Arrajanee: Welcome back to the transfer talk podcast my name is Arrajanne Rivera and I am a transfer jacks peer mentor joining me today is our guest who would like to share their transfer student experience with us. Kenneth: Hello my name is Kenneth. I am a transfer student from Coconino community college I am a VC major and thank you for having me Arrajanee: Of course, thank you for joining me today. alright let’s get to our questions for today. Our first question is what made you choose NAU and why did you transfer to NAU. Kenneth: Well um, well um, I have family members that went to NAU like aunt, like aunts, and here just mostly aunties and um, they always tell me that they had like a really great experience here, and myself I want to get a higher education. So plus the like learning, so, yeah. Arrajanee: Nice that’s really cool. So family comes here. So it’s kind of like a family tradition a little bit. Kenneth: Kind of yeah Arrajanee: That’s nice, its good to hear we like that. Um, what made you choose your degree? Kenneth: Well, um I’m in the VC program, a graphic design major. I chose this area of study because I like making things, you know? I make stuff on my own. But I made stuff on my own and it was very amateur, the way I was doing it. But with these, with these. With the path I’m going down I’m learning how to do it more, like make things more professionally. Arrajanee: Oh that’s so cool. What do want to do, like um, when you graduate? Kenneth: Um, well its, its not too big like, I want to stay in Flagstaff. Because um, going out of state scares me, and yeah so. Um I want to make something that’s, um that will inspire somebody. Like I don’t want to make like, like whole project artworks, I’m ok with just making one piece artworks and inspiring somebody with it, yeah. Arrajanee: That’s really cool, yeah. Um, what’s your favorite form of artwork to make? Kenneth: Um, its mainly digital artwork. Like, yeah so. Yeah, well not drawing, not drawing like on a digital thing. It’s mainly like making things in the craft design projects, so like, like yeah putting shapes together and stuff. Arrajanee: That’s really cool. Do you do like animations sometimes? Kenneth: Um not really, uh I’m not, I’m not at that skill level, but just like making posters Arrajanee: Oh that’s fine Kenneth: And cards and stuff Arrajanee: Oh nice that’s cool. Um and then what is your favorite spot to study at on campus? Kenneth: Um, my favorite spot, I like studying at the Native American Cultural Center, because that building they have a giant room in the middle of the building, and its really cozy and quiet, and like, there’s like sometimes there’s like a whole lot, like a whole bunch of students that study there also. But its really quiet and it’s a great place to study, and I like, I like drinking coffee, and they have like a little place where you can get a free coffee, so yeah. Arrajanee: Ooh that’s nice, I love coffee to. I heard that they have cool artwork in there as well. Kenneth: They do, yeah they have like displays, like artwork displays and they have like little art facts Arrajanee: Oh nice Kenneth: On the display, its pretty cool. Arrajanee: That’s cool, I need to check it out. Learn about some other cultures that’d be really nice. Alright and then our next question is what was your experience like at your previous school? Kenneth: Um, so I transferred from Coconino Community College, and I like the student experience there. You know, it was small, it was small and to felt like, it felt like everyone knew each other, you know, and once I got here to NAU its huge. So, like you see, you see like a knew face every day, and um uh I do physical therapy here on campus. When I first transferred here, um somebody that was helping me like, navigate through campus was like “yeah the clinics on the other side of campus” and that scared me cuz like there’s another side of campus. So its huge yeah. Arrajanee: Oh yeah, way bigger than Coconino huh Kenneth: Yeah Arrajanee: Yeah, I uh been around to Coconino Community College. Some other buildings before so I understand how much bigger NAU can be. Kenneth: Yeah, yeah its really big Arrajanee: and then, uh what was your experience like transferring to NAU? Kenneth: Um, like, like I said like, it was, its really big but, um when I first got here my first, my first semester, I had no idea where like all these, all the services, resources were. So I felt like I was just, like going to class and going home. That was it. Arrajanee: Yeah Kenneth: Yeah, like uh I didn’t know where to like I didn’t know where to study and stuff. Like I had no idea where the, I had no idea there was even a cultural center. Like the native American cultural center. I didn’t know that was available so. Arrajanee: Nice, would you say it was like, a little overwhelming at first? Kenneth: It was yeah, especially like um navigating to class. Theres like so many students everywhere. Arrajanee: Oh yeah and the building names, so many different names and stuff. Kenneth: Yeah, like yeah I remember my um, I remember my first semester. It was at the, it was at the um one of the literature buildings, and the building right next to it they looked, they looked the same. So I didn’t know which building it was. Arrajanee: Oh yeah, I can get, I fully understand that. Kenneth: Yeah Arrajanee: It can get a little um, overwhelming on campus and stuff so how long did to take you, would you say for you to like start getting used to finding places. Kenneth: I say about, it took me a while. Um, my first semester it was, it was really hard. But my second semester I started to get familiar cuz I had a, I had a peer mentor on campus and my peer mentor told me where everything was and how to get there and yeah it was really cool. Arrajanee: Oh nice that’s good that your peer mentor was a great support system for you and helped you transition. Kenneth: Yeah Arrajanee: Alright and then what piece of advice would you like to give incoming transfer students? Kenneth: Um, I would say that really focus on, really focus on the rubric of the assignment because when I first transferred here, I was in that, that state of, that thinking where um, just turning in assignments like on time on the due date, and like I was always, like not worried about the points like, whatever I got like whatever the professor