Influences of Social Relationships on the Transfer Student Experience

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of transfer students currently enrolled in a small-sized, regional, public university located in the upper Midwestern region of the United States, who have transferred from another institution prior to enrolling. Five students were interviewed one-on-one for sixty to ninety minutes. Three themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews. These themes included were shared familiarities among the participants experiences: social support (both within the university and personal), connections with a community (both campus and geographical community), and the desire to pay it forward and give back (in ways other than financially). The present study found that Astin's (1984) theory of student involvement rings true in regards to students' accomplishing successful transition experiences from one institution to another, correlating with the amount of energy and effort put into the experience and relationship. However, this study found out that the student experience is more complex than that. This study reflected on Kahu's (2013) theories of multiple constructs, with all of the factors influencing the student experience