Top 5 tips a communication/ public relations transfer student should know

By: Katherine Hernandez

Image source: https://opportunitydesk.org/2019/04/01/cisco-ccna-rs-made-easier-with-examsnap/

Transferring from a city college to Cal State Long Beach is a little overwhelming. It almost feels like moving to a different high school your junior year. To help others transferring in to CSULB, here are my top 5 tips. I hope it will ease ~some~ of your stress during your time here!​

1. Understand your major’s options. As a Communications major, there are two options that you can choose from in your major: Interpersonal and Organizational Communication or Communication, Culture, and Public Affairs. In city college, we don’t learn much about our future major specifics. But we do learn how to become better communicators with different groups of people. However, once we reach CSULB we don’t have a good understanding of what we’re heading toward with our major. Start learning early about your major and begin to narrow down the specific area you’re interested in. 
2. Find a quiet spot to study. There are many places to sit and do work, but sometimes everything feels overcrowded and you can’t seem to find just one quiet place! Well there’s a lounge in the Journalism and Public Relations Department for JPR majors and minors students to go in and do homework. I know how overcrowded this school feels compared to a city college; it seems like there is no place to sit. My first semester here I was seriously debating going to my city college campus because I could not find a quiet place to sit! We only know the places in plain sight like the library, or the tables scattered around on the campus. Fortunately, there are places to go when you need to take a breather and finish some work. One of them is this neat lounge in the LA4- 206; it’s small but if you’re lucky it’s empty and very relaxing. 
3. Learn the different writing styles like AP/MLA/APA. As a communications major we use APA and MLA style for our assignments. However, in journalism/public relations we use AP Style which is very different. You become used to writing a certain way in city college and then suddenly we learn about different styles of writing. (Don’t even get me started on the different rhetorical writing methods!)
4. Get counseling your department’s academic advisors! There is ATLAS counseling, but I recommend you go to your department for counseling because they can recommend classes that could double count for your major and GE requirements. If you can take one class from your major that counts for both areas, wouldn’t you rather know that now?
5. Join SCA and PRSSA! As a transfer student we feel out of place. Sometimes, it seems that everyone has already known each other for a long time and you’re just the new kid. These clubs will allow you to get to know the people in your classes. You’re all taking or will take the same classes, which means you’ll become acquainted very quickly. Also follow CSULB’s Communication and JPR social media accounts to get information on helpful events and tips for services. Sometimes you can learn something new from a post on the page or take advantage of the many opportunities that CSULB provides.

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 It’s hard for transfer students to get accustomed to the new campus, there’s a different vibe. When I told my friends that, they asked, “What do you mean it feels different?” And I just didn’t know how to answer. It’s unexplainable. But as transfer students you know what I’m talking about.