Leilei: Hello and welcome back to our Transfer Talks Podcast. My name is Leilei and I am a Transfer Jack's Peer Mentor. Joining us today is a very special guest who would like to share their transfer experience with us. Nicholas: All right I'm Nicholas Clement. I'm a senior here at NAU. I had transferred from a small town called Thatcher. The community college was known as Eastern Arizona College. Leilei: Nice, very nice. Well, nice to be here and meet you. Thank you. Nicholas: Yeah, thanks for having me. Leilei: Yeah so to start off let's go with some lighthearted questions right now. So what do you like about campus slash the NAU environment? Nicholas: The something I do like about it is the extent that the NAU is with how it stretches all between the two streets that it is. The climate of being cold but not too cold which is a kind of nice change from everything else I've done. Aside from, generally you actually do find some good fellow-hearted people that are similar-minded within your classes. Leilei: Yeah it sounds like a great experience so far and when you talked about climate, I'm a desert rat. Nicholas: Okay. Leilei: I'm from another part of Arizona where it doesn't snow or it's just desert all around so that's why I came here because the weather is just the complete opposite and like you said it's not too cold. It's kind of like in the sweet middle though I know it's a little bit questionable with all the snow days we've been getting. Nicholas: I know, right? Leilei: It's been on it's been a little bit polar. It's been a little bit polar. Nicholas: It has. Two, three feet we've gotten. Leilei: Yeah we are setting records this year. Nicholas: I've heard about that yeah. Leilei: Yeah this is more snow than I wanted to see. Nicholas: It happens I mean it's pretty much where I saw on the east coast. Leilei: Yeah and you know I never thought I would miss the desert this much. I went to Phoenix over the weekend and I'm like everyone's wearing shorts. Regular shirts no one's wearing a jacket or a scarf. I'm like wow literally just a couple hours away and it's a whole change. Nicholas: Oh yeah we go through like three four five different like ecosystems as you go from here to Phoenix. It's just insane. Leilei: It really is. I'm here moving on to with the this or that. So Union or HLC? Nicholas: Probably the Union. Leilel: How come? Nicholas: Just from the time there's more options here. Leilei: Options as in? Nicholas: As in just things to eat as well as being able to just find a nice little quiet space spot to hide. Leilei: Yeah yeah and I think it also depends on like what do you mean Union or HLC? Like what like is it to eat is it to study you know? It's a very broad question. Nicholas: Right, It's just like which like which building do you prefer really. Leilei: Yeah yeah honestly I think I prefer HLC because of like the view Nicholas: I see, I get that. Leilei: And I feel like it's a, it's a nice it's a study space but that's how I interpreted the question you know but like I said more options. I mean food is the way to go for Union. I'll tell you that. Nicholas: Right Leilei: How about I come to Union first and then I go to HLC. Nicholas: See that would totally work Leilei: Yeah. Yeah, why didn't they include that in the question or both? Or both. So how about North or South Campus? Nicholas: Oh I'm a North Campus guy. All my classes are up here and I just prefer being up here with all the sandstone buildings and it's a lot closer to my apartment than having to go down to South Campus. Leilei: Yeah do you often go to South or barely? Nicholas: There's instances where I do have to go to South Campus just because of the welcome center that's down there. That's where I go to church on Sundays as well as I have a religious class there on Wednesday nights. So I make the trek once, two-three times every week. Leilei: Yeah yeah yeah but it's just more convenient on the North side Nicholas: Correct Leilei: with it, with where everything is. Honestly same here. I am barely in South. The only time I will go to South is like for work but I have like no shifts down there anymore. So like I don't even know what's going on down there right now like at all but it does have, have you been to Q Doba by any chance? Nicholas: I don't think I have. Leilei: Honestly, highly recommend, 10 out of 10. It is kind of like a Chipotle. I don't know if you've been to Chipotle. Nicholas: Oh yeah I've been. Okay. Leilei: Yeah I mean I don't know if it's like, I don't even often go to Chipotle but I go to Q Doba a lot. Nicholas: Because it's just right here. Leilei: It's right there I mean like all the way in South. So like when I had shifts over there it was so convenient but now that I'm always in North why should I go all the way to South? Nicholas: