College Life: Sometimes an Unhappy Love Affair
By Eric R. Adams
■ The Diamondback
U. of Maryland, College Park
Attending a university is a lot like a love affair.
Sometimes things work out and sometimes they
don't. When things don’t go quite as planned or turn
out like expected, it’s often best to move on
But how?
Authors Jennifer Wilcha, a recent graduate from
Brown U., and David A. Smith, a student at Brown,
tackle this question in their new book. “The College
Student’s Guide to Transferring Schools." a thorough
manual for students who see transferring as their only
hope for getting the education they want in an atmo
sphere they like.
Using the metaphor of a relationship, the book out
lines the transfer process using a six-step plan.
"College is an intimate four-year relationship, and
transferring is a lot like breaking up and meeting some
one new," say the authors.
Based on interviews with transfer students, admin
istrators and parents, the guide includes information
that many institutions fail to
supply, for fear of bad publicity
or high attrition rates
The first recommended step
is reevaluation breaking up.
m relationship terms1 The
writers take seriously prob
lems parents or administra
tors might blow off as trivial,
such as the social or enter
tainment life on campus
These are considered along
with academic conditions because, as the
authors are quick to point out, if the student is not
happy, he or she will not do well in school
The second step is renegotiation telling the folks), m
which bullheaded parents may t*> convinced a transfer
is. indeed, the best thing for the student
Research playing the field i comes next so the student
can begin scouting potential schools The authors list
what books may lx- consulted when looking, as well as
some advice for visiting the school the first date, to
keep the metaphor consistent *
Alter these three steps are outlined, the nuts and
bolts ofthe process .ire revealed in the final three reap
plication making the first move . revision writmg the
BOOK REVIEW
love letter1 and readjustment starting over
This book does an excellent job covering all the bases
of the transfer process, and the concerns and emotions
of the student are not at all neglected In fact, they are
actually emphasized The writers ^|K-ak to the individ
ual student as a real person, not as though the student
were a number
Breaking up may be hard to do, but with the help of
this Ixiok. students may have an easier time handling
separation than they thought.
For a ropv. call Avon Books at l-800-238-0fii>8
PETER BARKAN THE BROWN RAIL* HERALD BROWN U
Jennifer Wilcha and David Smith: We had
nothing to lose, and we were tilling a void
Authors Explore
Transfer Tactics
By Brooke Wortham
■ The Brown Daily Herald
Brown U.
The Brown U. bookstore stocks nearly
100 books about how to get into college.
But two Brown students have written
the only book on the shelf on a different
topic — how to get out.
"We had nothing to lose, and we were
filling a void,” said David Smith about
writing “The College Student’s Guide to
Transferring Schools," the book he co
authored with Jennifer Wilcha.
They decided to write the book not
because they had transferred them
selves, but because they had a lot of
friends who were transfers.
“It helped that we didn't transfer in
writing the book because we could think
of and explore all of the options,” Smith
said.
"We were fascinated by people wanting
to leave their schools because we were
having such a great time in college,
Wilcha said.
Wilcha points out that transferring is
fairly common, with one in five students
leaving one school for another
“Transferring can become addictive,
Smith said, referring to some students
who had transferred up to five times.
Most transfers are “extremely happy
and super successful at their new
schools,” the authors point out. “They
know why they’re there and they don t
take anything for granted."
Not only are many students satisfied,
but the authors seem pleasedas well. It
took two years from start to finish, and
every moment was fun,” Wilcha said.
(Nothine clown, that is.)
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