Spartan Transfer Hub | A TSAB Conversation: Part 1

This episode is part one of a two-part series celebrating National Transfer Student Week at Michigan State University. It explores the experiences of transfer students and their involvement with the Transfer Student Advisory Board (TSAB). Guests share their personal journeys, the challenges of adjusting to a new campus, and how TSAB has supported them in finding community and connection at MSU. They also offer advice for incoming transfer students and reflect on what they’ve learned through their transfer experience. 

Creators and Guests

Host

Siddhi Choubey

Siddhi Choubey is the current Host, Producer, Editor, Composer, and Designer of Spartan Transfer Hub.

What is Spartan Transfer Hub ?

Spartan Transfer Hub is a podcast for transfer students at Michigan State University, and beyond, brought to you by the Transfer Student Success Center (TSSC).

Each episode features conversations with MSU staff, faculty, and fellow students, highlighting key resources, programs, tips and individual stories to help you navigate your transfer journey. From academic support to campus involvement, Spartan Transfer Hub connects you to the tools and people that make a difference.

Find us on Impact89fm.org, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more!
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/msutransfersuccess
Website: https://spartantransferhub.transistor.fm

Siddhi: 00:05

You're listening to the Spartan Transfer Hub brought to you by MSU Transfer Student Success Center and Impact eighty nine FM. Here's what we've got for you today. Welcome to the second episode of season two of the Spartan Transfer Hub podcast brought to you by Impact eighty nine FM and the MSU Transfer Student Success Center. This week, we're doing a two part episode in honor of National Transfer Student Week. If you're new, this podcast is where we share stories, answer your questions, and talk all things related to MSU transfer students.

Siddhi: 00:37

I'm your host, Siddi Chawbeh, and I identify with sheher pronouns. I'm a senior majoring in journalism and communication with minors in broadcast journalism, public relations, and business. To be very honest with you all, I am very excited for these two episodes because today, I'm not alone. I've got some amazing guests from the TSAP with me. Would you all like to introduce yourselves?

Kevin: 01:00

Hi. My name is Kevin Jones. I'm a junior, and I'm studying supply chain management. I transferred from Oakland Community College.

Connor: 01:10

Hi. My name's Connor Kirkwood. I'm also a junior currently studying finance, and I transferred from Schoolcraft Community College in Malvernia.

Alissa: 01:19

And I'm Alisa. I am a senior, and I'm studying public relations. And I transferred from U of M Dearborn.

Siddhi: 01:26

Thank you all for sharing. So today, we're talking about what it's really like to be a transfer student and be involved with TSAB. So before we just jump in to the questions, let's start with an icebreaker. What's one thing on your MSU bucket list that you haven't done yet?

Kevin: 01:43

I would say going to a basketball game. I've actually never been to one. I've been to football, but not basketball.

Siddhi: 01:50

Okay. It's a good one.

Alissa: 01:52

Building off that, I really wanna go to a hockey game. I just haven't been able to get out there and go to one, but that's on my bucket list for sure.

Connor: 01:59

Mine's very different. I haven't been a university wiener yet. Okay. I gotta try it.

Siddhi: 02:06

Okay. With all of those interesting and fun ideas, let's start by what made you decide to come to MSU?

Kevin: 02:16

What made me decide to come to MSU was actually my grandfather. He played football here in, like, the seventies, and I've always looked up to him, thought he was a good role model, and it made me wanna check out MSU. And upon checking out MSU, I saw that they had one of the best programs, for my major. So that, really drove me to commit to MSU.

Alissa: 02:36

Awesome. Mine's kinda way different. I took a year and a half off of school, decided I needed to come back and get a degree in something. And I chose MSU because I grew up in Michigan, and it was just one of the schools always at the top of my list. But, you know, I'd taken time off school and didn't really know what I wanted to do from there.

Connor: 02:54

For me, it was my sister went here about four or five years ago now, so I was always familiar with the campus. And then after I sat down and figured out, like, what I wanna pursue for a major, I was like, oh, that's even perfect because I know where everything is, Like roughly, and then when I got here, I had to figure that out again.

Siddhi: 03:14

Mhmm. So like going off of that, what was the transfer process like for you? What were the challenges? What were the surprises? Like something you didn't expect?

Kevin: 03:24

To be honest, the transfer process for me was a bit scary because I came in on '23, and I was still like navigating campus. I didn't know what was what while the other fall students from that year knew like exactly where they could find, you know, campus resources. I didn't know where to find those things or, you know, even campus events. So that was a big challenge for me, but I was able to do that through various websites and transfer student advisory board was very helpful in directing me in the right places.

Alissa: 03:52

I kind of just went in blind, you know? I wanted to get a degree. I was an accounting major before I transferred. And when I came to MSU, I knew that was what I didn't want to do anymore. So I kind of just was worried about what majors are available, which there's a ton of majors at MSU.

Alissa: 04:08

And I was just more worried about, like, the credit requirement and how that would transfer over. For

Connor: 04:14

me, it was kind of the roadmap was established, whereas I did my first semester at school, crap, just do my gen eds, get my associates there, come here. And then I figured out how to do all that with the with one of the advising members coming in visiting and just doing a little info sesh. And then finally, the email came, and I was like, thank god.

