Stephanie Steiner | Arts & Life Co-Editor
Have you ever thought about college as a fresh start? Upon attending college, you are entering a whole new community, hoping to find your place and make it an experience worth a lifetime of memories and opportunities taken. But what happens when your initial college experience isn’t what you had hoped for? Looking at college from the perspective of a transfer student can be a refreshing reminder that the right experience is worth the search and the path you are taking may follow different directions for a reason.
Ty Reindl is a sophomore at Buena Vista University (BVU) who transferred at spring semester from Simpson College.
“It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be,” Reindl said.
At Simpson College, Reindl seemed to have it all. He was playing football; he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) fraternity; and he was only minutes from home. But sometimes it felt nothing like a new and enlightening path for him.
“Now I’m three hours from home compared to two turns, and I was there,” Reindl said. “I wanted to know what it’s like to live on my own.”
Reindl is a Criminal Justice major with a minor in Computer Science, and he feels that the academics at BVU are a major benefit to transferring. Along with that, he plans to play football and participate in track and field for the Beavers.
As always, there are a few challenges that come with transferring to a new place.
“Making all new friends, getting to know my surroundings better, getting to know the curriculum of the classes, and where everything’s at are what I’m adjusting to,” Reindl said.
Because BVU does not have fraternities, it is much different for Reindl after having experience with ATO. He got to do a lot of community service through ATO, and it created a lifetime brotherhood for him. He hopes to get involved with the Storm Lake and BVU communities, as well as be supportive of all the athletic teams.
“We have a good support system, and that’s something I really like about BV already,” Reindl said.
Reindl is looking forward to his journey at BVU and thinks it will be a better fit for him.
“It’s kind of like a new start – not with my whole life necessarily – but it’s like a new start with everything I’ve done,” Reindl said.
Graphic by Kyle Shade
