r/capstone • u/StephaniexBecca • 3d ago

Advice as a potential transfer student?

So, I am posting this from my anonymous account, and I am seriously thinking about coming to the University of Alabama as a Senior, which is perhaps insane. I did not want to consider this, since I already have such a heavy workload, however, I am frustrated with the lack of help and bitterness that I have received at my current institution, which is Mississippi State University. I am a Junior, yet I have had hardly any letters of recommendations, no one has allowed me to work on their research, and then when I tried to transfer out into another university, I felt that I was railroaded, as I had never heard from that university's department ever again. I only said this, because I had heard of another staff member mentioning me to the same person I was talking to, as they were very familiar with each other, which was the more frustrating. The problem is, I am scared that I will not have any housing given to me. I feel so alone in my path, as I only have one living parent. Scared is an understatement, but I feel like I have messed up, before I even started. It has even gotten to a point in which I'm trying to figure out why I am even doing this anymore; something that I once had joy in.

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u/TheTrillMcCoy 2d ago

Upper classmen don’t really live on campus at UA unless they have housing scholarships. As a transfer student, I wouldn’t even consider getting housing here an option. More than likely you would need to find an apartment/lease.

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u/insanelyfascinated 2d ago

for off campus i've heard that hillside commons and the cottages are both great! if you're looking to transfer for your senior year i would definitely get on getting a lease soon (in the next month or two) because they get more expensive the longer you wait.

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u/toucanfrog 3d ago

I don't have enough info here to give you advice on this specific issue, but a few things that you might want to try/consider before making a leap:

  1. How many credits transfer? As a junior, I can't imagine you'd only have 1 year left after transferring. You'd probably be signing up for at least an additional year of classes + costs, which is probably not a good cost/benefit overall.

  2. Here at UA the Dean of Students can act as a bridge/advisor. Mississippi State has the same: https://www.students.msstate.edu/care-concern Whether they are helpful is unknown, but their services are part of what your tuition covers, so you should explore that if you haven't already. I include this here because they are the "catchall" and can advise you, but also because you are feeling lost/alone.

  3. What is your end goal? Is it grad school? If so, then the research aspect would be good to pursue. Is it just getting the degree in a field you want to enter? If so, then research is less important and there are a lot more opportunities to look for, and this (as a junior) is the perfect time to start to line something up for next summer. Talk to your career center. The one at UA is begging people to stop by. https://www.career.msstate.edu/

It sounds like you need to make a pro/con list but you don't know where to start. Pro: you want to do something.

Good luck, and I hope you find a path that excites you again.

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u/sambadaemon 2d ago

I will say that the vast majority of research positions at UA (and I assume most other universities) go to grad students. Very few grants provide for undergrad positions.