Students typically don’t visit a college before attending it, university representatives said at a transfer fair.
By Mardio Lattimore
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Representatives of more than 30 universities on Oct. 23 came to the Candler Physical Education Center to help 285 students plan their transfer to a university.
Students who volunteered at TRAC, this college’s transfer and career center, gave out school supplies such as pens and notebooks.
Some students have not decided what major to pursue before transferring, Michael Garza, Texas A&M University senior recruiter, said.
“Students can follow their passion, but don’t follow them too much because you may not get a career out of it,” Garza said.
Playing video games can be an enjoyable pastime for youth and because of this, they are passionate about it and decide to create their own video games when studying subjects such as digital media in college.
They fail to realize that there may not be a big demand for it, a senior undergraduate administration counselor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Moria Menchaca, said.
There are important facts that students need to know about their future careers such as what is the salary for the job they want after graduating college, how do they get an internship for a job, and what are helpful courses that will better their chances of getting this job.
This is surprisingly a common mistake, Matthew Torres, who works with undergraduate admissions at UTSA, said.
“Students normally know what they want to do when they get to a university,” Torres said.
It is the job of the university recruiters and advisers to make sure students find their passion and make sure students research how it will benefit them, Torres said.
Research on the university students want to attend is important and requires paying attention to detail.
They should visit the university before applying so that they can be sure if walking across the campus grounds is easy for them and so they can become more familiar with building locations, Torres said.
Students need to research the required classes needed to transfer to their desired university, application deadlines, financial aid, scholarships and organizations or clubs that may help them improve their academic credentials, Mandi Anderson, director of recruitment and enrollment at the University of Houston, said.
If students have questions about transferring, call the center at 210-486-1500.