Classes that Helped Me Learn to Perform as a Transfer Student

For those who don’t know my story, I transferred to RIT in the Fall of 2024. Before RIT, I had ‘hopped’ from community college to community college because I kept moving around for a variety of reasons. To say that community college was different from university for me is an understatement because I was originally pursuing a trade. Coming to RIT gave me the wonderful opportunity to become a ‘SOIS’ student (School of Individualized Studies; pronounced ‘soy-ss’), where I explore a variety of interests all centered around a program theme. My theme is ‘Implications of AI in Security, Diplomacy, and Global Strategy.’ I had to pick up skills fast if I wanted to make the switch successfully. Here is a list of the classes that helped me transition as a non-traditional student. I will include the RIT course code if there is one.

Intro to Technical Communications (COMM 142)

In this course, we learned how to translate technical information into something consumable and write for a variety of audiences. We also learned the value of having a method when conducting research.

Things this class taught me:

1. Time management
2. Ability to define a scope
3. The meaning of ‘rhetoric’ and how to tailor writing to the audience
4. How to communicate highly technical information to the average person
5. Efficient research skills

I took this class at community college, but if I were given the opportunity, I would retake it at RIT because it was just influential to me. It gave me the writing skills needed to succeed at a technical college. It also improved my relationships with my non-technically minded peers because I could then go on to explain myself better, communicating with them on their ‘wavelength.’

Cyber: Risk and Resilience with Rick Mislan (MGIS 429)

This class was a management course designed to teach you all the necessary administrative skills to plan for and manage being on the receiving end of a cyber attack. We roleplayed as a supply chain company called ‘Qualicart.’ Aside from giving me tangible, real-world experience to put on my resume, it taught me about myself and what kind of leader I want to be. If you desire to take this class, I’d recommend taking this course in the Spring because then it is taught 3 days a week for one hour instead of one day a week for 3 hours. That is something my professor did mention.

Things I took away from this class:

1. Project Management Skills with portfolio pieces to display
2. Patience in teamwork
3. Knowledge of common cyber attacks and how to keep myself and my family safe
4. Time management
5. Connection to a local industry leader

Russian Beginning I & II (MLRU 201/202)

Learning Russian was not only fun and exciting but also increased my tolerance for trying new things. I overcame a lot of my fear of failure because my professor made it a safe space for us to have room to grow. Learning any language can increase the elasticity of your brain and open you up to new possibilities. The beginning level Russian language courses meet 4 times a week, so it provided structure and routine to my day.

Things I took away from these classes:

1. The ability to look beyond my mistakes/perfectionist tendencies
2. Power to adapt really quickly on my feet
3. New friends who were invested in our shared success
4. A better understanding of the grammar in my native language of English
5. The ability to get the heart and soul of what I wanted to say and say it more succinctly in both English and in Russian.

The communication, project/time management, and teamwork skills are ones that I will carry throughout my career. I find them valuable because they are tied to an experience or project that I can look back on. I was having a hard time picking up these skills in depth because of my nontraditional background doing independent study in welding. I hope you explore your options because it will guarantee that you optimize your experience at RIT. Take electives that challenge and excite you. The future awaits you.