For most students, going back to school feels like a combination of renewed stress, less free time, and getting to see friends you may not have seen over summer, right? You might talk about how unhappy (or happy) you are to be back at school and what you did over summer.

Well, not for transfer students. For these students, going back to school is unfamiliar, daunting, and stressful. Transfer studnets have to find their classes, figure out scheduling, and meet new people and teachers. This all may seem simple to students who are familiar with the area and the school, but for new students this process is anything but simple.

Scituate may appear as a place where there isn’t an influx of new students; however, there were twenty-eight transfer students last year, which increased to forty by the end of the year. Twenty-seven transfer students started at SHS this year. Five of these students transferred from out of state. For these students in particular, the typical new kid issues are multiplied. For example, new students may not know anybody in Scituate or have any connections to the school. Participating in sports or joining a school club are both great ways to meet new people, yet not everybody is involved in school sponsored sports or has enough time to join a club.

Scituate High School is looking to improve their programs for transfer students. Currently, when transfer students arrive they are instructed to go to the freshman orientation and participate in the same activities as the freshmen. This includes a scavenger hunt, brisk walk around the school, and introduction to the staff.

As a former transfer student myself, I have ideas and suggestions to make life easier for students who transfer into Scituate. For example, establishing a “Sailor Buddies” program may improve the experiences of transfer students. The program would connect transfer students with a student from Scituate–and help with the initial welcoming process into the school. The transfer student would be mentored by the other student and would learn the ways of the school through a more personal approach. The transfer student would also be introduced to more people through the Scituate student and would instantly have someone with whom they could ask any questions or pose any concerns about the school.

Programs for transfer students at Scituate High School can and should be improved. Changes to the current program would help transfer students feel more welcomed, which might increase the chance for them to get involved in their new school community.