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Starting Afresh Is Sometimes Lonely, NYU Transfer Students Say

Limited opportunities for socializing can make it difficult for transfer students to make friends and feel integrated within NYU culture.

02.15.23
Starting Afresh Is Sometimes Lonely, NYU Transfer Students Say (Illustration by Tori Osmond via Washington Square News)

New York City, NYby Clara Spray

This story was originally published on New York University’s Washington Square News.

Leaving a traditional college town for the fast-paced lifestyle of New York City can be a daunting experience, posing challenges to even the most prepared transfer student. CAS junior Kasey Goldenberg transferred to NYU in the spring of 2022 after facing difficulties finding her place at the University of Virginia.

“From the minute I got there, I wasn’t a fan,” Goldenberg said. “It just wasn’t a good fit for me.”

While visiting Florence, Italy, she realized a larger city might suit her better. But when Goldenberg finally came to NYU, she was thrust right into the middle of an academic year, and she found it hard to find her footing. She became one of about 2,300 students who transfer to NYU annually —  and the approximately 2.1 million nationwide in 2020-2021. But the sheer number of transfer students doesn’t make it easy to transition to a large city school like NYU.

“It was weird at first because I didn’t know a soul,” Goldenberg said. “I was really nervous about finding a place.”

The challenging integration process into a new university, which Goldenberg experienced during her first few months at NYU, has been shown to lead to loneliness — an epidemic among college students, especially since COVID-19 hit. Today, loneliness is one of the world’s most urgent public health crises, with isolation being as deadly as the risks associated with smoking and drinking. Seventy-one percent of adolescents and young adults reported experiencing loneliness, with changing location being one of the main drivers.

Read the rest of the story at Washington Square News.

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