It's like why do I need to make the trek? Leilei: I mean if I'm really craving that then that's understandable right but it's like not every single day you know yeah. So just one more of the this or that just to kind of play around a bit. NAU gold or NAU blue? Nicholas: I'm a fan of blue. Leilei: Blue? How come? Nicholas: Just because I've always liked the color blue better than yellow. Leilei: Oh well that offends me very much because my favorite color is yellow. Nicholas: I'm sorry. Leilei: No you're totally fine. Nicholas: I'm gonna guess your favorite flowers are sunflowers too. Leilei: Honestly it's not my it's not my number one it's my number two though. I actually ironically I have sunflowers in my room right now. So you caught me there you caught me there. But yeah so I mean I would go for NAU gold because I like yellow more than blue you know but so agree to disagree on that right? Nicholas: Yeah. You know what either way they're both NAU. Leilei: Exactly. So hey we're a team at the end of the day. We're a team. Nicholas: Right. Leilei: We're a team. So kind of going on into the more serious in-depth you know questions. So what was your experience like at your previous school? Nicholas: So at Eastern Arizona College or EAC, the classrooms are pretty small. Leilei: Okay. Nicholas: The whole class like your classmates they're also pretty small in number. For example, I had classes where the most I had was eight people. Leilei: Wow. Nicholas: So it was very intricate entry detail. The teachers could work with us one on one. And it was a very fun experience. I recommend if you are needing the start somewhere, it's a good place. Leilei: Yeah. Do you prefer that kind of like smaller class setting more intimate connections? Nicholas: I'm on the fence about it but I'm leaning towards I do just because it helps me with being able to understand the material better. Leilei: Yeah. Nicholas: It's great for building fundamentals or even just finding close connections. The way you actually have this drive to actually want to go to class and whatnot instead of just being one of 50. Leilei: Yeah. Yeah. So now I mean I'm thinking it's a little bit bigger here at NAU. Nicholas: Oh yeah, definitely. Leilei: How was your transfer experience? How was your experience transferring here to NAU? Nicholas: From being able to being to a small classroom to these lecture halls, it's definitely a culture shock in a way. Leilei: Yeah. Nicholas: Just because it's like the vast number of people that change and sometimes the teachers don't really remember your name but they do try here which is a nice effort. Leilei: Yeah. Yeah. So do you have like a preference now having to experience both sides of the spectrum per se? Nicholas: I'd probably my preferred thing is kind of like in the middle. Not too large but not too small that everyone knows where your business is. Leilei: Would you consider NAU's lecture halls exceptionally large? Nicholas: No. Not at all. Because they're about only like 50 to 60 but at the most extreme here at NAU, that's probably 70. Other places that jumps up to like 200 Leilei: Yeah, like U of A or ASU. Nicholas: And just forget about any connection now just get your stuff down and get out. Leilei: Yeah. Would you say that the kind of the size of the school and like their classrooms is kind of like a big reason why you decided to transfer over here? Nicholas: I wouldn't say that's my main reason. My main reason is actually my current major which is Geology with an emphasis in Paleontology. Leilei: Oh nice. Nicholas: EAC didn't have that. So I need to head somewhere that did and here I am just because I had gotten a scholarship to anywhere in-state. Leilei: Yeah we love that. Honestly take the opportunity wherever you go. Nicholas: Right. Leilei: For real. So if you mind me asking what made you want to choose the Geology route? Nicholas: To choose the Geology route that was the main like path towards Paleontology and I'd taken some like A.G. class at NAU. just to preface myself up but since Paleontology is kind of both a hybrid of Bio and Geo since I already covered the Biology route at EAC, it was time to fully go into the rocks. Leilei: So do you see kind of like a connection with the two as you're taking classes here yet? Nicholas: Oh definitely. Leilei: For sure. Nicholas: Most of them the Biology and like fundamental Geo classes they do cover a bunch of the same stuff like Natural selection, Charles Darwin, Leilei: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Nicholas: Large superposition. There's a lot of things the sciences have in common. Leilei: So what is it? Are you kind of like how do you feel like being in your classes because I know oftentimes as people are going through the journey of the degree that they're