As the weather gets warmer, that only means one thing, summer is near. This means the spring semester is coming to a close, and a lot of students are finishing their time at Elgin Community College. Many are even planning to transfer to a university in the fall. One of those students is second-year-student Ileana Fribley.

“My plan after ECC is to transfer to Loyola after this semester,” Fribley said. “I am going into the nursing program and am hoping to eventually become an ICU nurse.”

Despite knowing where she is going next year and what she plans on studying, there are still things she needs to finish up before starting in the fall.

“I have yet to take placement exams going into Loyola,” Fribley said. “However, [the] majority of my credits from ECC are going to transfer, and I will not have to take the same classes in Chicago.”

Unfortunately, second-year-student Mandie Daniels is not so lucky.

“The problem I am having with the transfer process is that my credits don’t transfer to the out of state schools I am looking to go to,” Daniels said.

Daniels is looking into going to the University of Knoxville or the University of Louisville.

“I have been in contact with both schools,” she said. “Some credits will transfer and some won’t, so I have to wait to take those classes until I transfer to the school I choose.”

Academic advisor Denise Hayes helps students who plan on transferring every semester.

“The biggest issues I see with students transferring is knowing how to send their transcripts to the schools they are looking at and when to do so,” Hayes said. “Students need to know that they have to go into their student portal account and follow the steps online to send them to schools.”

One student that has prior knowledge on the transfer process is first-year-student Ben Tompson.

“I went to Loras College my first semester to play basketball and decided it wasn’t the right fit,” Tompson said.

Tompson is attending the University of Iowa in the fall to major in finance.

“I’m planning on completing some business prerequisite classes at ECC before transferring,” Tompson said. “I’m excited to meet new people and make the transition [into] living by myself and having my own responsibilities.”

For students like Fribley, staying somewhat local is just as exciting as moving to a new state.

“I am most excited about transferring to a university, mostly to get the experience of living downtown,” Fribley said. “I am also excited about being in walking distance to Lake Michigan and meeting new people.”

The decision to move away or stay local is also a hot topic when it comes to students seeing their advisors.

“The question we ask students all the time is, can you afford it?” Hayes said. “I have a student who is going to Arizona State in the fall, and she understands that every time she goes there or comes home, she will be buying a plane ticket. It’s things like that that students need to understand before making the decision about which school they want to attend.”

The academic advising office is also somewhere students should go to seek information on the transfer process if they are struggling.

“My advisor Tonisha Via has helped me immensely in the process,” Fribley said. “She helped me pick a good school that excels in my intended major, and she also helped me make sure all my credits are set to transfer.”

Hayes also noted the importance of making sure students are aware of what credits transfer to their intended school.

“Make sure your ducks are in order,” Hayes said. “Make sure all your prerequisite credits transfer so you are transferring in as a junior. If you have any issues, definitely see your advisor. Self-advised students find struggles in this process, and if they don’t ask for help, we can’t help them.”

Tompson agrees that the transfer process should be done sooner rather than later due to the problems that can arise.

“I would tell them to address the situation as early as possible,” Tompson said. “Transferring can be a little bit of a hassle, but if you get on it early, there shouldn’t be many problems. It’s an exciting process.”

A lot of students look forward to moving on to universities because it is the next step in their futures. One big thing that students should be aware of is just how important picking the right school to transfer to really is.

“Weigh all the options,” Fribley said. “Many people think that there is a huge rush to graduate college and start a job, but they don’t realize that it is ultimately a decision that affects the rest of your life.”