By Sean Mulligan, Special to Chronicle

You know when you feel the loneliest? It’s when you’re in a crowd of people who are all excited to see each other and know each other, and you don’t know a soul. That was my experience on my first day returning to Hofstra University. Being a transfer student gives you a whole new perspective on college. Those first few weeks at a new school are more like a job you really hate than school. It was a lonely world for me. I saw so many people from my freshman year classes, but I was too scared that they would not remember me. It was my junior year of college and it felt like I was the new kid in school again.

However, I was no foreigner to Hofstra. As I mentioned earlier, I was a former student of Hofstra. But I left after my freshman year due to a series of concussions and a diagnosis of Post-Concussion Syndrome that affected my attention and grades. I transferred to Nassau Community College and enrolled into the Radiologic Technician program my second semester. Unfortunately, I lost my classes at Nassau for this semester due to a billing error and found myself back at Hofstra.

It’s amazing how much of a difference there is in workloads between the two schools. When compared to Hofstra, Nassau is extremely easy. I’m still adjusting to the difference. The extra readings, the longer papers, it all adds up for a transfer student.

Hofstra has a large amount of clubs and student organizations, which could have guided me through the tough times I experienced transferring back. Instead, I secluded myself and began to hate going to school.

I believe that if Hofstra recognized me and many other transfer students by offering and advertising specific services for us, I believe this would lead to smoother transitions. It would have been nice to have gone to a transfer student luncheon and meet other people who are going through the same processes and learn how they are dealing with them.

However, I got through that rough transition time and started reaching out to other people and old friends from my freshman year. Hofstra began to mean something to me again. I started going to the men’s basketball games with my good friends. I began playing soccer with my old club team and started going out with different people. I began to go outside my comfort zone and reach for things I had never reached for before.

                My best advice for the transfer students that are still struggling is to take chances. Getting involved is the best way to make the best of what is currently a tough situation. It doesn’t mean rushing a fraternity or joining a club, it just means to be more outgoing. Do things that you really want to do and don’t hold back. With over four thousand students compacted into a space of less than four miles squared, there is going to be someone who shares a lot of interests with you.

                At this moment, I love Hofstra. It’s a great school that gave me a second chance, and during the middle of this semester, I gave Hofstra a second chance as well. It was tough in the beginning, but I found out that if I put myself out there, I will be happy. Now I’m happy to be a part of Hofstra again.