Each student at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) has their own story about how they came to be a CSUMB Otter; while many students start their college career right after graduating high school, this is by no means the only pathway to a university.
It is more common than one would think for a CSUMB student to have started their college career on an entirely different college campus. Many CSUMB students are considered “transfer” students, meaning they initially attended a different university before transferring to CSUMB.
Often, transfer students are coming from a community college, where they completed their general education or lower division courses while living at home before transferring to the university. In other cases, students transfer from other four-year universities for a variety of reasons: students may want to be closer to (or farther away from) home, their first university may not have had their desired major or program, or the campus simply may just may not have been the right fit for them.
It’s easy to see why so many transfer students decide to start the next chapter of their college career at CSUMB: smaller class sizes, more affordable tuition and being the closest CSU to the beach are just a few of the draws that attract prospective students. When speaking to students who have transferred to CSUMB for the 2019-2020 academic year, it becomes clear that they are happy with their choice.
“Everyone has been really nice and the staff is really helpful,” said junior transfer student Sydney Brown. “There’s been so many campus events that are open to transfers and I’ve been really happy here so far.”
Many transfer students also enthuse about the overall aesthetic of the campus. “It’s such a pretty campus,” said junior transfer student Kaitlyn Johnson, while junior transfer student Lauren Rafter described the campus as “very welcoming!”
On a university campus that prioritizes inclusivity, it is encouraging to hear transfer students have an easy time adjusting to life at CSUMB. Even the local wildlife has left an impression with some transfer students; junior transfer student Richard Espinoza said, “The raccoons are very welcoming.”