Why should I seek out a Transfer Peer Coach?

• Whether you have a long-term goal or a quick question, Transfer Peer Coaches are here to help you through it! You could seek out a coach for many reasons. Some popular ones are:
  
  • Desire to get connected on campus.
  • Interest in having a mentor who has gone through similar experiences.
  • Support for adjusting from semester to quarter.
  • Need to think out a post-graduation goal, such as career or graduate school decisions.
  • Help with registration tools or understanding IGETC certification.
  • Feelings of isolation on campus.
  • Feelings of struggle within coursework.
  • The need for an "accountability buddy" as it relates to your time here at UC San Diego.

What is the time commitment?

• There is no time commitment - reach out to talk to a peer coach anytime! However, if you do want CCR certification, we encourage you to meet with your Transfer Peer Coach 2 -3 times per quarter. Meeting times range from 30-minutes to 1-hour.
• Your coach will provide you with activities to complete that directly relate to your goals. Completing these before your meetings will be helpful for you and your coach to debrief and make next steps. Activities might include:
  • Academic and community-based programming
  • Faculty office hours
  • Visiting a relevant resource on campus
  • Participating in major- and career-focused activities 
• You can also meet with a coach for quick questions. These meetings may be drop-in during Hub hours, reaching out to coaches through Teams, or by appointment.

I live off campus and it's hard to make time for extra activities. What are my options?

• We can definitely accommodate you digitally! Let us know your availability. 

How do I talk to a Transfer Peer Coach?

• Reach out via email: tritontransfers@ucsd.edu
• To make an appointment for a Zoom hangout, click here.
• You can also chat with our coaches within the Triton Transfer Forum!
• Our coaches may also reach out to you to set something up!

Bruce Xu

I am an International Student

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Major: Sociology

College: Revelle

Transferred from: Santa Barbara City College

The best place to study on campus is... Giesel Library

When I'm not studying you can find me... at the beach

The advice I have for transfer students is... they always say that opportunity is for those who are prepared. So as a transfer student, don't wait for the opportunity to come. When you move to a new learning environment, transferring experiences is how you deal with the challenges the new environment presents. The opportunity is there, and the various departments of the school, through their different activities, are delivering these messages perfectly. For transfers students, no matter what the school is doing or not doing, you have people or organizations you can rely on. If you have a problem with your life at UCSD, get involved so we can work it out together. As a transfer student, I recommend talking to the professor often because you'll get a lot of different points and you might get a friendship with the professor. If you want to make friends, join a club, Chinese Union, or professional group. College is a modular experience. The only difference between us and freshmen is that we don't have two years to relax; we must act as once. As a Chinese student, English is a big challenge for us. From personal experience, the best way to improve my English is to make more English-speaking friends. This will make you feel the joy of learning English better.

Caesar Aceituno

¡Yo hablo español!

Pronouns: He/Him/His/El

Major: Sociology

College: Muir

Transferred from: Long Beach City College

The best place to study on campus is... at Giesel

When I'm not studying you can find me... on the dance floor or at the movie theater. 

The advice I have for transfer students is...  to network with faculty and staff because they will ease your transition to the University. 

Janely Villanueva Benitez

¡Yo hablo español!

I am a first-generation college student!

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Major: Psychology with Specialization in Clinical Psychology

College: Revelle

Transferred from: San Diego Mesa College

The best place to study on campus is... Giesel Library 7th Floor

When I'm not studying you can find me... spending time with family and friends or gardening and baking.

The advice I have for transfer students is... don't let the amount of time you have here at UCSD limit yourself from the endless opportunities that are available. I know that transferring to a new school can be tough and you may feel discouraged at times. However, always remember that you are here for a reason and that you deserve to be here. Remember "the same light you see in others is shining within you, too."

Julia Ng

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Major: International Studies - Sociology

College: Marshall

Transferred from: Sacramento City College

The best place to study on campus is... Northbreak in the Village or Geisel Library with friends!

Ways I keep connected while learning remotely... Lots of video calls with family and friends! Whether it's just to talk, play games, watch movies, or just doing my own work with the company of someone else.

When I'm not studying you can find me... at the beach, hanging out with my friends, swimming, or at raves

The advice I have for transfer students is... as a transfer you are here for a short period of time but don't let that discourage you. Whether you want to join a club, organization, leadership board, etc. or not, you should choose what is best for you in order to succeed here at UCSD. Your experience here is what you make of it and if you have no idea where to start, that's where we can help you! Congrats on making it to UCSD and I hope you have a lot of fun here!

