Transferring to a university from a community college can be overwhelming. There’s a lot to consider and to do, as well as a lot of paperwork, emails, phone calls, and research. However, transferring from community college rather than heading straight to university can be a benefit, and may work better for some students than others overall, especially if you get an Associate’s Degree before transferring.
Perhaps the most important thing is the paperwork. If you’ve done your GE courses at your community college, be sure you have some kind of certification that you’ve done so. When I transferred, I didn’t realize there was a separate form I needed to certify that I’d completed them, even with an Associate’s Degree.
Most, if not all, universities require a foreign language. If you didn’t complete it at your community college, I recommend doing it as soon as possible when you enter your university. My university requires an intermediate level and I’d only finished beginning when I entered, and was very rusty in my chosen language (Japanese). If you have a gap, it’s definitely beneficial to use materials from previous classes or language apps like Duolingo or LingoDeer to brush up before you take the class.
It may feel odd entering later, perhaps not even knowing anyone at your school. A lot of transfer students are older than their classmates, and it may feel like it’ll always be awkward, but from my experience, that feeling will go away a week or two after starting classes. Before you know it, you’ll be just another student. No one will be able to tell if you transferred or if you entered from high school, and no one will care. I entered my university at 28, and found the age gap really didn’t make much of a difference, even when my classmates found out my age. Everyone was welcoming, encouraging, and age and academic background made no difference.
Transferring may be scary, but once you get into it and have more of an idea of what you’re doing and what’s expected, it’ll be nothing to worry about. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your community college, your university, your parents, or other transfer students.