College transfer can be a tricky thing to navigate. It is not just about planning how coursework will transfer. There are lots of things to keep in mind, but a key part of your college or university experience is going to be which classes you take. Make sure that you plan out your coursework with more than just the next semester in mind. If you are considering changing colleges, then you should also think about course transfer and the implications of how your course credits will count toward your eventual degree requirements.
by David K. Moldoff, Founder of AcademyOne. Follow me on Twitter @DavidMoldoff
It Pays to Have a Plan
While most students desire to graduate within two or four years (depending on the kind of institution you are attending), more and more students are being forced to take longer because they didn't realize in time that they needed a particular course. While you still may need more than four years to graduate, you can help ensure the quickest path to graduation by taking the time to plan out the courses you will take. If you are considering transfer to another institution, it would be prudent to review course equivalencies before you enroll in classes. Course equivalencies are the linked and mapped courses between two or more schools. Courses from one institution are acceptable or comparable to the other - and it can be reciprocal. Use the CollegeTransfer.Net Search for Course Equivalency to find out which institutions accept courses in your plan before you take them. Open a Student Passport account and compile your academic history. When you are ready to transfer, you can find the best transfer colleges and universities by comparing policies and how to expect transfer credits to apply toward your major. If course equivalencies are not showing in our database, that does not mean they may not transfer. Still, it would be cautionary and we would recommend you further explore the course transferability with the institutions in question before proceeding.
Talk to an Advisor
When creating a coursework plan, the best idea is to use the advising service that your institution provides. Nearly all institutions will have either professional advisors or faculty advisors. Talking with them will help you a great deal as they know which courses to take first and what pitfalls students commonly fall into. They will also know which courses are part of a sequence, or if they are not offered every term and require long term planning.
Impact of Choosing a Major
A very important part of all of this planning is your chosen major. However, if you haven't selected a major, you should still plan your coursework. You can start with General Education courses that any major requires. After this, examine the requirements of several of the majors you are considering. You may be able to find courses that they have in common and take those courses. This will have an added benefit of giving you the opportunity to learn more about several different majors, and may ultimately help you choose between them. Before you jump into a major, take some time and assess your aptitudes, skills, interest, personality and values. Use the online self-assessment center on CollegeTransfer.Net to help you find your way. Align your findings with a realistic course plan related to your studies.
If you have chosen a major, the degree of planning involved will depend on the major. Some majors are very strictly structured and do not allow for deviation from the plan created for that major. Other majors have a very wide variety of courses that will meet graduation requirements. Either way, putting time and effort into planning your courses is the key to success!