This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

FSU enrolls about 3,000 transfer students every year, meaning about 25% of our student population is made up of transfers. I transferred here after my sophomore year from the University of South Florida, and I can tell you firsthand how difficult it can be to feel like you belong at a new school, especially if you spent the earlier, more formative college years at another school. The good thing is, it’s still completely possible to feel like a Nole. 

go to football games

There are a million things you can do on campus to feel like a Nole as a transfer student. A classic Fall staple is football games. Sometimes it feels like it’s impossible to get a ticket, but try your hardest and go. Get dressed up in garnet and gold, celebrate with your friends, and pretend you know what’s happening down on the field. Win or lose, it builds school spirit and makes you feel like a Nole

enjoy your fountain throw

The most FSU thing you could do to feel like a Nole is, of course, the fountain toss at Westcott Fountain. It’s tradition! Whether you’re turning or have already turned 21 at FSU, just do it. As the clock strikes midnight, let your friends “lightly” place you in the fountain and soak in 21 as you swim around Westcott Fountain.

Spend time on campus

The most obvious thing to do to feel like a Nole is to spend time on campus. If you never lived on campus and got used to doing homework in your room, still make an effort to go to the library. Spend a late night crammed in a study room and get the full college experience you may not have had. It’s the little things like this that can make you feel like you belong.

Get to know your school. Make the campus yours and wander aimlessly. When I first got to FSU, I loved to walk around campus at night. Familiarize yourself with the little spots you never would’ve found if you’d just gone to class and immediately gone back home.

Go to all the cafes. The Sweet Shop Cafe & Lounge, Calvin’s Coffee House, and Patchwork Coffee. Order a coffee and a bagel, do some homework, sit and ponder, play a game on your phone, then wander around campus. If you’re not the wandering type, be the lounging type.

visit the ASLC

In line with spending time on campus, go to the Askew Student Life Center (ASLC) movies and events. FSU has so many cool resources, like our own movie theatre. Sometimes they’ll even do early releases, and you won’t have to pay an arm and a leg to go watch a new movie at the AMC nearby. Be surrounded by other students during a game night or watching a screening of Hamilton or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. 

Join an RSO

Next, participate in clubs. Go to the involvement fair happening at the beginning of the semester, every semester. FSU has over 650 Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for things like sports, fashion, music, art, cultural groups, and literature, like our own Her Campus at FSU. You’re bound to find something you’re interested in, and it’s a great way to meet new people with shared interests.

Enjoy Tallyween

One fun piece of advice is to experience “Tallyween” to the fullest. On campus or off, there’s always something happening around Halloween. There’s a reason so many people, and other students, come to FSU for Halloween. Florida State is the No. 2 party school in America, so you can socialize and party like you’ve never partied before.

Buy FSU merch

Finally, buy the school merch. Hoodies, T-shirts, sweatpants, shorts, whatever it is, actually wear it. Feel the school spirit and pride, even if you transferred in halfway through; it’s your school, and you deserve to dress like it.

You only get one undergraduate experience, so do everything. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a transfer student or you spent all four years at one university, spend obscene amounts of time on campus, and enjoy it as much as you possibly can to feel like a Nole.

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