Saturday marked the end of UMKC’s annual National Transfer Student Week, six event-filled days meant to welcome transfer students and make them feel more at home on campus.
This week also served as an interactive learning opportunity for students to expand their resumes and build transferable academic and non-academic skills.
Kacey McDowell, a recent transfer student from community college, said she was initially intimidated by UMKC and its size.
“Unless you have transferred personally, you never really know how nerve-wracking stepping into a new, bigger environment can be,” McDowell said. “Seeing how nice the students and professors are definitely eased my mind. I’m more willing to ask questions and seek help than when I first started.”
The weeklong event offered a series of digital and in-person events, including Monday Morning Muffins, Resume Development 101, Finding Financial Empowerment with the UMKC Financial Wellness Center, Transfer Student Meet-and-Greet, and Mini Transfer Student Bootcamp.
According to UMKC’s website, an average of 57% of new students are transfer students. The website also says that UMKC awards an average of 897 degrees to transfer students on a yearly basis.
Just last month the university announced a new major, the Bachelor of Applied Science, specifically designed to make it easier for students to transfer their credits when choosing to attend UMKC. The major will first be offered in fall 2022 and will include emphasis in several high-demand fields.
Jason Porter, a senior transfer student, said that while it was inconvenient having to transfer, he is looking forward to graduating from UMKC.
“I was really on the edge about what college to pick, but after some research, I knew UMKC was the one,” Porter said. “It’s just nice to have that feeling of ease knowing I’m in the home stretch and I’m attending a school that is helping me towards my end goal.”
