Back during fall term I had to take a three-week transfer class that was one credit. This one credit transfer class pushed me over the credit allotment and was going to add a whopping $1560 onto my end of the year bill. Since I have no financial stability in my life whatsoever, I could not come up with the $1560, which caused me to have to drop a class I was taking, five weeks into the term (that I’ll have to retake…) Sounds frustrating, right?
I was in and out of the registrar’s office last week so many times I should have gotten a punch card. I don’t think my one credit transfer class (that I was required to take by the college) should have counted towards my credit allowance. The transfer class is put in place of the LSFY sequence for all first year students.
You’re probably thinking, wait, you get to take a one credit, three-week class, in place of an entire yearlong LSFY sequence? That’s cake! While I agree, it is a nice compromise; by taking that one class, it will not allow me to take full advantage of my credit allowance for the year.
Instead of being able to take a total of 11 three-credit classes for the year, I could only take 10 (plus my one credit transfer, and two other credits). As a transfer student coming from a school on a semester system, I feel like I am already behind in not having the same amount of terms per year as the rest of my Augie peers. Then, by taking away my ability to take the same amount of three-credit classes as them puts me at another disadvantage.
I don’t see why transfer students need to take a class on how to succeed in college, when they have already experienced college. When someone hears the word transfer student, the overall consensus is assuming this student is coming from a community college and doesn’t understand how to assimilate to campus life or get acclimated to the liberal arts education system. This transfer student schema is very frustrating and limiting.
I transferred from Luther College, which is very much like Augustana, a small, private, religiously affiliated liberal arts college. And while there are non-traditional students, most other transfer students have had some form of college experience already, whether that’s from community colleges or state universities.
I understand Augustana wants to make the transition process as smooth as possible, but when a class that I am required to take merely because I am a transfer student, jeopardizes my ability to make full use of my credit allowance for the year, the transfer class is not considered a value to me anymore, it becomes a burden.
The solution I would offer would be to not have that one credit, three-week class count towards my credit allotment. I don’t think that paying extra to be able to take another class because I had to take the transfer class is fair on the college’s part. If I am required to take this class, I don’t think I should be penalized for it monetarily nor be cut short a class because I couldn’t pay for the extra credit.
The Augustana administration is looking towards semesters to draw more transfer students. Semesters would allow more mid-year transfers, more willingness to transfer, and perhaps more direct equivalencies regarding transfer credits. But trimesters are what make Augie unique. Maybe the key isn’t to get a new system, but rather, change the system itself.