As a fourth year college student, you would think that I would have it all together by now – I don’t. Being a transfer student sounds easy, but I am actually having a hard time with it.

I am someone who needs a game plan. I need to feel like I have it under control, and the second I don’t, I panic. I’m here to tell you, it gets easier, transfer students. Give it some time.

I had already heard the horrors of the stairs at CSUSM and the parking (don’t forget about the cost of parking), but the icing on the cake was when I found out I got the lowest priority when picking classes. When you’re completing upper division courses, that’s worrisome. Your mind automatically goes to the thought of “great, my degree is going to take me even longer.” To make it even worse, USPS lost my transcripts three times.

Before starting CSUSM, I decided that I should join some kind of organization. As a Mass Media major, I figured I had better get involved with something I am passionate about – I joined the newspaper. From the second I was interviewed, I knew I was at home. A sudden calming feeling came over me, and it assured me I would be okay. At a community college, you don’t make many lifelong college friends, but I felt like I finally found my kind of people.

Fast forward to starting CSUSM. Within 10 minutes of being on campus, I realize my dress has ridden up. Thanks to my backpack, my butt has now been revealed to all 30 or so students walking behind me. No one let me know. I just flashed the students of CSUSM and am simultaneously completely lost on this vast campus.

I honestly felt like it was only going to get worse from that day on, and for the next week I kept a pessimistic attitude about this change in my life. Yet, it can only get better from here. My advice to you is this: admit you cannot do it solo this time, and ask your peers for help.

At the end of the day, remember to take a deep breath and accept the fact that you will not always have it together. Get involved in some kind of group, and befriend people who have been on campus for awhile. Never forget that you are enough. Change is good and being scared is normal. Embrace new experiences and let the universe do what it’s good at – let it surprise you.