Students blog

As the semester begins, you're navigating your new campus, finding classrooms, study spots, and where to grab a bite. But for transfer students, there's a distinction between you and some classmates. Having already spent a year or more in college, perhaps even earning your associate degree elsewhere, you're adapting while others seem fully integrated.

But don't fret, fellow transfer student, there are numerous ways to connect and seize opportunities. Reflecting on my time at Cal State Fullerton, I dived into opportunities, pursuing interests and prepping for post-grad life. Here are a few strategies to explore your passions and maximize campus resources for life beyond graduation.

Join a student organization

At the beginning of each school year, or sometimes even every semester, universities host a pivotal event where campus organizations, departments, and clubs gather to connect with students. At CSUF, ours is called Discoverfest, but be sure to find out what your school calls it and mark your calendar for this event.

During my first or second week at Cal State Fullerton, I stumbled upon Discoverfest almost by accident. Tents dotted the campus, and as I wandered through, certain clubs caught my eye. I ended up exploring every section of the event, grabbing flyers about club meetings and ways to get involved, not to mention some cool freebies! This was my primary entry point into the CSUF community, and it's a crucial opportunity for you to discover the wealth of resources and opportunities available at your school.

Visit your transfer department

Many college campuses feature a dedicated department specifically tailored to support transfer students, along with various unique student groups. At CSUF, ours is known as the TAPP Center – Transfer Adult Re-entry Parenting & Pregnant Student. This department aims to offer professional and academic support to these distinct student populations. Their services range from providing study spaces and workshops to offering free snacks and coffee, student resource groups, as well as volunteer and career opportunities. Be sure to see if your school offers a similar resource and make the most of the facilities and resources they provide!

Talk to your professors and peers

Your professors and peers can often serve as valuable resources right on campus. For instance, my sales professor heads the Sales Leadership Center, which hosts numerous events, offers involvement opportunities, and boasts connections with over 30 companies for internships and jobs. Additionally, I've encountered peers deeply involved in various clubs or even working within departments I was interested in.

Don't hesitate to reach out and ask questions. You never know, your next career opportunity could arise from a conversation with a professor or peer. Seize the opportunity and go for it!

Get involved!

All that to say – get involved. It’s never too late to leverage your resources and connections as a college student! Now that I have graduated, I can reminisce on all of the ways I got involved on campus. I was the Marketing Coordinator for Entertainment and Tourism Club, I was on the street team for Associated Students Inc (ASI), I went to various College of Business events and events hosted by ASI, and served as the VP of Programs Assistant for American Marketing Association (AMA).

These experiences have shaped me in ways I couldn't have imagined and have enriched my college experience beyond measure. So, as you navigate your own path through university life, remember it's never too late to dive in, get involved, and craft a college experience that's uniquely yours.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

“I’m Not a Math Person”

“I’m not a Math Person” is what immediately went through my head as I registered for my intermediate Macroeconomics class last semester. I wasn’t looking forward to this course at all whatsoever and wasn’t too fond of the content that was going to be taught. I honestly went in with low expectations and was aiming for a passing grade. I’ve always had a difficult time with classes that are math based or even just have a portion focused on numerical calculations. I am also more interested in Marketing and the creative side of Business, so Economics wasn’t that appealing to me. My mindset was to simply get through the class so that I could attain my degree and do what I love most after I graduate.

What Changed…

Although, I said above that I only wanted to get credit for the class, I still did my best to understand the class content and studied a significant amount of time outside of our weekly lectures. I truly thought I was only capable of earning a passing grade due to the fact that math was one of my weaknesses; however, that all changed within the first few weeks of the course.

My study sessions consisted of looking up videos online that could better explain more difficult concepts in detail and looking over lecture notes as well as adding my own notes to them. My professor did a decent job at teaching the content, but I still felt there were times when I couldn’t understand what he was saying or even get my questions answered by a classmate. When this first happened, after the second or third lecture of the semester, I decided to check out Pearson+ Channels during one of my study sessions.

The Solution: Pearson+ Channels

For those who may not know, Pearson+ is an eLearning hub with instant access to eTextbooks, videos, and study tools for student support. One of the tools that I found to be most helpful is Pearson+ Channels. Channels consist of mini-video courses that go over content that has most likely been taught in your classes. They not only have Macroeconomics but also a wide variety of topics such as Biology, Psychology, Accounting, and more!

What specifically helped me in the Macroeconomics Channels course is the teaching style of the instructor. Brian utilized language that made complicated concepts easier to understand. He also made the course engaging by having viewers follow along with a set of notes to fill out and by creating diagrams to explain various topics. I enjoyed his use of simple examples and how straightforward he was. This video series assisted me greatly in my studies and even helped me to feel more comfortable going to class, answering questions out loud in lectures, and feeling more confident going into tests.

Victory!

Pearson+ Channels aided me in gaining an overall better understanding of Macroeconomics. I was surprised at how this learning tool allowed me to have a more positive attitude in this course. I ended up not only getting an A on my first test but also an A in the class. I am grateful for the knowledge that Pearson+ Channels has given me and plan on utilizing it in the future. If you are looking for a learning tool that appeals to a majority of students’ learning styles and helps you to master the material to a certain extent, try out Pearson+ Channels – it’s a Game Changer!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

I found my junior year of college to be my most difficult year yet. The workload was very challenging, and I had to let go of numerous extracurricular commitments and social events. It was hard to leave roles that I was passionate about and sacrifice time with family and friends. I realized midway through my Fall semester that I was taking multiple tests every three weeks or so and had a never-ending course load.

Unfortunately, it got to the point in the semester where I had four tests in one week and studied for hours on end. This brought me a substantial amount of stress and anxiety. It wasn’t until I took my Operations Management test, I realized that I had academic anxiety. I couldn’t focus properly and even though I studied enough, I panicked and felt like I was going to fail.

However, I was able to overcome the anxiety that I experienced during my junior year and was able to excel in both my Spring semester finals and course grades overall. I attribute being able to overcome this hurdle in my college career to several different areas of my life: faith, fitness, mental health breaks, and connection with family and close friends.

My faith is what primarily helped me through this mental block. I felt that reading my Bible, doing devotionals, praying, and having others at church pray for me as well really made an impact. I truly wouldn’t have gotten through that year without relying primarily on my faith.

In addition, focusing on fitness and implementing mental health breaks when working on schoolwork aided me greatly in overcoming this obstacle. I love to work out, it’s a great stress reliever and very refreshing. I made time to lift weights and run every day. This allowed me to start off my school days on a positive note and helped me to have a confident mindset. In order to prevent burnout during my schoolwork days, I downloaded a timer app on my laptop and scheduled mental health breaks between study and homework sessions. I was able to clear my mind and not get overwhelmed from working on coursework for too long.

Something I value most is spending time with my family and close friends. I truly wouldn’t have persevered this last year without them. Having people to talk to and be completely honest with was integral to overcoming academic anxiety. Who you have in your corner is important and essential in both the joyful and challenging parts of life. You need people who can cheer you on and be a shoulder to cry on.

As someone who has dealt with mental health issues ever since high school, I know it’s important for students to know they’re not alone. There are so many stressors that can be overwhelming and worrisome in a college student’s life. You’re not crazy about crying over a test or panicking about numerous deadlines at once. Also, you won’t be stuck forever feeling this way. You can and will overcome academic anxiety. You can and will graduate with the degree you’ve been working towards. In the moment, I know it is easy to want to give up and believe that you won’t get through college. I encourage you to implement some of the strategies I’ve given above or reach out to a family member or friend for help. You’ve got this!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!