How to Build Community as a Transfer Student

Transferring to a new school and being the “new kid” once again can be scary, but there are so many ways to build community right away at The King’s College. One of the foundational parts of the community at King’s is the House System. Last year, before moving to New York City, the guys from the House of Winston Churchill set up a call with me so I could meet all of the new members. In the call, I was introduced to a lot of the Churchills, which helped me come into King’s already knowing a great group of men. Getting to know your House is a great way to create connections even before you arrive.

You can also build community outside of your House, through opportunities on a team or in a student organization. I play soccer for King’s and when I visited the school as a prospective student, I met several other players. During other soccer calls, I met the rest of the team before I had even stepped foot on campus. Every sports team at King’s begins integrating new members onto the team before they arrive and those initial connections will grow as you compete together throughout the school year.

If sports aren’t your thing, student organizations are an amazing place to build community around a specific interest. When I began attending King’s, I was surprised at the variety of student organizations. There are organizations focused on photography, film, debate, fighting sex trafficking, and promoting life with reason and compassion, just to name a few. I joined the Investment Club, which has allowed me to meet other students who are passionate about stocks and different forms of investment. Each member is responsible for a specific sector of the stock market and gives regular updates to the rest of the members on which companies they want to invest in. It’s been a great opportunity to connect with others and make new friends.

Another way to build community at King’s is through student housing. When you live on campus, you’ll be around fellow peers outside of class, which helps friendships to form organically. After meeting others in sports teams, Houses, student orgs, or in a class, it is always a great idea to grab a coffee with them, get lunch or dinner, or even go for a walk in the park. I’ve found that students within the King’s community are generally eager to do any of those things.

As I hope you can see, there are countless places for building community at King’s. Whether you get involved with your House, a sports team, a student organization, or your roommate group, with some intentionality and a little effort, you’ll be surprised at the number of wonderful people that will enter your life!