seeking it's kind of like is this for me kind of thing. How certain do you feel about the route that you're going down at the moment? Nicholas: I feel pretty certain about it. Leilei: Oh we love that. Nice. Nice. I'm glad that you're enjoying it. I know some people tend to like oh I don't know but honestly like the questionable feeling of whether this is the route that you want to go down is fine and then also the certain feeling is also honestly just this fine and do you feel like are you happy to have chosen NAU with the experience that you've had so far here? Nicholas: Oh definitely just being able to basically metaphorically grow my own wings. Leilei: Yeah. Nicholas: That's kind of one of the reasons why I picked it because it was so far away from people I know and there's fears of influences that I could start making my own. Leilei: Yeah you can start new you know? Like Nicholas: Pretty much yeah. Leilei: So did you come here not really knowing anyone? Nicholas: Pretty much yeah. Leilei: Yeah and honestly that's very common for transfer students. So in like your experience of being here how did you get yourself involved to kind of like maybe seek connections with people? Nicholas: Well it started with just because of going to church on Sundays. I was able to build like social network there . Leilei: Yeah! Nicholas: At the Welcome Center which is nice. It's able to help you branch out to other people as well but then also just being able to have that ability within your classrooms as well. Just say hi to someone you're next to and just chat them up basically. And additionally, the emails slash events that the transfer office holds was really nice honestly. Leilei: So have you been to a couple? Nicholas: I have and I've also been paying attention to all the emails and stuff. Leilei: Oh nice. Nicholas: So you stay in the loop and you make plans for going out to certain activities that are being hosted and there you go. Leilei: So which events and not even just exclusively transfer it can conclude, conclude. It can include your church events if they hold any as well but what would you say is like one of your favorite social events that you experienced here at NAU? Nicholas: One of my favorites? Leilei: Yes. Nicholas: I would probably have to say the Winter-like Olympics that we hosted down at the Welcome Center. Leilei: Oh. Nicholas: So essentially we basically mimicked some events that would happen at the Olympics like skiing, tobogganing. Leilei: And which program was holding this? Nicholas: This was the Welcome Center, the LVSSA. Leilei: Oh okay okay nice and so like how did it go? That actually sounds like a lot of fun. Nicholas: It was and it was pretty fun. I was the one that was basically like directing everything. And one of the main things I remember doing about it is I was basically like the torch runner. So I carried in the torch celebrating it like let's go guys! Leilei: So what's like something that you really appreciate about that event about, about it being held for students? Nicholas: What I really appreciate about it is not only were the students in charge of it, we were the ones setting up the activities and making sure everyone else was invited and involved. It was pretty fun team-building experiences. So if you weren't sure about who people were, you got to know them by the end of the night. Leilei: Yeah yeah and that's what I really like about events in general and like speaking of that like you know how you really we're talking about how transfer, the transfer program holds their own events. We really want to just like create another space where it's not just about academics all the time you know. Nicholas: Right Leilei: A lot of transfer students come in to focus strictly on academics because it's like we're in a phase already where it's like let's just do this right. I'm going down the route I know what I want to do kind of thing but it's hard to like feel it's hard to like prioritize and make the time for events as well. It goes along for a lot of transfer students maybe not just for you and everything. Nicholas: Well no, I was about to say that that's how it was like my first two semesters. Leilei: Oh yeah. Nicholas: And so I was like okay I need to sit down I need to get my bearings first before I can go out and join the social but that caused a bit of a burnout. Leilei: Yeah. Nicholas: And so being able to attend events being able to interact with people changing from not just being so study-focused. Leilei: Yeah. Nicholas: It allows you to balance that out and not get yourself burned out. Leilei: And like kind of going more into like you as a transfer student alone like how do you feel being a transfer student compared to maybe the more traditional kind of students? Nicholas: To be honest I feel