Living the UF Life
Guest columnist, Mikayla Stesney, shares her advice for becoming a gator.
Today, we’re excited to feature a piece by guest columnist, SF Honors Alumna, and current UF Honors Student, Mikayla Stesney. Among her other sizeable contributions to the SF community, Mikayla helped launch the Honors Navigators and is now serving as our UF Transfer Guide. Below, Mikayla shares about her experience transferring to UF and what she wishes she had known before getting there.
Living the UF Life: 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Transferring to UF
It’s that time of year again! Informational sessions, university tours, and application essays fill up the plates of soon-to-be transfer students. My name is Mikayla, and I am majoring in Health Science on the pre-med track at UF! I’m also the UF Transfer Guide for the Santa Fe Honors Program! I understand the stress that transfer applications can bring to our already-packed schedules – I was in your shoes last spring!
Many Santa Fe students are interested in transferring to the University of Florida. Between the great education, resources, and plethora of extracurricular activities, it’s no surprise that UF is a very popular choice with Santa Fe’s diverse group of students. However, it’s important to be informed about the student experience of a transfer student at UF. Hence, this list covers the five things I wish I knew about UF before transferring! By reading this, you’ll have a better understanding of the “quirks” of UF and can make a more informed decision when acceptances roll out!
Disclaimer: My experiences detailed below do not reflect the experiences of other UF transfer students. In addition, my personal goals, major, and pre-professional track greatly influence the experiences I have. Your major, goals, and career trajectory may differ, so please proceed with this in mind.
1. Flipped Classrooms
One of the most jarring differences between UF and Santa Fe is the difference in teaching methods. Many UF classes follow the “Flipped Classroom” structure. The Flipped Classroom model was created as a result of growing research within active learning. The Flipped Classroom model removes the aspect of in-class lectures and direct instruction, instead providing supplemental lectures (lecture recordings, readings, slideshows, etc) in replacement of traditional “teacher-to-student" type learning.1
Flipped Classroom has many benefits including:
Learning at your own pace
Responsibility for your learning
Increased focus on material retention and application in class
When I walked into my chemistry class on the first day of school, I had NO idea what was going on. No lecture? How are we supposed to learn that material? No one had told me that this was how chemistry was taught at UF, let alone the majority of STEM classes! Santa Fe College primarily utilizes direct instruction, meaning teacher-to-student and face-to-face instruction at scheduled times.
After a few days of asking many questions to my professor, I learned the system and adapted with ease. If you are not self-motivated to do work outside of class, the structure of UF classes is something you should take into heavy consideration.
TIP: When talking with your transfer advisor from your UF college of choice, ask them if any of the courses you’ll be taking at UF utilized a Flipped Classroom model. This will help you have a better idea of how much work you’ll need to do outside of class to learn material and make an educated decision about your transfer plans.
2. No Grade Forgiveness
Even if you’re a 4.0 student, it’s important to be educated on the policies your transfer institutions have regarding GPAs, grading, and procedures to deal with poor grades. We’re human! Things get rough sometimes, so it’s important to know how a dip in academic performance can affect your long-term metrics.
According to UF’s Registrar, “The University of Florida does not practice grade forgiveness, and petitions [for late withdrawals] cannot be used as a form of grade forgiveness.”2
What does this mean? Grade forgiveness allows students to retake courses and replace a previous grade of a C- or lower with the new grade!
At UF, if you earn a D in your first attempt of a course and an A on your second, both grades will count towards your overall GPA.
If you’re going into a graduate program that has a heavy emphasis on GPA, (Fellow pre-health students: I’m looking at you~), It’s important to understand how poor academic performance can affect your long-term goals and plans. Understanding the grading policies of UF, or any institution, will help you make informed decisions on preventative actions you can take if times get tough.
3. Relationships with Professors are Difficult, but NOT Impossible!
As transfer students, we have an advantage over those who entered a university setting as a freshman. While university freshmen had to navigate ENC1101 classes of 300 people or more, we’ve been privileged to experience the same class with 20-25 students. Having fewer students in class means the professor has more time for each student! It’s easier to build relationships with your professors and get to know them in Santa Fe. The connections that you build now could open doors for you in the future.
In your final semester(s) at Santa Fe, prioritize going to see your professors in their office hours. Ask questions, make conversation, and get to know them. They will remember you and will think of you when an opportunity shows up on their desk.
All of this being said: It’s not at all impossible to do the same at UF. It takes effort and true dedication. In my first semester, I created relationships with the majority of my professors at UF through attending their office hours and participating in class. Through these connections, I was able to get personalized help on subjects I was struggling with and get connected to opportunities! Even more importantly, if a professor has an opportunity to work with them directly on something.... DO IT.
If it weren’t for getting to know my U.S. Healthcare professor, Dr. Rick Kates, I wouldn’t be working on my year-long independent research project (which will be turning into my Honors thesis soon!)
4. Imposter Syndrome is REAL!
Imposter syndrome is a VERY REAL thing that a lot of transfer students experience, regardless of where they end up! Unfortunately, societal norms and misconceptions have led many to believe that transferring is the easy way out, potentially affecting our understanding of our journey and efforts.
At a massive institution like UF, it can be difficult to see people hanging out with their friends, involved in clubs, and doing things that you would like to do! In addition, the majority of students at UF are not transfer students. At Santa Fe, majority of students are transfer students. It makes a difference!
I had never experienced imposter syndrome before I started at UF. It was crippling at first because I felt like I was behind in everything! It’s important to realize that everyone’s journey is different. There’s no “set way” to be a good student. There’s no metrics you have to meet to prove that you’re worthy of being at any university. Our journeys and stories are what make us unique. They provide us with experiences and understanding that no one would understand but you.
You got in. The proof is in the pudding, my friends! Now, it’s time to enjoy university life!
5. Explore Resources for Students NOW!
I thought that I was well-versed in what UF offered in terms of resources for students. I knew about panhellenic organizations, pre-health organizations, advising, and events. I soon found out that I didn’t even scratch the surface of what’s available for students at UF!
Heed my advice: Learn what resources are available that would tailor to your goals and needs. Whether that be tutoring services, writing consultations, student government opportunities, or even a chicken science club... Explore NOW!
Here’s a very non-comprehensive list of some resources that I’ve learned about while at UF:
Study Skills consultations with faculty - (Study Skills - Academic Resources)
Tutoring for TONS of subjects - (Tutoring - Academic Resources)
Writing consultations - (Come visit me next semester: Writing Studio - University Writing Program)
Chemistry tutoring (and the different types of offerings) -
TONS of honors societies
Counseling, wellness, and health services
Prestigious awards for graduate schools
I’ve left my list purposefully vague so you can go and explore what UF has to offer! Trust me, you’ll end up finding a ton by just clicking around!
My Hot Take
My best advice for anyone considering transferring to UF or to another university is to be informed, make decisions based on your happiness – not prestige, and to create connections with advisors and faculty at your institution of choice early!
Email college/major advisors and ask questions.
Meet with advisors in person.
Visit campus and see if it's an environment for you.
Don’t limit yourself to one option: Explore and have options come decision day!
Get involved on your campus of interest, if at all possible.
If you have any questions about transferring, pre-med life at a university, or just in general, feel free to reach out to me at email@example.com! I’m here for you, so don’t hesitate even if you think it’s a small question!
I wish you all luck with your applications and research. May you get into your top institution and achieve your wildest dreams!
Flipped classrooms: The derek bok center for teaching and learning. Harvard University. (n.d.). https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/flipped-classrooms