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Transfer Student Resources

Transfer Student Leadership Certificate

The goal of the Leadership Certificate Program is to give students the opportunity to learn about important leadership skills and provide experiential education opportunities for students to practice these skills and apply them. Students have up to two years to complete the requirements once they begin the program. There is a certificate program designed especially for transfer students that focuses on transitions and managing change. To learn more visit rit.edu/leadership.

Some transfer students easily adapt to their new surroundings while others feel lonely and overwhelmed, unsure whether or not they will thrive at their new school. Researchers estimate that 15-20% of all transfer students drop out sometime during the first year at their new institution and/or experience a decline in their GPA. This is known as transfer shock. Here are ten tips to minimize transfer shock and ensure your success as a transfer student.

  1. Attend orientation activities
  2. Do not be afraid to ask questions and seek out help
  3. Take a campus tour/wander/explore
  4. Create a new support network – make friends
  5. Familiarize yourself with policies, rules, and regulations
  6. Identify the services and resources available to support you
  7. Get to know your classmates, advisers, and instructors
  8. Find a balance between academics and personal development
  9. Get involved in a club or organization that interests you
  10. Take time to have fun and participate in activities

Item number one on that list is not a coincidence. Going through an orientation program of some sort is probably the single most important thing you can do to get off to a good start. We can provide the programs and activities to help you meet these ten objectives, but it’s up to YOU to get involved and take responsibility for your experience at RIT. Choose to not be part of the 20%.

The goal of the Leadership Certificate Program is to give students the opportunity to learn about important leadership skills and provide experiential education opportunities for students to practice these skills and apply them. Students have up to two years to complete the requirements once they begin the program. There is a certificate program designed especially for transfer students that focuses on transitions and managing change. To learn more visit rit.edu/leadership.

 

Recommended Reading for Transfer Students

  • Transitions: A Guide for the Transfer Student by Susan B. Weir
  • The Transfer Student’s Guide to the College Experience by Nadine S. Koch and K. William Wasson
  • Transfer Student Companion by Thomas J. Grites and Susan Rondeau