Student Blog: Transfer Troubles and Advice

Transferring schools can be a difficult adjustment. I started my freshman year of college at Florida Gulf Coast University as a Marketing major, but after spending Summer and Fall semester there, I realized it really wasn’t the place for me. Don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful school, but I felt the University of Central Florida would be a better fit for me. With the Rosen campus, along with having exactly what I want to do for a career as a major, I knew UCF would be a good school for me. I applied to the school for the Spring 2025 semester as an Entertainment Management major. I got accepted to the school in November and was beyond thrilled to start. 

I am a student at UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management and I love it. It is the perfect place for my major, and I love living in Orlando. Adjusting to a new place can be difficult though. I moved from New York to Florida my junior year of high school, so I did have some experience with switching schools before I did it in college. With that being said, here are my tips for starting at a new school! 

Talk to the people in your classes! As intimidating as it may be, talking to the people in your classes is a great way to meet people at school. I’ve made a ton of friends in my Introduction to the Entertainment Industry class, these are people who I am going to be taking classes with for the next three years because we all have the same major. Having the opportunity to meet people with the same passion as you makes going to class even more exciting. 

Get involved! I know everyone says it, but it's true. Whether its clubs or on campus organizations, being involved makes campus feel like home. If clubs aren’t your thing, try seeing local theatre performances. My roommate, Emma, and I recently saw a production of Cabaret at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. The show was phenomenal and it was such a great night. It got us out of our apartment and gave me the opportunity to show Emma live theater for the first time (she was absolutely blown away). 

As intimidating as it was, I am so glad I transferred schools. Both UCF and Rosen have offered me so many opportunities just within the two months I have been here. I love the life I am building for myself here and I am so grateful for my academics, my friends, and UCF. I am incredibly excited to share the rest of my semester on here. If you want to see what I am up to most days you can follow my instagram @brookecreynolds (shameless plug I know I know). I hope my transferring experience could resonate with anyone, I can’t wait to write again!