With a homeschool background and a shy personality, UC Blue Ash was the largest school I’d ever been to when I started at the college at the age of 18. During my first two years, packed with tons of learning opportunities, UC Uptown seemed so far away. However, as my graduation loomed, transitioning became a daunting task, and I had no idea where to start. If you are having fears about transitioning, you are not alone.
I interviewed two amazing resources to UC Blue Ash students preparing to transition, Renee Rivers and Jessica Brawand. These ladies work together to answer questions, organize informational sessions, and make this process stress-free.
Rivers, a UC Blue Ash senior academic advisor, organizes transition info sessions and a transition fair each year. She partners with an organization called Pathways, located on the UC Uptown campus. Pathways is the advising center for students in transition. It offers workshops and welcome events to help students become acclimated to the Uptown campus.
She encourages students to explore Clifton campus before they are there full-time. She even recommends that you take at least one class in Clifton before transitioning so you can feel comfortable on a larger campus.
“Communicate with your advisers because they know the requirements you need,” shares Rivers. “They are your main resources throughout this process and will help you stay on track as you transition.” She and her advising team are always available to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Brawand, a proud UC Blue Ash alumnus who loves giving back to students, has worked at Pathways since March 2017. She describes her transition experience as “a bit confusing” and says that she did not feel prepared to start in Clifton. “The first week of classes I went home and cried – I felt like the campus was so huge, and there were so many people, yet I felt so alone,” she says
Her advice to new students in Clifton is simple, “look to your left and to your right and say something to the people next to you.” This is exactly how she made lifelong friends and became more comfortable at the UC Uptown campus. She visits UC Blue Ash once a month and has a “Transition Table” so students can ask her questions that she is happy to answer
Speaking from my own experience, transitioning was surprisingly easy. My adviser walked me through each step and made sure I had every credit I needed to continue with my degree at UC Uptown. Before I knew it, I was on my way to get my bachelor’s degree. UC Blue Ash is the perfect environment for students to acclimate to challenging college courses, meet professors, and become involved! Beginning my degree here was the best decision I could’ve made.
About the author: Hannah Roberts is a Communications Intern at UC Blue Ash who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the UC Uptown campus.
