FSU's Transfer Student Union offers resources and support to help make the transfer process easier and more accommodating

By Aiden Wood

When first arriving on a campus that has an abundance of brick buildings and young people chatting with each other, the unknown can be an intimidating experience.

I know because I am a transfer student who showed up at Florida State University my junior year, in 2020. I took the two-year community college route to earn my Associate in Arts degree before starting at FSU.

About 3,000 students transfer to FSU per year, most of whom come from various in-state community colleges, according to FSU's Office of Admissions. Fortunately, university-based clubs such as the Transfer Student Union (TSU) are geared toward accommodating them.

Becoming a new student at a large university is always difficult, but it can be even more of a challenge when you come in as a transfer student. I remember feeling lost and experiencing imposter syndrome. There can be feelings of being out of place, and it can be difficult to find a sense of belonging when stepping into new territory.

Though you eventually become accustomed to your surroundings, that does not take away from the fact that the transition is still hard to navigate.

Founded in the Fall 2019 semester, the TSU aims to bring transfer students together through activities, such as community service and intramural sports. I recently spoke with TSU President Sarah Toole, who is excited about the return of the organization to campus after a multiple-semester hiatus.

Toole transferred in from Tallahassee Community College, and she is a double major in Public Health and in Environment and Society. One of her goals as president is “to increase the membership of the union and grow the transfer student community.”

One reason for this goal is her own experiences as a transfer student.

“My transition to Florida State has not been easy in any way and it left me feeling quite lonely,” Toole says. “With only two semesters under our belt in the TSU world, I feel more confident about finding my community than I ever have.”

Her advice to incoming transfer students is to always advocate for yourself and to try and get involved in whatever you are interested in. The remaining members of TSU's executive board comprises students in various majors: Mariana Reyes, vice president, Political Science; Christian Victoria, treasurer, double major in Business management and in Computer Science; Ailin Cano, secretary, Environment and Society; and Olivia Rickard, historian, Biological Sciences.

The Department of English at FSU is a great example of a community that includes many transfer students. With each passing year, the number of transfer students admitted into the department consistently increases, says Hannah Beth Ragland, the department's academic program specialist.

She explains that the transfer process for students is a difficult one, and that resources such as the TSU are ideal for making the process easier and more accommodating for these new students.

I spoke with two English transfer students who opened up to me about their time thus far at FSU.

Senior Angela Himes, an English-Editing, Writing, and Media (EWM) major, is interested in learning about technical writing and media, which inspired her to choose the EWM concentration for her major. She transferred to FSU in Fall 2022 and plans to graduate in summer 2024. Her favorite course so far has been Advanced Editing and Writing with Jaclyn Fiscus-Cannady.

What she enjoyed the most was that the class was discussion-based and open to multiple perspectives. Her favorite thing about Fiscus-Cannady was that she ensured that students’ learning needs were met by being open to feedback on her class and by accommodating students in the best way possible.

Himes’ advice to incoming transfer students is to become as involved as much as they can with clubs and extracurricular activities. Her favorite memory so far at FSU, she told me, is the Nov. 25, 2022, football game she attended at Doak Campbell Stadium, when the Seminoles beat the University of Florida 45-38.

Sunrya Peace-Friedman is an English-EWM major who is graduating in Spring 2025, and she chose the EWM track because she felt that she could get an education on a wide variety of topics. She also enjoys any subject matter involving literature; she won the English department's 2022-23 Mart P. Hill Award for Outstanding English Honors Thesis Award.

Her favorite course at FSU, so far, has been Article and Essay Technique (ENC3310) with English-Creative Writing doctoral candidate Olivia Sokolowski.

“The people are really what made the class so amazing,” Peace-Friedman says. “Everyone contributed and listened to what others had to say.”

Peace-Friedman’s favorite memories at FSU, so far, have been lying on Landis Green with her friends whenever the days are warm and sunny. Her advice for incoming transfer students is to trust in the process.

“It’s okay to ask for help,” she says. “Everyone at FSU is working for your greatest good.”

With the transfer process being no easy feat, it is important to take full advantage of organizations on campus like the TSU. FSU is a community that aims to support one another on each student’s pathway to success. Students like Sunrya and Angela are examples of the types of students you can meet if you get involved.

Aiden Wood is a senior majoring in English-Editing, Writing, and Media with a minor in education.

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