock to me. Coming from an extremely diverse community in Los Angeles, I did not know how to deal with this cultural adjustment. Like many incoming students, I wanted to go back home where the streets, the people, and the attitudes were home to me. As a woman of color, I began to feel what it was like to be marginalized by an environment where the sight of another person who resembles you, your family, your past, was so hard to find. Nothing in UCSB—the bike traffic, the casual beach-and-slipper attire, the colorless students and professors, the bleached hair and colored contacts—reaffirmed my existence. Going straight into Isla Vista without having the benefits of living in a residence hall did not help either. I really thought I would never find a home at UCSB. But of course, I didn’t give up. There was bound to be a place for individuals who were socially conscious, progressive, and wanted to make change. I knew that at an institution such as this, the resources and opportunities were ample but hidden to most incoming students. Since no one was going to take me by the hand and show me where, who, and what to experience, I knew I had to find something or deprive myself of the potentially enriching experience of higher education. A simple search on UCSB’s website revealed to me the hundreds of student organizations with which I could involve myself. I decided to attend the first meeting of the Multicultural Outreach Program and from there on I found the most socially conscious and active people on campus. Now I love UCSB! Not only have UCSB and Isla Vista become my home, but I have also become a unique piece integrated into the mosaic of this community.

—Senior, Sociology & Asian American Studies

John's Experience

Transferring to UC Santa Barbara was a difficult change, but for me the challenges were personal, not academic. I had anxiously anticipated the difficulty of a university curriculum and was unsure if I had the ability to succeed in my academic pursuits. To my surprise, I discovered that I had underestimated myself. I had already learned that school was hard work and did just fine when I continued to apply that principle at the university level.

Unfortunately, I had a more difficult time feeling at home at UCSB than I had expected. I wasn’t quite a freshman, as I had moved out of my parents’ house about three years earlier. Yet, I was distinctly different from other juniors who had been here since their freshman year and had already formed their “college friendships.” I was in an awkward position that I had not anticipated. In the end, it just took some old fashion work. I joined the cycling team which gave me the opportunity to meet other active people. In addition, I became an intern for the California Public Interest Research Group (Cal PIRG) where I worked with and befriended many wonderful people committed to social justice. In the fall of my senior year, I interned in Washington D.C.—an opportunity provided through the UCDC program. It was there that I finally forged relationships that I plan on keeping well into the future. In short, I pushed myself to get involved beyond the classroom, and the reward has been an experience that will be greatly missed when I graduate. So, I suppose my advice to someone transferring into UCSB is this: Get involved in anything and everything that sounds remotely interesting. Two years is not very much time to settle into any town. Lucky for us, however, our campus has a tremendous wealth of activity that will surely offer you a place to meet people with your same interests. When your time at UCSB comes to a close, it will ultimately be those people who have helped to shape your UC experience into something memorable.

— Senior, Political Science