a little more superior in a way Leilei: Oh! Nicholas: Just because I have all my generals done and I can actually focus on my bulk classes without having to take extra credits that will eventually also try to burn me out or things I don't really care about like humanities. Leilei: Yeah. Nicholas: And so having that ability to just focus solely on my bulk while the traditional is more struggling with everything else they have to do like the generals their humanity classes their, and balance that with the bulk as well. You're going to say I've been there. I know what you're going through. See ya. Leilei: I like that, just moving on, right? Because there tends to be like a stigma towards like non-traditional students and our transfer program holds a lot of that and although we're only a very small community here at NAU it's still like we have a lot of students that feel like they don't belong oftentimes but I love like your refreshing point of view of just like yeah you know like I'm a transfer student what about it. Nicholas: So what? Leilei: No, I absolutely love that. So like what do you feel like you've gained aside from maybe getting ahead as being a transfer student like what other things have you gained from it? Nicholas: Something I do appreciate being a transfer student is part of the perspective that we gain just because we've already have some degree of workmanship of being able to get that AA first. We're able to say ok, during that time I was able to figure out my time management, and during getting that bachelor now that rest of two years as we transferred over I personally found that those skills carry over having that personal management, of course, I've procrastinated about this year because it's senior year and all that. Leilei: Snow days didn't help you there right? Nicholas: Oh yeah snow days definitely don't help but being able to get back on that ball is a lot easier. Leilei: Okay okay I really I really like how you look at that side of it. So would you say you're probably at your highest of being a student at this point like compared to like maybe your first two years or high school or middle school like how do you feel as a student at the moment? Nicholas: As a student at the moment I feel tired. Leilei: Yeah that sounds about right. Nicholas: I feel tired but I can see the finish line. Leilei: You can see the finish line right it's just right there. Nicholas: It's just right over the edge. It's just up that hill. I just got to run it up. Leilei: Honestly I am crawling to the finish line right now but you know what I'm still doing it. I'm doing it. I'm taking sips of water here and there and I'm like okay let's go let's go. Nicholas: I'm probably seeing the highlight of like my student career so far was my last one of EA where I was just getting ready to transfer over getting everything in order but I was also part of an undergraduate research program and by that small group we were able to just get out there and do a lot I've seen like fieldwork which actually helped me prep for being all getting Geology a bit because Geology is it's all fieldwork. Leilei: Yeah how was your um what is it didn't you have a Capstone field trip or something? Nicholas: I did. Leilei: Yeah you did how was that? Nicholas: That was two weeks ago and it's a mixed bag of emotions. Leilei: I see. I hope was the weather part of the issue? Nicholas: Yes. Leilei: Oh no. Nicholas: Yes it was. We went down to Southeastern Arizona. Leilei: Okay. Nicholas: To like the Mica Rincon Mountains and on Tuesday, Wednesday I kid you not it tried killing us. Leilei: Oh no. Nicholas: High winds probably 30 to 40 miles an hour. On Wednesday it had bursts of showers on us, downpour rain that turned to snow. Leileli: Oh my god. Nicholas: So we were being hit with all this all this shivering all this cold air all this snow all this wetness we were basically on the edge of hypothermia. Leilei: Oh my so were you guys not as prepared as you could have been? Nicholas: Oh some of us no we weren't. Because we were all prepared for like 50s 60s down to 30s the winter the rain the rain and the snowstorm that came on us that was nowhere in the forecast when we left and so we're all like crap. Leilei: Yeah that was definitely said it was two weeks ago that was during our consecutive losing what is it consecutive cancellations of Thursday classes. Nicholas: It was Thursday, Wednesday. Yeah, it's like excuse me. Nicholas: Yeah Wednesday. Leilei: Oh my gosh. Nicholas: We came down here to get away from this and it followed us down there and Leilei: It did. Nicholas: Desperate times really were there on Wednesday. I mean we were doing the penguin technique of survival Leilei: Oh my gosh Nicholas: Like cuddling up throwing someone in the middle to keep them warm Leilei: