Diane’s Declassified Survival Guide to Transfer Shock

Getting my acceptance to UC San Diego was one of the most exciting moments of my life. It meant that I was able to attend my dream school, be in a new place, and move forward in my educational career. At the same time, I was terrified… terrified because I was going to be in an unfamiliar place, I was going to move away from home for the first time ever and it was going to be the first time in years that I was going to have to make an effort to make new friends since none of mine were going to school in San Diego. My first two quarters at UC San Diego, I had overwhelming feelings of always being behind even when I wasn’t. To be very honest, I had trouble adjusting to the new environment. At the time, I didn’t think there were words to explain it, until I was introduced to something called transfer shock.

What is Transfer Shock?

Let’s face it—transitioning to a new school is difficult and there’s so many reasons why. Transfer shock is a phenomenon of a temporary dip in grade point average during first few quarters from transfer¹. Many of us go through this...and the good news is students often recover as they become more acclimated to their new environment.

So… How Do I Minimize This?

There are many ways to overcome transfer shock. You can anticipate potential challenges you may face—like for example, if the college you transferred from is on a semester system, a potential challenge could be the pace of the quarter system. Recognize the skills, attributes, and knowledge that you bring to the table and apply those adaptive qualities to your new environment!

Save the Date: Orientations and More!

Don’t miss transfer orientations and events! Explore college resources and opportunities such as your respective college’s orientation, Transfer Year Experience (TYE) and Transfer Tuesdays. Orientation gives you an opportunity to hear from current transfer students and their experiences, meet new people, and learn about some of the resources available to you as a student. Transfer Tuesdays are hosted by all the colleges, where you can have a shot at meeting new friends, discussing topics and learning about new things such as meditation or the struggles of being a transfer student. Tuesdays don’t fit well with your schedule? No worries! There are so many transfer specific events hosted throughout the whole entire school year. Keep an eye out for them through your email, posts on Facebook pages, or other forms of social media.

Don’t Be Shy in Asking for Help

There’s a lot of changes that are happening and that’s totally okay! Classes are going to be different—especially in size. Did you know that the largest classroom at UC San Diego seats 412 students? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed being in a class with so many students. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Visit a professor or TA during office hours and stay in touch with them. A program hosted by each college called Dine/Coffee with A Prof allows you to invite a professor or faculty to FREE dinner or coffee. Trust me—professors love free food just as much as we do as students!

UC San Diego is 1,200 acres large. To really put that into perspective for you, that’s equivalent to 7 Disneyland’s INCLUDING California Adventure, or if you measure distance in Wal-Marts, our campus is 480 of them. If you feel lost walking around campus, just know you’re not alone! An easy way to familiarize yourself with campus is taking a campus tour. Don’t worry, I promise you won’t be walking 480 Wal-Marts during this tour! You can also do a virtual campus tour if you’d rather be comfy in your home.

Never Stop Exploring Campus Resources

Check out our resources page to find more information about academics, advising, career and professional planning and more. You won’t regret it.

Prepare for Online and In-Person Learning

You may have heard by now that for the Fall Quarter, UC San Diego is employing a hybrid learning environment. That means that classes are going to be offered through in-person and remote instruction. UC San Diego has you covered, for information about digital learning and for international students. Navigating online classes can be tough. What helped me was utilizing Google Calendar/ a planner, keeping myself accountable, and taking advantage of UCSD Recreation’s online services such as their wellness program.

I Need Advising

We all come from different backgrounds—some of us from a community college from California, some out of state, some from different 4-year universities. You may have a few questions like: How are my credits going to transfer? Who do I talk to-- my major advisor or college advisor? Wait… I have an advisor for my college AND my major?!?!?

If there’s one thing for certain, the Virtual Advising Center found on your TritonLink can assist you on figuring out which advisor to talk or may be able to answer your question directly. If you would like to seek virtual or in person services but wasn’t sure who to talk to, you can also check this out for more information.

UC San Diego has one of the most extensive Study Abroad programs, having set aside $970,000 in financial aid to help students who were planning to embark on a global experience. You can satisfy major, minor, general education, and internship credit overseas. Lucky for you, we have a Study Abroad Office that can advise you on how studying abroad can fit in your schedule as a transfer student.

Building a Community

Having a campus community and support system is crucial during your transition to UC San Diego. We have many campus community centers such as the Student Veterans Resource Center, Black Resource Center, LGBT+ Resource Center, Raza Resource Centro, Women’s Resource Center and many more. These resource centers are available for everyone to take advantage of.

At the Triton Transfer Hub, our goal is to ensure that you are supported academically, personally, and professionally. We offer academic and career workshops, study spaces, social events, tutoring, free printing, and so much more. Our services are both in-person and digitally, giving you many opportunities to stay connected during your time at UC San Diego.

You’ve Got a Friend in Us

One of the many services that the Triton Transfer Hub offers is Peer Coaching. The role of a peer coach is to walk through each student’s personal goals and advocate for the great things that each student contributes to UC San Diego. Whether you have a speedy inquiry or have goals for the future you want to discuss, peer coaches are here for you. When the road looks rough ahead and you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed, you just remember, you’ve got a friend in us!²

Own It

Know that it’s normal to experience transfer shock and YOU BELONG HERE! UC San Diego is ranked within the top 20 universities in the whole WORLD. It’s an amazing achievement to be a Triton and you have deserved it so own it! Tackle challenges head on, don’t be afraid to try new things, be confident, be kind to yourself, enjoy the beach and know that the Triton Transfer Hub has your back!

Thurmond, Karen. “Dealing with Transfer Shock.” NACADA Kansas State University, 12 Nov. 2013, nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/Dealing-with-transfer-shock.aspx.
Lasseter, John, director. Toy Story. Disney/Pixar, 1995.