gave me for the assignment I just kind of rolled, rolled with it. But as I progressed, as I um started taking the more advanced classes. I feel like focusing on or studying the rubric and trying to get the assignment as close to that to get the full amount of points instead of just turning it in on time. I would, yeah, I would, I would say that that’s a good place to start. Arrajanee: That’s good, yeah that’s a good piece of advice cuz uh you’ve already spent the time doing the project so might as well do it like correctly instead of just doing something to turn in. Kenneth: Yeah. Yeah, or like um one assignment that really, like when I started my graphic design, at the beginning of my graphic design classes. I had to, there was an assignment where I had to make business cards, and um I finished the assignment, and I was just gonna, I was just gonna turn in. But um I had, there was a certain way the professor wanted, wanted the assignment turned in, and I wasn’t really sure how to do it. So I asked the professor for help. On how to do it and he helped me but he said “well let me look over your work see if its good real quick” and he looked over it and he said “That’s not allowed, there’s a problem right there, you need to fix that” and yeah that’s when I realized that I had to really focus on like, really focus on how to, like the rubric of the assignment. Like how to do it. Arrajanee: Yeah pay attention to what they’re asking for. Kenneth: Yeah exactly. Arrajanee: and being able to give them what they like are asking for and stuff. That’s cool, that’s a good piece of advice I, I think that’s great. Um, and then what type of programs, departments, people um have helped you transition. Kenneth: Um, when, when I was at Coconino community college, I had a CCC to NAU advisor, and she was awesome. She told me what uh, like helped me stay on track to get my associates, associate degree, and yeah it was, it was amazing. Then once I uhm, towards the end of my, my time at CCC I needed, like I needed peer mentor help. So I, I joined the program called SipC, and they uhm, they helped me like, they helped me with tutoring and other things like that, and especially when I transitioned over they satyed with me, I stayed in that program cuz they work on, they work with CCC and NAU so. Arrajanee: Oh that’s really cool. Kenneth: Yeah I had, and yeah they actually hired me as a peer mentor to. Arrajanee: Nice Kenneth: Yeah so, its cool cuz, its cool cuz my peer mentor, he works, he’s my boss now. Arrajanee: Oh that cool. Kenneth: We’re like colleagues now, pretty cool. Arrajanee: Nice so its uhm, you found great programs that were really there during that transition period of getting you from the community college to NAU’s campus. Kenneth: Yeah, yeah Arrajanee: That’s really good, you were able to find employment that way as well. Kenneth: Yeah Arrajanee: That’s really cool. Uhm, and then what is one thing you wish non-transfer students at NAU understood about the transfer experience. Kenneth: Um, well as a student, you know your not alone. Theres always, there’s like advisors that will help you. Like in my case I had an advisor that helped me stay on track to get the credits I needed for my degree, and yeah there’s also like, peer mentors that help you with things. So its, yeah its pretty cool. Arrajanee: Nice so there’s always someone to help. Kenneth: Yeah exactly. Arrajanee: You’re never alone, that’s good. It’s a good piece of advice. Alright now we’re gonna do a little part of our interview called this or that NAU edition. So I’m just gonna ask a few questions and then you pick out of either or. Kenneth: ok Arrajanee: So first one is the Dub or the Hotspot? Kenneth: Uhm, I like, I like the Dub. Because they have a Subway over there, and I like sandwiches and uhm I like the vegetables and uhm, so I really like. Arrajanee: Nice so uh, more options that fit you are at the Dub. Kenneth: Yeah, exactly. Arrajanee: That’s nice, and then the Union or the HLC as a place to study? Kenneth: Uhm, best place to study. Probably the, probably the HLC. You know the uh, the union is like really loud and there’s, the food always smells good. Arrajanee: Yeah its easy to get distracted. Kenneth: Yeah exactly. You know, but the HLC, the HLC has that little study area where you can just do work. Yeah, yeah, it’s pretty cool. Arrajanee: Yeah nice uhm, lots of open spaces for you to study. Kenneth: Yeah Arrajanee: and somewhere quiet Kenneth: and they have those like, they have those little, little rooms, those little isolated rooms you can like go in those rooms and just, and they have like white boards and stuff in there. Arrajanee: Oh nice. Kenneth: Its pretty cool. Arrajanee: I didn’t even know they had study rooms at the HLC. That’s good to know, and then are you a fall person or a winter person? Kenneth: I’m a, I’m a fall person. Yeah I like wearing, I like wearing hoodies and sweaters so yeah. Arrajanee: Oh nice. Kenneth: I can’t, I can’t wait for that weather. Yeah cuz I like putting my hoodie, my hood on and uhm, the little like. Arrajanee: The strings, like to tighten it. Kenneth: Yeah exactly. Arrajanee: Yeah that’s, that’s cool. I do like the cool weather because you start to put on more warm clothes to. Kenneth: Yeah Arrajanee: That’s cool. How bout the fall colors, do you like that to? Kenneth: I do, yeah I like orange, and purple is a fall color. Arrajanee: Oh nice Kenneth: So, yeah I like purple, so, yeah. Arrajanee: Oh cool, yeah, the trees are starting to turn uhm, right now. I’ve noticed like some trees are turning red and some are turning yellow, it’s pretty cool, and then our last question is would you prefer walking or riding the bus? Kenneth: Riding the bus, yeah, cuz I go, I go from the south campus to north side like, cuz I took my classes at the visual communications building. But I like going to the, the Dub to get subway. So, taking the bus is really cool. Arrajanee: Oh yeah, because you’re going from north campus to south campus. Kenneth: Yeah, it saves a lot of time to. Arrajanee: Oh yeah, and it’s nice. The bus system is pretty constant. Kenneth: Yeah, yeah it’s really cool. Arrajanee: Alright well thank you for joining me today Kenneth. Uh we appreciate you sharing your story and your experience with us. I hope you have a great day. Kenneth: You to, thank you for having me.