Coming into a new school as a transfer student can be overwhelming. It’s easy to be lost in the crowd after orientation, especially if you go to a big school.

Now, you have to weigh in on the different qualities of each campus. So, you decide to schedule some campus tours to get a feel for them.

Transferring schools is like tackling a beast. From essays, sending transcripts, recommendations, and college reports, it can be an overwhelming process depending on how many schools you are applying to.

When I started considering transferring this year, the one thing that held me back was my anxiety surrounding other people’s opinions of my decision.

There’s so much to explore that it might be overwhelming to understand all the amazing resources available. Here are the 3 that I used my first semester at UC Berkeley that helped me become more successful.

I made the decision to transfer in late September, and it was one of the most nerve-wracking decisions I’ve ever made. The anxiety I felt surrounding other’s reactions to my news trumped the relief I felt in my decision.

Forgoing a four-year college experience as a freshman can be a tough decision. But for one student, it was an easy one. It saved him money, still gave him lots of extracurricular opportunities and gave him a chance to improve his academic standing (and earn a full-ride!).

Navigating the college landscape is tough, even tougher if you’re a first-gen student. But with ample support from her partner and advisors, Keyoni is on her way to transferring from a two-year to four-year college and earning her law degree.