As I told most of you in class, I would be assisting with the very last orientation session of the season, which was for transfers. As with all the orientations I have worked this summer, I began the day by helping out with registration, directing the parents and students to corresponding rooms to sign in and sign up for membership to the Sanderson Center.
For the rest of the day, I partnered up with two orientation leaders – Daniel Fisher and Shelby Balius – who combined their two groups of students. I listened to their Dawg Talks, assisted with ice breaker activities, and helped route the students to get their ID cards made. Following two Dawg Talk sessions, I helped the staff and OLs serve ice cream for the ice cream social.
The transfer orientation was much different from the freshmen orientations I experienced. The schedule for the students and parents varies, as well as the students’ attitudes. The transfer students seemed very independent and a little hesitant to participate in activities, whereas freshmen are excited, anxious, and ready to jump right in. The OLs struggled with this throughout the day, but they remained persistent to enjoy their very last orientation.
Being a transfer student myself, I have a soft spot in my heart for this population. I fully understand where these students are coming from in acting the way they do. As a transfer, I felt that orientation was unnecessary because I knew how the process worked, having been in college for two years already. However, even though transfers may seem unhappy, it is necessary for colleges to target this population in attempts to get them involved with the university to which they are transferring. Even though they are older and familiar with college, it is vital for colleges and universities to focus on this group of students just as they do freshmen. Transfers can just as easily get lost amongst the students of a growing university such as Mississippi State, and they can definitely add character to our campus.
-Megan T
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