Second Year Uni Transfer

[Halloween73]

Hi, has anyone’s DC (mine is DD) changed university for second year? If so, did they find it easy to make new friends when students will already have friendships formed? How did they find the accommodation situation, likely having to move into a house with people you don’t know.

The thing to remember is that every year brings new people arriving. If she is in a big department she will make new friends across the years present as well as in seminar groups / corridors etc.

I remember meeting 1st years when I was a 2nd year and a 3rd year, who became my friends. It wasn't a situation where you met people in the first term and stuck with them throughout. In fact it was the opposite.

That’s interesting / my experience was the opposite. Year groups very much stuck together and friendships were formed in freshers week which stood the test of time.

But - mine was a collegiate university where that sort of bonding was encouraged. So it’s probably worth investigating the culture at the place she wants to transfer to.

I was at York, also collegiate, but that had zero baring on my social life. I know some students did arrive and stick within the context of their college, but that definitely wasn't everyone.

Also there's that old adage, about how you spend "your first time making friends and your second term trying to get rid of them". I think that's not uncommon either.

Sorry that was "first term"

@Flyswats her main reason for thinking of transferring is due to friend issues. So transferring as a second year she wouldn’t be in halls. She’d be living in a house with random people. As she wouldn’t know anyone and housing is obviously secured very early on in first year.

Is that a strong enough reason to transfer? I mean if her course is going well and otherwise things are ok? It just that normally these places are big enough that you can avoid the people you don't like quite easily. Also can she go on a list for possible rooms in halls? Do they allow that? I know some places will let 2nd years live in, if there is a vacancy when the time comes to it.

There are also the independent halls. I know they can be pricey but normally they are single rooms with ensuites in buildings approved by the universities, if not run by them. Student Castle is one that York approves of. I know they are normally well run, clean safe, and walking distance to campus. Some of the rooms are eye-wateringly expensive though.

@RightSaidFrederica her current university and the one she’s thinking of transferring to are not collegiate universities. Your experience it was what worries me. Some people will just stick with friendships formed in first year. But my eldest DD when she was at university whilst her main friend from first year remained they also made new friends in second and even third year.

As a senior lecturer and admissions tutor,this is a challenging thing to do. It will depend on the course but I would not have thought changing uni is all that easy plus it feels late to be considering this.

I have accepted a very small number over the years into our second year, depending on what their previous programme was like. I think most managed to make friends ok. But yes, would explore more here about how the course is going.

Getting to know a new institution and course and town for second year is not easy.

@Flyswats yes its a tricky one as otherwise she likes her course. There’s been some issues with her friends who made her feel very isolated in the last few weeks of term. She’s supposed to be moving into a house with them in September. These girls are really her only friends at university. It’s making her extremely anxious and she’s dreading going back (she has had issues with her mental health in the past) I have told her I’m sure she’ll find new friends in second year, and she just needs to branch out. I just don’t want her to end up in the situation where she’s really struggling in second year and still very unhappy. Unfortunately there’s no crystal ball to know how things will pan out in either direction. Transferring could be the wrong decision if that didn’t go well!

My DD is at Durham, a collegiate uni. She was just saying last night at the last meeting of the Debating Society that it was sad as so many are Y3 and will be leaving. That is one issue of making friends across the years - they leave. But societies are a good place to meet people and by definition have something in common!
I thought it was unusual to move to Y2 from one uni to another, but presumably in this case she can. My DD hasn’t really made any friends on her course but if new blood joined she might! As for living - she only knows one of the four girls she’s sharing with next year. I think many houses are let by rooms so not unusual not to know your housemates.

@Halloween73 What accommodation had your daughter sorted for September? Are you still liable for the rent (under the terms of the contract she will have signed) even if she moves unis?

@Halloween73 Understood. I think leaving a good course for a social issue is not going to guarantee the social issue is solved or the good course matched. Can she get advice from the housing office and maybe get out of her house-share now, and see what options come up?

Has she actually been accepted into the second year? I think in most cases she would be expected to start again in year 1.

I would also say that if she hasn't applied and spoken to programme leaders yet, she's leaving it very late. Most academics will be taking leave soon so won't necessarily be around to respond. It would need approval from them. It's less straightforward than a first year application.