Transfer Students Give Unique Take on College Life

By ERIC KRALJIC

For students that have just started to attend Ramapo College, only one perspective is given to their college experience. Meanwhile, students who have attended multiple colleges, have a unique view on different college experiences.

Those who have attended previous schools are known as “transfer students”.  These students know what it feels like to have a different take on college life.

With 5,661 undergraduate students at Ramapo College, entering the 2015-16 school year, 931 were transfer students, according to Ramapo’s enrollment report.

Transfer Students Describe Benefits of Ramapo 

As Ramapo College is home to many transfers, it allows the opportunity to know exactly how it feels to attend a school with a different atmosphere.

“Ramapo is exactly what I was looking for when I decided to transfer. It’s a small school with a great campus that has a friendly environment,” said Michael Lingle, a junior transfer from Rutgers.

“When I was at Rutgers, I felt lost because it was such a big campus, I definitely fit in better here,” said Lingle.

The small school atmosphere seems to resonate with most students when they first arrive at Ramapo, many students expect it to be a a big campus.

The majority of transfer students at Ramapo come from two-year colleges, specifically, Bergen Community College. According to the school’s 2015 enrollment report, 184 students transferred from Bergen to Ramapo, by far the highest of any college or university.

“I was really surprised at how small my classes were,” said Carly Shurba, a senior transfer from Bergen Community College. “I thought my classes would be much bigger, but some were even smaller from when I was at Bergen.”

Analysis of Ramapo Lifestyle 

While Ramapo offers many unique opportunities because of its location and size, it also can have some disappointing aspects from students who wish there was more to offer.

Some students who are sports fans believe it would be beneficial to offer more sports, specifically football.

“When I was at Rowan, every Saturday in the fall revolved around the football game and it brought a lot of the students together,” said senior Ryan Hopper. “I guess I miss that the most.”

In the spring of 2015, multiple occurrences of binge drinking and rape accusations on campus forced the college to crackdown on alcohol consumption. This caused an increased in fines and new policies that could lead to expulsion. Students have protested the new policy and has frustrated those who live on campus.

“There’s really no freedom here socially, you can’t do anything without worrying about being caught,” said Hopper.

Not every school is perfect and can accommodate every students’ needs and wishes. Each college or university offers certain aspects that make them different in their own way. It depends on the person and whether or not they fit into a particular college and lifestyle.