I transferred to Gannon University last semester in the middle of my junior year of college. Previously, I was attending Point Park University in Pittsburgh where I was double majoring in Public Relations and Advertising and Mass Communications. Transferring colleges is a very scary thing to do, especially so late in the game. Leaving my beautiful city, my friends, and my comfort zone was hard, especially for someone as introverted as I am. Luckily, I was from Erie originally, so I had a general knowledge of Gannon. However, that barely made the switch any easier. If you are considering transferring to Gannon, here are a few easy things to do to feel comfortable at your new school as soon as possible.

Visit Gannon and take a tour

Even though I am from Erie, I had barely ever been on or around Gannon’s campus. During my last semester at Point Park, I visited Erie to meet with an adviser in the major I was looking to take and go on a tour of the school. When you’re a freshman beginning college anywhere, it takes time to become familiar with the different buildings and general area. Most importantly, you have to learn where all the best coffee is. If you can start the semester having some knowledge of the campus (and the coffee), starting classes and getting around won’t seem so daunting.

See what students in your major are doing

I transferred to Gannon for their Theatre and Communcation Arts major, so when I visited, I went to see a play at the Schuster Theatre. It was lucky that a show was going on when I visited, but there are definitely other ways to learn about the major you want to pursue without attending an event. Faculty for any of the majors are always willing to talk to you about different programs and even get you in touch with students to answer any other questions you may have about the program or the school. Gannon also hosts events specifically for each school of education that they offer, such as the College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences, College of Engineering and Business, Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences, etc. During these events you get to tour buildings that host classes for those majors and talk to different professors in the field. While these events are geared towards incoming freshman, transfer students are always more than welcome to attend as well.

Join an organization as soon as possible

Gannon offers a myriad of different clubs and organizations for people of all interests to get involved in. The obvious choice for me was the get involved in the theatre productions, but you can be a part of the Activities Programming Board, Ultimate Frisbee, the Student Government Association, Habitat for Humanity, or various sororities and fraternities. The list goes on and on. Join something you’re interested in and you’re bound to find tons of people similar to you to make easy friends with right off the bat. Joining the theatre program helped me make friends right away and be a part of something I loved doing.

The moral of the story is that Gannon is a very easy university to transfer to. Everyone is welcoming and the school has tons to offer in regards to majors and organizations. The campus is small and easy to acclimate to. While I was involved with various things at Point Park, I am involved with more at Gannon in two short semesters than I was in five there. I don’t know, maybe it’s because I believed in the possibilities. Who knows!