The beginning of a new semester is an exciting time for the Eastern community. Students are back for another season of studies on this beautiful campus. Faculty and staff are back to teach their favorite courses. However, what is a new semester without new students? Although winter is still in its course, many students join Eastern in the second semester.
There are many reasons why students transfer to Eastern. For Allison Rice, a commuter and transfer student, Eastern feels like family. She feels that Eastern is a university that accepts everyone, whether they are here for a month or four years. Although she did not feel very comfortable before transferring, the student orientation solved her worries. “After the [initial] meeting I was able to catch up with a few transfers and that was wonderful.” She feels that the transfer orientation is an important tool for new students to find not only friends, but it also helped her feel more comfortable on campus.
For Guan, an international student from China, coming to Eastern meant a change for the better. Guan says that although he has many relatives in the United States, he still has many struggles with the English language. Also, he says the staff is very friendly. Since Guan did not have any knowledge of English before coming over to America, he will have to work hard with the staff to catch up. Guan explained that without the help of the ESL staff, he could not understand any English. Guan also has the pleasure of spending time in Eastern’s dorms. He says that with the help of many current residing international students, he is able to successfully fit in. Although the international students are only a small part of Eastern, they are essential to sustain a global community in the campus.
Eastern is a place that is able to fit many different people groups together because of its small size and supportive community. Whether students are commuters or residents, international or not, Eastern University offers a quality environment to new transfers.