Transferring to a new university can be challenging and at times a little scary. Sometimes advisers and professors overestimate the amount of basic knowledge you have about class scheduling, school activities or other opportunities offered at Iowa State.

For some, being a transfer student can feel as if you are a freshman all over again. Here are a few helpful reminders when you are feeling a little lost and helpless.

• “Don’t be afraid to get acquainted with your schedule and the locations of each class before the first day.”
  — Chelsi Birchmier, junior in Animal Sciences and transfer student from Ellsworth Community College
• Check and make sure you are aware of all the prerequisites for any required courses.
• “The Daily or Job Board in AccessPlus always has job opportunities if you would like some extra money.”
  — Laura Pederson, senior in accounting and freshman transfer student from the University of Missouri
• Email your adviser and touch base with them about your future plans at Iowa State.
• “Start out by joining a variety of clubs and keeping active within the community because by the time you are an upperclassman you wont have as much time to build a portfolio.”
  — Kacey Birchmier, senior in journalism and mass communications and sophomore transfer student from the University of Iowa.
• Write out a schedule of the classes you would like to enroll in every semester until graduation and then alter as you figure out what you like or dislike.
• “Don’t be afraid to find a tutor to keep ahead in your studies.”
  — Jamie Vanderbeken, senior in liberal studies and transfer student from Tyler Junior College