Siddhi: 04:37

So did you have any other university that you were considering, or were you were you just convinced when

Alissa: 04:44

you saw MSU? I didn't even visit. Like, I literally just applied online and was like, I'm gonna go here. I had applied to a school in Arizona. I'm very brittle.

Alissa: 04:53

I paid my deposit, paid half of, like, my tuition, and then I decided, like, a week before school, like, I'm not going there. And that's what led to, like, me taking time off of school and then and ultimately coming here.

Siddhi: 05:04

Mhmm.

Kevin: 05:05

I always wanted to come to MSU since I was a kid. So and then finding out, you know, how good they were, that, like, sealed the deal. Mhmm.

Connor: 05:13

Yeah. The stars just kinda aligned for me too, so I didn't really have to think about that too much.

Siddhi: 05:18

Mhmm. Okay. So how did you guys first hear about the Transfer Student Advisory Board? And can you tell us about what it is?

Kevin: 05:27

So I first heard about the Transfer Student Advisory Board when I transferred here, like I said, in '23. And I got an email from the Transfer Student Advisory Board. And what they basically are is they're a resource on campus in which students, transfer students specifically, can get more acclimated to campus at various events every year and even now. So it's just kind of a great resource for those who are transferring.

Alissa: 05:51

Going off what Kevin said, it's a good way to meet people and make connections, you know, early on. I also heard about the Transfer Student Advisory Board through online communications when I was doing new student orientation. And then I applied and then I found out I got in at the very beginning of the fall semester when I transferred and it was just up from there.

Connor: 06:10

For me, like right after I got my acceptance emails, one of the first emails that hit my account after I set up my email was just like the little survey for this kind of stuff. So then I was like, okay, I get into this. This is a great way to learn everything quickly and just assimilate and get familiar with everything.

Siddhi: 06:29

Mhmm. And so what made you want to join

Kevin: 06:34

What made me wanna join TSOP was just, I guess, wanting to help other students find their way. And when you come to a big university like MSU, there's a lot going on, and it can be easy to be overwhelmed and not know where you kind of fit in or where you can make friends. So, just wanting to be a part of that process in which we can help transfer students kind of find their niche, you know?

Alissa: 06:53

And I think even for me too, it was personally just me wanting to find, you know, a group of people that understood what I was going through at the time. It wasn't more about the afterthought process. It was kind of like an in process thought. Like, I'm new to this university. It's huge.

Alissa: 07:07

I don't really know anyone. How do I get involved?

Connor: 07:10

Yeah. For me, I'm on the same consensus as everyone else. Just helping others that transfer in, familiarizing them with everything is a great way to meet people and practice leadership stuff.

Siddhi: 07:21

Mhmm. And so what I kind of got of that is, like, you all mentioned that it's a great resource and a great way to meet people. Like, it it can be so intimidating to be a transfer student. So how did TESOP help you, and how do you wanna, like, help other students? Like, what is something that they probably don't know that you wanna help them with?

Kevin: 07:39

I'd say it helped me step out of my shell personally and, like, actually meet new people because that was one challenge that I had. It's kind just like, you know, I'm just gonna stay in my dorm all day and not do anything, but Tsaab showed me the importance of actually going out and meeting people and then being able to help people on top of that. Think that was great.

Alissa: 07:57

Mhmm. I would say basically the same thing. Just putting myself out there has been a big thing that I've learned through TSOB and also just learning how to make other people feel comfortable in a process that I wasn't really comfortable with and, you know, just easing it for them. For

Connor: 08:13

me, it was finally being able to be around people my actual age and not because I'm 20. You know, sometimes when you transfer credits get a little funky in some ways. So maybe your schedule for one semester is gonna be with a bunch of freshmen and sophomores. And so after two weeks of being here, finally being in a room with people, not only my age, but also kind of the same similar experiences of transferring. So it gave me that and just a more connected way of like being closer to people.

Siddhi: 08:43

Okay. What is an event that TSAB has worked on that you're especially proud of or something that you want to be involved with in the future with T SAB

Kevin: 08:54

that you would to? The T SAB events that I've been a part of, and this is my second year now being a part of this event you guys have annually, was the resource fair right before, you know, classes start. I actually met one of my good friends there at that resource fair, and I got to help set up. And I introduced myself to a student, and he ended up, you know, was telling me, hey. I transferred from New York.

Kevin: 09:16

And to this day, we're a couple of good friends. So that's that's an event that I really was proud to be a part of for TESOB.

Alissa: 09:24

That's awesome. I'm really proud of the events that TESOB puts on with the Envision Green program at LCC. Laura Wise is great, and it's really given me a chance to work on my, like, public speaking skills and also just meeting students that potentially potent potentially come here or, you know, they do end up coming here. So I think that's something I'm really proud of.

Connor: 09:46

Yeah. One of the things that stood out to me was the like, going to LCC and talking to other students from there. For me, it was I did the two years at a different, like, community college to save money. I wanna, like, help encourage that.

Siddhi: 09:59

We've covered quite a bit today, but this episode is far from over. In part two, we're doing an even deeper dive into TSAP and some special advice from our guests. So you wouldn't wanna miss it. Happy National Transfer Student Week, and stay tuned for part two coming out on Thursday. Thanks for tuning in to the Spartan Transfer Hub brought to you by Impact89FM and the Transfer Student Success Center.

Siddhi: 10:24

See you next time.