Although the total enrollment at Eastern has dropped in the past year, the transfer student population has risen.

Transfer students make up 37 percent of the undergrad population, said Rita Pearson, senior assistant director and transfer coordinator of transfer relations.

Pearson said last fall Eastern had 1,113 new transfer students compared to this fall where the enrollment of new transfer students is 1,147.

Pearson said she believed many students choose to transfer to Eastern because it’s a “transfer-friendly” school.

“We have a Transfer Relations Office that is dedicated to provide the best customer service to all transfer institutions and their students, parents, faculty and staff,” she said.

For Veretta Gray, a junior elementary and special education major, the choice to come to Eastern after earning her associate’s degree at Kankakee Community College was easy.

“Eastern was the smallest, the cheapest and they seem like they had much more that I wanted to be a part of,” Gray said.

Margaret Beallis, a junior family and consumer science major, who transferred from Waubonsee Community College, said she likes the small personal feel of the campus. She added that she liked how the professors try to get to know students.

“We’re not one of a million; we’re one in a million,” Beallis said.

Transferring college credits from one institution to another can be a daunting experience, but Eastern tries to make transferring credits as easy as possible by being a part of state-wide agreements like the Illinois Articulation Initiative.

Bridget Weber, a junior special education major, said she liked that Eastern was able to accept all her credits and how they found something equivalent here at Eastern to match up with the credits she previous earned at Marine Valley Community College.

“We care about students as individuals and we care about what kind of experiences and education they receive,” Pearson said.

Cathy Snider, transfer relations counselor, helped in making students experience a positive one.

“She was wonderful,” Gray said.

Amanda Konsbruck, a junior elementary education major, who transferred from Waubonsee Community College, said that Snider was amazing. She said she liked how Snider took the time out to sit down with her and go through every single class to tell her how it would transfer at Eastern.

Nina Matthews, a sophomore accounting major, transferred from Northeastern University, had a pretty seamless transition also.

“Only one of my classes didn’t transfer, and the counselors were helpful in telling me everything I needed to do,” Matthews said.

The tutoring programs at Eastern can make some students feel that they have the tools to succeed academically.

Gray said another reason why she chose Eastern is because of the tutoring programs that the university offers. She was excited to know that they had Trio, a tutoring program that she started at Kankakee Community College and was able to continue it here at Eastern.

Searching for the right school that fits a student best can be difficult and sometimes it takes a second try to find a perfect fit.

Matthews said she wasn’t satisfied with the lack of ambition of her peers and professors at her previous university. Although she was considering transferring to Arizona State University before coming to Charleston, she said she loved going to Eastern and wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Although going away to college can be exciting there are still challenges to overcome.

Konsbruck said the homesickness was one of the most difficult adjustments. She said she was used to going to school and coming home every day when she attended college at home.

Beallis thought the hardest part of her transition was living with people that she wasn’t familiar with.

Matthews said she will miss not being able to see her puppies back home in Chicago.

There are obstacles every step of the way but few students regret their decision to attend Eastern.

“I absolutely will choose Eastern again, I love it here.,” said Blallis.

Desiree Morris can be reached at 581-7942

or [email protected].