Everyone knows that college is a new and challenging experience. You leave behind the ease of high school and take your first steps into adulthood the minute you walk onto your new college campus. Freshman year is hard, but imagine transferring to a new school.

I began my college experience at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood, New York. My time at Suffolk was great, but I was looking forward to graduation day and starting at a new school. However, I was not sure of where I wanted to continue my education.

The minute I read about the Public Relations program at St. John’s University, I knew—without a doubt—that this was the school for me. I was so excited to become a Johnnie and all I talked about was that I was getting to come here.

The day I made my schedule was the first time I ever stepped foot on the St. John’s campus. My first thought was that I am no longer in Queens. I swear, once you pass those gates you’re in a different place. It looked like a real-life Hogwarts!

The atmosphere was completely different than at Suffolk and everyone was so nice and helpful. A student, whose name I wish I remembered, walked me over to the transfer office and gave me a mini tour along the way, instead of just pointing me in the right direction. Later on, I found that a lot of the students went out of their way to help. This was unusual to me, the willingness to help, but I find it’s the norm around here.

Getting involved around campus was fairly easy because there are so many clubs and organizations to join. It’s actually very hard to choose! In addition to The Torch, I joined Student Government, Inc. (SGI).

SGI was just an experience in itself. Honestly, the whole lot was quite intimidating! Everyone was so polished and mature—I could tell right away that these students took their positions seriously. SGI is run as an actual business and I appreciated the environment that they created. As the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. So, even though the SGI members looked unapproachable, they were the complete opposite. They’re super fun to be around and there’s always tons of laughs.

It’s certainly difficult to be an unhappy student here at St. John’s. My first impression of SJU was definitely a great one and my expectations have been met consistently throughout my time here. Johnnies really do take care of their own and being a transfer student didn’t make a difference.

In fact, I believe it makes you appreciate the environment you’re in that much more.