Katy Rubino | Contributing Writer

Although the majority of students at Buena Vista University (BVU) came to stay for four years, many transfers arrive with college experiences already under their belts — for a variety of reasons.

First-year students adjust to the college life by juggling class work and extra-curricular activities while meeting new people. Transfer students orientate to BVU the same way, but sometimes it is difficult for those students to adjust to coming to a new university.

The welcome from the university was important to junior Kelsey Davidson who previously attended Simpson College. She enrolled at BVU in 2012 to study elementary education and music. Opera was one of her interests while at Simpson, but she found a better opportunity elsewhere.

“It is hard to connect with others outside of the opera program, and I wanted to be more involved with the religious community,” Davidson said.

Now at BVU, Davidson has been able to be more involved in different organizations like Impact, a student-led Christian group.

While some students transfer because they are unhappy with their ability to get involved with organizations, others just need a change in their life. Garrett Woodson, a fifth year senior studying physical education, health, special education, and coaching needed a positive change. Like Davidson, Woodson previously attended Simpson College and found that the people at Simpson were not as friendly as those he had met while visiting BVU.

“From day one, I had probably everyone I saw smile, look at me, say ‘how are you?’” Woodson said.

Along with making new friends easily, Woodson has been involved with the track team and is grateful to BVU Head Track and Field Coach Jeff Brennan for helping him turn his athletic career around. These positive experiences have helped Woodson feel like a part of the BVU community. He said he would recommend this university to anyone who is looking for that feeling.

There are nontraditional transfer students as well. Senor Bailey Dean is 24-years-old and began her collegiate studies in 2008. Dean has found that many of the faculty and staff at BVU want students to succeed and are invested in that success.

“When I came to register, Peter Steinfeld [Associate Dean of Faculty] actually was the one who sat down with me and personally helped me make my schedule. You don’t see that at a lot of places,” Dean said.

She appreciates the people who have helped her become acquainted during her first semester on campus. The students have also been helpful as well, and even though she is older than most, she hasn’t found it difficult to relate to others.

The size of the student body and classes may also play a role when transferring from one university to another. This was the case for senior Morgan Stark. She previously attended Iowa State University, and the reason she left was because of the large lectures she had to attend. After searching for a smaller enrollment, Stark came to BVU to major in elementary education.

“I mean 32,000 students. That’s just overwhelming, and I would have just general education classes. I would have a lecture hall of over 300 students, and I just didn’t like that environment,” Stark said.

Graphic by Grace Bodey