Every fall, a group of new students floods the campus – getting lost in the tunnels, noticing the low-flying planes and thinking “It probably doesn’t get as cold as everyone says.”
Well, new students arrive in January for the spring semester too — albeit in much smaller numbers — and the only thing they might have more of a clue about is the cold.
This semester, 33 new students have transferred or are otherwise starting school here, according to Assistant Dean of Freshmen Marcy Kraus.
“We always have a small number of freshman,” Kraus said. “Some have deferred a semester and some are applying for coming in for January admission. We get some international students … usually the greatest number are just transfer students.”
Freshman Audrey Amir-Denton just transferred here from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Penn.
In addition to not having the major that she wanted, “There were several things about Bucknell that just didn’t fit my personality,” Amir-Denton said.
“Bucknell has over 65 percent involvement in the Greek system … if you didn’t join, there’s nothing else to do. You’re actually introduced as an independent [at parties].”
Amir-Denton, who lives in Susan B. Anthony Residence Halls, chose UR for its American Sign Language program. “There are only about three really good programs in the country,” she said. She hopes to work with the large deaf community in Rochester when the time comes for her to get an internship.
“People are really friendly [at UR],” Amir-Denton said, although she added that it’s “harder to assimilate” as a spring transfer than in the fall.
“Everyone’s been perfectly nice to me, but there’s a difference between saying ‘Hi, nice to meet you,’ and ‘Do you want to go do something?'” she said.
She also said that she felt the school could have made it easier for her to get everything in order. “I feel like I did a lot on my own that they should have given me some guidance on.”
Kristy Cornell, another spring transfer, has a simpler complaint. “My worst experience at UR would definitely be having to walk back and forth to the parking lot every day. I’m sure it’s beautiful in the spring, but right now it’s zero degrees and I’m not really feeling it.”
Cornell got her associate’s degree from a community college in South Carolina before transferring to UR this semester to get her bachelor’s degree.
Cornell, who came in as a sophomore, is hoping to major in chemistry. A Rochester native, she shares an off-campus apartment with her fianc.”I lived [in Rochester] my whole life except for the few years I lived in South Carolina,” she said. “I missed my friends and family that live here and believe it or not, I actually missed the snow. Now I wonder what the hell I was thinking.”
There is one undisputed benefit to transferring in January — you don’t have to wait as long for April.