Kha Nguyen

Tôi nói tiếng Việt

I am a First-Generation College Student

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Major: Bioengineering

College: Warren

Transferred from: Orange Coast College

The best place to study on campus is... Warren Student Lounge

Ways I keep connected while learning remotely... I use reddit to keep up with the current events and discord to talk, have online parties, and play games with my friends!

When I'm not studying you can find me... trying out different cultures' food recipes and sharing meals with my family.

The advice I have for transfer students is... reach out to people around you!

Kimmy Kelly

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Major: Human Biology

College: Revelle

Transferred from: MiraCosta College

The best place to study on campus is... 5th floor of Geisel, Biomedical Library, or Glider Lounge

Ways I keep connected while learning remotely...Reaching out to students in my classes and forming study groups. It helps me meet new students on campus even when everything is online. I also participate in online club meeting so that I can stay connected with students with similar interests as me.

When I'm not studying you can find me... playing with my dog, eating in Convoy, spending time with friends and family, or at work.

The advice I have for transfer students is... no matter how difficult things get, don't forget to remind yourself of all the hard work you put in to get to UCSD! Your earned your spot here and don't forget to make the most of it. Take study breaks, explore San Diego, join clubs, go to free events on campus, and never be afraid to ask questions. Try to find a balance between academics and self care to not get overwhelmed and also give yourself time to adjust to transitioning to UCSD. You got this!

Lauren Choo, International Transfer Peer Coach

我会说中文！한국어를 아직 유창하게 할 수 없지만 대화를 좀 할 수 있어요!

I am an international student from Singapore!

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Major: Theather, with a minor in International Studies

College: Sixth

Transferred from: Irvine Valley College

The best place to study on campus is... the Sustainability Resource Center.

When I'm not studying you can find me... watching Kdramas, playing games, singing, dancing, and cooking.

Ways I keep connected while learning remotely... I personally play games a lot, so I use this application called Discord, where servers are made for people to join and get on voice channels together. It is very easy for me to stay connected with my friends on there because I can hop onto the voice channel any time and it’ll tell my friends that I am online so they’ll hop on too if they are available, and we will play games together or just simply chat with one another.

The advice I have for transfer students is... don’t wait! I know it can be intimidating to jump straight into life at UCSD right after transferring, but you will not have to fear about falling behind if you take every opportunity that comes to you, or make your own opportunities starting from your first quarter here at UCSD.

Maliq De Piña

Pronouns: he/him/his

Major: Management Science

College: Muir

Transferred from: Xavier University of Louisiana

The best place to study on campus is... Biomedical Library or Giesel Study Rooms

Ways I keep connected while learning remotely... by scheduling virtual & social distance hangouts. Whether Netflix parties, walks at a beach, watching sunsets together, or sharing a meal over FaceTime. It’s super important to be intentional about maintaining relationships, and I find that scheduling time for social connection just like I do for work and classes helps me stay balanced and motivated.

When I'm not studying you can find me... cooking, out and about, or watching Netflix

The advice I have for transfer students is... to take advantage of all the resources at UCSD. You deserve to be here and receive all the benefits that come from being here. Most of all believe in yourself!

Saida Hassan

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Major: International Economics

College: Eleanor Roosevelt

Transferred from: San Diego Mesa College

The best place to study on campus is... ERC Commuter Lounge or Peet's Coffee near RIMAC.

Ways I keep connected while learning remotely... Remembering to facetime a friend for an hour at least once every three days, going on walks to clear my mind and get brain juices flowing...for some reason after that I tend to be more social, and continually talking to my siblings.

When I'm not studying you can find me... at the BRC, or on Geisel's second floor.

The advice I have for transfer students is... get involved with extracurriculars. I am a staff member on The Guardian, and not only does it look good on my resume, I also learn a lot. 

Yuxin Liu, International Transfer Peer Coach

我讲中文

I am an International Student

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Major: Psychology, minor in Business

College: Muir

Transferred from: Palomar College

The best place to study on campus is... Northbreak at the Village.

When I'm not studying you can find me... playing tennis!

The advice I have for transfer students is... get connected with your professors! Go to their office hours to introduce yourself and ask questions!  As a transfer student you only have one year before applying to graduate schools. Letters of recommendation is extremely important and you want to get strong letters. Class sizes at UCSD are way larger compared to community colleges, so it is impossible for your professor to know you well by simply attending regular classes.

If you would like to schedule a meeting with a coach and these times do not fit within your schedule, please email TritonTransfers@ucsd.edu.