Whether you're transferring from another school or just deciding to go back after years away from the classroom, transferring in may be easier than you thought.
Laurie Snyder, academic advisor with the College of Communication and Fine Arts, said the easiest schools to transfer from are Tennessee Board of Regents schools because as of five or six years ago, they have common course numbers and prefixes.
The University of Memphis, Middle Tennessee State University, Southwest Tennessee Community College, Northwest Community College, Austin Peay State and Tennessee State University are just a few Tennessee Board of Regents schools.
However, other schools not included in TBR can still make for smooth transfers.
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is not a TBR school, but students like Courtney Strange, senior English major at The U of M, who transferred from UT to The U of M, didn't have to skip a beat. She said there wasn't a single problem when she transferred to The U of M after one semester at UT.
However, other students like Sam Keasler, senior graphic design major in the College of Communication and Fine Arts, found the transfer a little more difficult.
"It's kind of hidden - it really is, but you need to find someone who really knows what they're talking about," Keasler said.
Keasler transferred from Southwest Tennessee Community College to Memphis.
Although SWTCC is a Tennessee Board of Regents school, making a smooth transition to another school was still a little difficult until he found the help of his college advisor, Snyder.
"I talked to so many random people who didn't really help me. Laurie sat down with my transcript and really helped me out," Keasler said.
Snyder said the first and most important thing to do when transferring is to meet with your college advisor.
Transferring to The University of Memphis, Snyder said, is a lot more flexible than a few years ago, even from schools not included in TBR. She said The U of M has people who examine transcripts and match the equivalent courses.
The more difficult transfers Snyder sees are students who have been out of school for decades and those who have international transcripts.
"Older and international transcripts are harder to articulate," Snyder said.
However, she said there are many students who have been out of school for a while who are surprised when their credits still count.
Snyder said Karen Thurmond and Yolanda Mathews are the ones to talk to when there are major problems. Their offices are in Wilder Tower.
"Wilder Tower is a one-stop shop," Snyder said.
