Small clusters of people standing here and there, laughing and talking; countless others rush by in order to make it to class on time.
A woman is having a passionate conversation on her cell phone while struggling to juggle a purse, her coffee, and a pile of books. She’s not giving a second thought to the direction she’s heading.
And between the cracks of this massive body of fish, going about their daily routines in a never-ending ocean, is a transfer student looking down at a map of Cal State Long Beach, but for all they know could be a map of a foreign country instead.
Thousands of students transfer every year, and thousands of transfer experiences are had along with them. Questions are formed, concerns are developed, discoveries are made and transitions are started. All this in the first week.
Struggles of the beginner
Katie Gallagher is among those countless students rushing to class this fall. The only difference is she’s also a transfer student concluding an overwhelming first week at Long Beach.
Gallagher said she attended four community colleges before transferring to CSULB as a human development major.
She said the reason she is majoring in human development is because the job opportunities are plentiful in the field, and she eventually wants to go into special education and home economics.
However, her transition to the university has been a confusing one, as she finds it difficult as a new student to get her questions answered.
“There’s really no one counselor to talk to. You have to talk to multiple advisers if you’re trying to do more than one thing,” she said.
She said what frustrates her is not being able to get a response from one source without them pointing her in another direction if she has more than one question.
She also said the Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration services the campus provides didn’t fully assist her during her transfer process to the university.
“As far as the advising on picking classes, I think that was a joke. Nothing they told me has even been relevant when I’ve talked to advisers and other staff,” Gallagher said.
She said her feelings on the SOAR service are mixed, saying she could have done most of the work independently.
“I basically picked classes out at home, but I felt like the campus tour was somewhat helpful,” she said.
Like a duck to water
On the other hand transfer student Michelle Avilez is finding her transition to Long Beach to be easier then she originally expected.
“So far, it’s been a smooth transition. I’ve learned a lot in just one week through making little mistakes such as taking the long way to my classes on accident and getting lost throughout campus,” she said.
Her only real concern, she said, was whether or not registering for classes so late would get her into the classes she needed.
Avilez, a sociology major, plans to do social services and work with teenagers after she graduates. Then she hopes to further her education in order to eventually teach as a college professor.
She said the resources the campus provided her to transfer, such as SOAR, were beneficial.
“SOAR answered questions I didn’t even have, if that even makes any sense. In other words, questions I would have had once school started,” Avilez said.
Avilez said SOAR cleared a lot of things up for her since it explained subjects she didn’t fully understand.
“The part I really wouldn’t have understood without the help of the SOAR advisers was the entire explanation of the capstone and upper-division requirements for transfer students,” she said.
Help from the school
This semester has been especially heavy with transfer students due to the California State University system’s decision not to allow spring transfers.
In July of 2009 the CSU announced, “As part of an overall strategy to address an unprecedented budget reduction of $584 million for 2009-10, California State University campuses will not accept student applications for the 2010 spring term. Despite budget cuts, CSU’s enrollment for the past several years has exceeded the state funding received for each student.”
To deal with the flood of incoming students, the SOAR office made changes to its orientation program.
“This summer, SOAR focused more on orientation,” assistant director of STAR/SOAR Jesse Ramirez said. “[We’re] looking more at academic requirements and beyond.”
Ramirez, who was a transfer student from Santa Monica College some 20 years ago identifies with the transfer stress.
“It’s an adjustment period,” Ramirez said recalling his own transfer. “It was a little bit easier when I transferred. It was a big change in student volume.”
Ramirez said there are groups on campus that students can join to make the transition easier, and getting involved on campus gives students more opportunities.
“Obviously CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) for those who are not from the immediate area they deal with home sickness,” Ramirez said. “Identity issues arise like, how do I make that personal transition? The academic transition?”
The middle-ground
Questions and concerns aside, with one week in to the semester, both transfer students are appreciative of the environment they have transferred into.
“I like all the places to sit between classes: the grassy quad, coffee and food spot, the library, tables and benches and any nook or cranny you can find,” Gallagher said.
Being a commuter, it’s nice when you have enjoyable places to kill time between classes, Gallagher said.
Avilez said she likes that the campus feels like a safe environment, and that everyone who’s attending seems as though they’re there to learn.
“It’s an excellent school with not only a great reputation but, most importantly for me, a great sociology program,” Avilez said.
Having to register late because of SOAR luckily didn’t affect either student since they both said they wound up with classes they like.
“All my classes look like they are going to be enjoyable ones with a lot of homework and reading,” Gallagher said.
As for the time it takes to adjust to the new environment, the two students said they should feel right at home after their first semester.
“For me to be completely adjusted to CSULB, I’d say it would take my full first semester because it will be a great way to just get my feet wet. My second [semester] I think will be the real beginning of getting comfortable and enjoying it all,” Avilez said.
David Cowan contributed to this article.
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