With around one out of every three SUNY Oswego students coming in from another college, National Transfer Student Week, running Oct. 17 to 21, will provide tips, trivia, treats and more in celebrating and supporting transfer students.

The week of activities spearheaded by the Advisement Center kicks off with a virtual Transfer Student Trivia Night at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17. SUNY Oswego transfer students can use this Zoom link to join the fun.

“Pumpkin Spice Up Your Career,” at 4 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, in 141 Marano Campus Center, invites transfer students to meet Career Services career coaches. Donuts and cider will be served during this opportunity to learn how career coaches can help students explore best-fit careers, gain experience and market their experiences to land a future dream job. 

A transfer degree review workshop, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, in the Advisement Center (151 Marano) provides an opportunity to sit down for an in-depth review (or quick check) of their Degree Audit with a transfer success advisor. This session can allow students to make sure they are on track to graduate, to ask questions about how credits were applied or to get answers to any other questions.

The week will wrap up with Transfer Treats from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21, in 205 Marano. Transfer students can relax with sweets and refreshments while meeting and socializing with fellow transfers.

Making connections

The opportunities Oswego offers means that transfer students can find a home and make an impact quickly, such as junior broadcasting and mass communication major Jolie Santiago, who came to Oswego from SUNY Rockland. 

“I chose SUNY Oswego as the place to spend my next two years of college because Oswego made me feel like a priority,” Santiago recalled. “It was simple to connect with faculty and get all my questions answered. They made the transfer process easier.”

In her first semester as a Laker, Santiago has become a key ambassador, working with the Office of Communications and Marketing and Admissions to create content for and manage the Admissions TikTok and Instagram accounts, following up on experience she gained wearing a different green and gold at Rockland.

“Also, I spend many hours in the WTOP Studio as an anchor, reporter, crew member and social media coordinator,” Santiago said. “I play club volleyball and made the closed team. In my classes, I have excellent professors. Recently, I met Tom Winiarski, president of platform monetization at NBCUniversal Media. He is an Oswego alumnus and even gave us some NBC swag. It’s opportunities like these that mean so much to me.”

Transfer advice

While the transition from one college to another can bring its share of challenges, several transfer students offered advice for fellow students considering SUNY Oswego, or who choose the college and want to know how to succeed.

"Join as many clubs as possible,” advised Ava Handley, a philosophy, politics and economics major who came from Jefferson Community College. “You don't always have to keep up with each club, but it gives you a chance to find people with common interests and fun hobbies to look forward to."

"Never be afraid to ask for help," said Kendall MacDonald, a criminal justice major who transfered from SUNY Dutchess. "Know your resources and how to utilize them."

“Become friends with your roommate(s),” suggested Raizel Demaria, a cinema and screen studies major who transferred from Cayuga Community College. “Balance school and fun, don't get too overwhelmed and apply skills that you learned at your previous institution."

"I wanted a place with many clubs and activities, where I would feel like a part of something," said Anna Lioto, a theatre major who came in from Onondaga Community College, said of the decision to continue with SUNY Oswego.

"Know that you are not expected to know everything, that's why we are here,” Lioto noted. “We can ask for help and we can make mistakes. Learning from them is what's going to turn us into the smart, confident people we know that we can be."

"I came to Oswego because of their reputation in the broadcasting major. I have heard a lot of great things from my previous institution about Oswego,” said Autumn Baker, a broadcasting and mass communication major who came from Onondaga Community College.

Getting involved –- “it will be a big reward in the long run and it looks good on resumes or grad school applications” –- and taking time to know your professors were two pieces of advice from Baker, in addition to exploring new opportunities: "No one ever succeeds by only staying in their comfort zone; get out of your comfort zone and do things you wouldn't have normally done in the past."