Welcome to the University of Chicago! Some of you are probably thinking, “Why should I listen to another one of those suspiciously enthusiastic-sounding O-Aide dudes?” I know I had a voice like that somewhere in the back of my mind when I received a somewhat-similar letter a year ago. Except, you should consider yourself lucky, because at least you’re hearing from someone who was once a transfer student himself, and will not start by saying “I’m sure your high school friends have left, and you are eager to start college…”
My name is Ryo Chijiiwa, and I’m a habitual transfer student. No, really, I am. The U of C is my 4th college, if I count the one semester I spent at a community college in Southern California, between doing time at Keio University in Tokyo, and CSU Chico in Northern California. But this one’s a keeper, I think, and I plan on graduating sometime in the next year… or so. I’m a questionable Computer Science concentrator, who’s secretly/desperately hoping to find a faculty advisor to do a Tutorial Studies program that combines Computer Science, Military History, and Cinema Media Studies. I will be living in Hitchcock, although I’ve also lived in Stony, Shoreland and Max East (all in a period of one year!). And yes, I am an enthusiastic-sounding (I hope) O-Aide, although whether or not I am suspicious, is a question I leave to the reader…
I suspect, however, that many of you understand my enthusiasm at some level. I believe transfer students tend to be as enthusiastic about coming to the University of Chicago as first-years are, if not more so. You probably have no illusions about what college is about, and you know what you want. More importantly, you also know that the UofC offers what you want. Otherwise, you probably would not have bothered to pack up all your stuff again, say goodbye to your friends, and leave that now familiar town/village/city/favorite-restaurant/bar to come to the South Side of Chicago (as wonderful as it is). So, I’ll skip the whole inspirational speech, and cut to the chase. That is, I’ll offer you some words of advice:
Advice #1: Read all the mailings. If what you’re getting this year is anything like what I got last year, you probably have a huge stack of paper. A lot of it might be spam, or not applicable to transfers. But, there’s going to be stuff in there that you should know. So don’t toss it before looking through everything.
Advice #2: O-Week is for you too, so participate. You might have experienced orientation at your previous school(s). You might feel like you know how the system works. You might not want to hang out with all those first-years (more on that later). But things (many things, probably) are different here, and going with the program is probably the easiest way to familiarize your self with various procedures and resources unique to this school. And don’t forget to meet people, and have fun too.
Advice #3: Remember, first years are our friends. I’ve noticed an unfortunate tendency among transfers to distance themselves from first-years. Yes, we know you’re older, and have gone through this before. We know it’s frustrating when you get lumped in with them. I understand how you might think “wait… I’m not really one of them.” But you are. They will be in your classes. They are in your House. They will be in your clubs and organizations. They are fellow UofC students. They might be younger and new to this college thing, but you’ll be surprised how interesting, engaging, and brilliant they are. They have a lot to offer you, and you have a lot to offer them.
Advice #4: Placement tests are there to help you. I know I was skeptical a year ago when an O-Aide told me that, but now I’m telling you the same thing. The tests are there to make sure you don’t end up in a class that’s too easy, or overwhelmingly challenging for you. Doing some review is good (especially if you’re like me and haven’t done any calc in two years), but don’t go and teach yourself AP Physics in two weeks. Well, you could, but don’t feel like you need to prove that you can, or anything.
Advice #5: Use the academic bureaucracy. Depending on where you’re transferring from, you might simply assume that the academic bureaucracy doesn’t work here. Here’s a surprise for you: it works better than you think. I was able to transfer two additional courses as Core (from my first college in Japan, no less) when I submitted petitions, which, I may add, were processed fairly quickly. The CompSci department advisor was flexible in transferring one of my compsci classes, so that I would still be able to take a topically similar (but quite different, and much better) class here. So don’t assume that you’re powerless against the bureaucracy; give it a push, and see where it’ll take you.
Advice #6: Be active. Schoolwork alone can be quite overwhelming. But don’t forget to relax, or at least have non-academic/scholarly fun too. I’m not encouraging you to watch TV or get plastered (although both are available options…). Rather, I would encourage you to look at the hundreds of RSOs and sports clubs offered here. To give you some idea, this past year I was active with Fire Escape Films, the student filmmaking group, where I created a stop-motion animation about a rubber ducky at the Regenstein library. I also volunteered for Doc Films, the oldest student film society in the country (or so I hear) and in January, I joined Genkikai to learn ki-aikido, a Japanese martial art. Also participate in traditional events, the most important of which is probably ScavHunt (if you’re looking for a team around then, come talk to me and I’ll recruit you to my private army in Hitchcock –the winning team). I also encourage you to get off campus and out of Hyde Park. Go downtown, or even up North where the good ethnic food tends to be. I’ll admit, trying to balance all your academic, extracurricular, and social obligations can be tricky. But remember, it’s amazing how much you can do in exchange for sleep (disclaimer: I take no responsibility for any adverse side effects, and officially, I endorse sleep, when available).
I think that’s about it, although if you have any questions before, during, or after O-Week, feel free to email me at ____@____.___ or IM me (AIM: ______). I look forward to meeting you all, and enjoy the rest of your summer!
Sincerely,
Ryo Chijiiwa
Posted Tue, February 21, 2006 13:03 by blog@72.51.33.46
Your site is realy very interesting.
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