Yeah Nicholas: It was oh my gosh we were hiding in those vans. Leilei: Yeah I bet I'm surprised that you guys didn't did you guys end up leaving earlier Nicholas: No. Leilei: Or you just stayed the whole time? Nicholas: We just stick it through Wednesday and we wore what we wanted with some pretty good days on Thursday, Friday and I'm talking about like 70s 60s clear as day blue skies. Leilei: Isn't that weird this weather can just get so bipolar you know. Nicholas: Welcome to Arizona. Leilei: Right welcome to Flagstaff because mine is just straight-up desert and heat that's the most you get and then over here sunshine and rainbows and then it's like a snowstorm in the next couple of hours like. Nicholas: And then come the next day you get poured on by rain. Leilei: Exactly I got to pack my umbrella my winter coat everything just in case whenever the weather feels like changing it up a bit right? Nicholas: Yep, Arizona is, she's a special snowflake. Leilei: Right. Nicholas: But you can't help but love her. Leilei: Exactly it's a love-hate relationship. Nicholas: It is especially those sunsets they are so beautiful you know. Leilei: Exactly you know we find the good and the bad right? Nicholas: Right. Leilei: It balances out. It balances out. Nicholas: It does. Leilei: Yeah but so kind of like moving on what do you wish people not what do you yeah what do you wish people understood about the transfer experience? Nicholas: What I wish that people could understand more is yeah it's a bit of work at a community college or someplace before but it's totally worth it. And being able to be called a transfer student does give you some certain merits underneath your belt. Leilei: Yeah. Nicholas: Just because you open yourself to more activities more like opportunities that you'd have at both places. Leilei: So what's something that to like your other fellow transfer students what's something that you would recommend or suggest them do? Say like our first transfer students that come here what's something that you'd have them do being here at NAU? Nicholas: Certainly I'd recommend is they do like the transfer organization I guess here at EAC. They do say you not not EAC why did I say that? Leilei: NAU! Nicholas: NAU, yes. Leilei: I know I was like wait Nicholas: I'm playing multiple gears at once. Leilei: You're good. Nicholas: One thing is get together with your peer mentor because they do assign you one and mine specifically helped me out a bunch. Leilei: Glad to hear that. Glad to hear that. So definitely meet with your peer mentors. Anything else that you would like to add and that doesn't even have to be like the Transfer Jack’s program related? It can be anything that you tried that was successful for you. Nicholas: Something that as a transfer student that made my time easier is getting involved with organizations that you knew back at home. For example or back at your previous college for example the LVSSA they have that at EAC too. And so because of that I was able to find like a grip of familiarity which helped me a lot. So having that familiar connections help a lot. Leilei: It helps with that sense of belonging because this Nicholas: It does. Leilei: Is a brand new place and we have like over 400 or just about 400 clubs offered here. We have so many we have a lightsaber club. Nicholas: I saw them practicing one day and I was just walking with campus one day it's like that's so cool! Leilei: it's a very it's a big club huh? Nicholas: It is. Leilei: I almost want to just join for fun because I think they offer you lightsabers. I don't know. Nicholas: They do! Leilei: I don't know but like we have so many clubs and there's so many opportunities so would you say like you just have to make the effort to actually. Nicholas: Oh absolutely. Leilei: Yeah because it doesn't always come to you you know. Nicholas: And use your resources. There's the True Blue but there's also discord servers that pop up. There's opportunities you just have to keep your ears open in class as well as just this may sound a little bad but eavesdrop a bit. Leilei: There's some good and bad of that right. There's some good. Be more aware of what's going on on campus that's what you're going for. Nicholas: Yes, that's what I'm going for! Leilei: Nice. So very good. Coming from another transfer student. Words of wisdom. Very nice. So that's pretty much all that we have for you today. So I really want to thank you Nickolas for joining us and sharing your transfer experience with us. Is there anything else that you would like to add before you know we finish up? Nicholas: Let's see nothing really comes off the top of my mind. Leilei: Okay. Nicholas: But I hope everyone has a good day and I hope this podcast helps someone in some regard. Leilei: I'm sure it will.