The first year in college comes with new experiences, people and lifestyles, and these changes can be especially difficult for transfer students coming to the University from another school.
Dre Vaden, program manager of transfer initiatives for Bama Transfers, is the designated staff member for providing a support system and helping “connect the dots” for transfer students through events, academic encouragement and other resources in an attempt to ease their transition.
“It means a lot that I can give back to this community that means so much to me, and it’s definitely allowed me to hit my full-circle moment here at UA, which is awesome,” Vaden said. “I love what I do, and I love our transfer students.”
Vaden transferred from Austin Community College in Austin, Texas, to the University, a move she described as challenging but worth it.
She said she holds a personal connection with the transfer students coming to the Capstone and has had firsthand experience with the challenges they may encounter, especially when arriving on campus in the middle of the school year.
New transfer students face obstacles navigating new class sizes, campus culture, social interactions and overall lifestyle adjustments.
Sharlise Williams, a junior majoring in psychology, transferred from Wallace Community College in Selma, Alabama, at the start of the spring semester in 2024.
Williams said that it was difficult going from taking primarily online classes to all in-person after transferring but that community college was a very important step to help her “get ready for the big leagues” at a four-year university.
“I feel like I developed a completely different lifestyle up here, and it feels really good,” Williams said. “How they have so many things to get students involved, especially dealing with mental health since that’s the career I want to go into.”
Williams said she loves how welcoming UA has been and “how they have so many things to get students involved, especially dealing with mental health since that’s the career I want to go into.”
She has gotten involved with Active Minds UA, a group that promotes mental health awareness and has made friends on campus as she continues to pursue her education. She recommends that transfer students coming to the Capstone stay prepared to “step into a new place in their lives,” set goals and have fun.
Navid Sadigh, a junior majoring in computer science, transferred from Irvine, California, last spring semester and said that the adjustment to the UA social scene, the weather and the distance from family was something he had to get used to.
“I didn’t know I was even coming here until December 2023, and classes started in January 2024, so I had a month to basically move out for the first time in my life, and moving out is one of the most stressful events in your life,” Sadigh said.
After getting settled in, Sadigh joined a fraternity and began to enjoy the “Southern hospitality” and diversity he experienced on campus.
One night in Chipotle, Sadigh met someone from Tucson, a city close to his hometown Irvine, which he says “really shows you how small of a world we live in, that 2,000 miles away you can find someone who came from miles where you grew up from or may have even gone to the same school.”
For students considering transferring to the University, Sadigh recommends they take advantage of the scholarship opportunities, plan ahead, join clubs and utilize the resources offered by Bama Transfers.
Bama Transfers typically offers monthly social events, and it tends to have its biggest celebration in October with National Transfer Student Week. There is also a weekly study hall Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m., and Vaden keeps her office in Russell Hall open as a safe space for all transfer students.
“If you decide to transfer to Alabama, there is a community here to help you along the way,” Vaden said. “You are not alone, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
