Submitted by Samantha Augustine
I am a freshman here at ATI studying Agricultural Communication. I, like many of you, was lucky enough to take College Credit Plus courses while I was in high school. So now, as I finish up my first year here at ATI, I have completed enough degree requirements to be ready to transition to the Columbus campus to earn my bachelor’s degree. As many of you know, ATI only offers associate degree programs, so when you finish your degree, you either enter the workforce or continue your education. If you choose to continue your education it can become very confusing and scary (kind of like that dream where you go to class in your underwear and you have no idea why you did, but everyone is staring at you and you don’t know what to do). Transitioning to Columbus can feel a lot like that, but with my help and the help of ATI we can make this feeling go away.
The very first thing you need to do is meet with your academic advisor at ATI. There they can go over your course schedule and degree pathway to make sure you’re ready to make the transition. You can access your degree pathway online under the Current Students, Academics tab, to see exactly what classes you need to graduate from ATI. This way, along with your advisor, you can double check to make sure you have completed all of the requirements for your major. From there you will meet with ATI transition counselor, Cate Hunko. Cate will go over all the required paperwork and steps to make the transition to Columbus official. As a transitioning student, you are required to meet with Cate to officially enroll at the Columbus campus. Cate works closely with the Columbus campus academic advisors to make the transition as smooth as possible. Cate’s job is to help you make the transition as easy as possible, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. Once you have had your meeting with Cate and have signed all the necessary paperwork, the hard part is over.
ATI doesn’t throw their students to the wolves. Instead, they offer many programs to help make the transition less stressful and more enjoyable. In the spring semester, they have a transition day, when students visit the Columbus campus, meet with future advisors, talk to current OSU students who also transitioned from ATI to Columbus, and tour the ag campus. This is another amazing opportunity to ask questions like Is it as scary as people make it seem? Where is the best place to eat? How far is too far to live off campus? What is the number one thing I need to bring with me? There is no such thing as a dumb question so be sure to ask while you can. Note to self: on OSU buses you do not have to signal the bus driver if you need to get off at the next stop because they stop at every stop. Your future self will thank me later, so you’re welcome in advance.
Although it may seem quite scary and overwhelming to go from ATI to Columbus, it’s really not. Just remember ATI wants to help in any way they can, so don’t be afraid to reach out for help as you start the transition journey. It’s not nearly as scary as going to class in your underwear (because we have all had that dream)!