Students hear transfer tips
by Kathy Daniel, reporter

    Transferring from TCC to a major university can be stressful for a lot of students, NE academic advisors said last week.

   Richard Vela and Susie Carranza presented Degree Planning/Transferring Made Easy, a seminar to ease students’ fears.

   If students plan to transfer, they should see an academic advisor or a counselor to plan courses they need to take.

   Students should contact the university they plan to attend to make sure their classes will transfer.

   Students who do not do this run the risk of taking classes that will not transfer.

   “We want to get you to your goal as fast as possible,” Vela said.

   Vela also said to follow the Associate of Arts degree plan because it will cover the core curriculum.

   The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board set a 45-hour block of core classes that will be accepted at public universities in Texas.

   In order for the core to transfer, it must be completed before transferring.

   “Core makes you a well-rounded person,” he said.

   The A.A. requires 64 credit hours, 19 of which are electives. Within those 19 hours, students can experiment with courses to see what they want to do once they transfer.

   The best way to obtain information on credits that will transfer is to have the university send all the information needed, Vela said.

   Since there is no particular order the student has to take the courses in, Vela said to mix core and electives to avoid burnout.

   When a student transfers to a major university, he or she will need three things: the application and fee, an official transcript and a financial aid transcript.

   Grade point averages do not transfer. The student starts over at the new university, but Vela said this does not mean students should slack off at TCC.

   Those students applying for scholarships will have a better chance if their GPA is good. Also, if students learn good study habits now, they will be better prepared for a major university.

   “We are in this together,” he said.

   To avoid taking unnecessary classes, students need to see an academic advisor or a counselor at TCC and at the transfer school.

   Doing so before taking a lot of elective courses will make transferring easier and the transition smoother.