For anyone staring at a new school, it can be scary. Whether they are freshman or a sophomore transfer, everything is new and may take some getting used to; after all, they are still underclassmen and pretty much just have to go with the flow until they figure out how the school works.

But what happens when someone transfers junior year? As new upperclassmen, juniors are supposed to be role models and know the lay of the land.

Yet, if someone transfers and does so as an upperclassmen, he or she basically has the same status as freshmen. For transfers everything is unfamiliar and the surroundings can seem a bit too new. From the people, to the teachers and to the hallways —there is a lot to get used to.

Junior transitions to Cathedral life

Yet, for junior Catherine Seying, the transition was smooth and a helpful experience for the future. After attending a boarding school in Minnesota for two years, Catherine and her twin sister, Carissa, wanted to come home for the last two years before college. Before Cathedral, the largest school Seying attended had 400 students, an amount is quite different from the student body of almost 1,200 she belongs to now.

“A good school to come to learn”

Seying said, “My experience at Cathedral has been good. I’ve been able to meet so many new people and connect with people I have known from before. My favorite part of Cathedral is the environment. I enjoy the students and teachers who make it a good school to come to learn.”

She added, “Coming in as a junior to me has made no real difference. I have had the experience many other teenagers my age have not. It does have its difficulties of changing schools but overall it is not bad.

My greatest struggle in the beginning was adjusting to being back home and on a regular high school schedule.”

An important step to transferring is getting involved. For Catherine, the first thing she did was join the girls’ soccer team.

“Coming into Cathedral I felt welcomed. The girls on the soccer team were very kind by coming and introducing themselves to me. From then on, it was a good welcoming,” Seying said.

When a new student comes in, the more people they know before school, the better. That is why involvement in an activity is so helpful.

If transfers can get involved with a sport or club that meets in the summer, the first day will not be filled with awkward introductions and lonely lunch tables because they will have familiar faces roaming the same hallways.

Pros and cons 

Being a transfer is an interesting experience. Each person’s experience will be different from the rest.

While Catherine was able to get involved by playing soccer, making friends and embracing the change, there may be others who are not as skilled when it comes to transitioning, especially during junior year.

While it may have seemed to be no big deal to Seying, there are pros and cons to transferring. If the student embraces the move of schools, the pros will almost always outweigh the cons.

Some of those pro’s will hopefully be better academics, friendlier people, more involved teachers and a helpful change of pace.

Because each school is different, these pro’s will not always be the reality but when someone transfers, that is the hope.

The con’s to transferring are also mostly based on the student’s perception. If transferring does not have any kind of appeal, it is tough to turn an option around. Transfers are likely going to miss friends and a certain way of life.

Seying is currently enjoying her second semester as a junior.

Thankfully, her experience as a transfer was interesting, but it was also very positive and sets an example for any more transfer students who will follow.