Like many prospective students, when choosing what school was right for me, I felt torn between a few places. While I’m glad that Oberlin was the right choice for me, I always knew that transferring to another school could be an option. On the flip side, when considering other schools, I knew transferring to Oberlin could potentially be in my future. Luckily, I made the right decision for freshman year, but I still sometimes wonder what it would be like to transfer into Oberlin later on. So, I conducted an interview with two of my classmates, dear friends, and Oberlin transfer students.
What excited you the most about transferring to Oberlin? What do you think would have excited you the most about Oberlin now that you go here?
Smith: Oberlin blew me away. It’s hard to blow me away because I’m pretentious. I was studying Latin at my last school, but here I can study Latin alongside Greek and Classics.
Weston: I was extremely excited at the prospect of moving from a large urban area in liberal California to rural/New York, Ohio. I had never been to the Midwest before, and was pleasantly surprised by the sky. Lack of hills is difficult. I climbed a lot of things during the first month on the ground.
What scared you the most about transferring to Oberlin? What scares you the most about Oberlin now, as a student?
Smith: When I came to Oberlin, I was really afraid that I wouldn’t be able to make friends. Lame, I know, but I was sorely mistaken. I should have been afraid that I wouldn’t have enough time to get close with all the people I want to. I made plenty of friends, but I’m especially grateful for the community of fellow transfer students. We really banded together. Watch out!
Weston: I was afraid of nothing. But I should have been afraid of the reputation that I have amassed due to the small size of the school. In a good way. I was perhaps afraid that I would not be able to walk enough, but have found that I walk too much.
Can you compare and contrast the schools you have attended?
Smith: I felt like a total outcast before I transferred. I had people I would eat meals with, but I didn’t feel any real connection. When I went to Oberlin, it was different. I feel like the people I live with and am in classes with really know my name.
Weston: Must say, Phoenix Technical High School was a little more eventful. But that technically was not higher education. The Arizona Community Colleges introduced me to my love for science. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would pursue a degree in anything other than cold hard fact. But then I arrived at Oberlin, and struck a balance unlike any other I had struck before. I am no longer going to drop my philosophy major.
Have you found your people here?
Smith: More than that, I’ve fallen in love.
Weston: I found my people in Cleveland. Yes, they are Oberlin students. Electric vehicle rental is a real saving grace. I left my heart in Lake Erie. Nevermind.
Have you found yourself here?
Smith: I’ve fallen for myself.
Weston: I thought I lost myself during the early coop days. But Stevenson allowed me to reconnect with my love for airports and emergency rooms. Oberlin is a wonderful place. It provides many opportunities. I have realized that I am a city person. But I can be a city person in Oberlin. Sad sometimes only three years and not four.
No two Obies have the same experience, but transfer students have a particularly unique perspective on the school. People with vastly ranging beliefs and experiences can pursue both academic and artistic interests. Had I not come freshman year, I can’t help but think(or hope) I would have transferred in.
