When I first wrote “Through the eyes of a transfer student,” which was published on Feb. 11, 2025, I was still finding my way around campus, this community and myself. Now, one year later, I’m not lost anymore. I’m writing with steadier steps, a fuller heart, and a story that’s grown in ways I never could have imagined.
“Through the eyes of a transfer student” was my first article with the Daily Beacon. Nine articles and a whole column later — now revamped as “Between me and you” — consider this your invitation to add a new favorite to your weekly reading rotation.
In February 2025, I showed up to a Valentine’s-themed self‑love‑letter meeting for Haslam Women of Color, just looking for a moment of softness. There, I found a room full of women who spoke to my heart. A few months later, I became secretary, and now I’m celebrating my first year on the HWOC executive board. I’m so grateful for every hug, meeting and memory.
I also became the student library assistant with the Office of Marketing and Communications for the UT Libraries team, focusing on videography and social media content creation. I’ve made so many videos so far, and this job has been such a fun, creative and meaningful place to grow.
My parents are still my everything, and our dog Chevy completes my heart. I’m eternally grateful for every sacrifice they’ve made for me. Their love makes me feel invincible, because being supported, believed in and uplifted at all times is what true love feels like.
This first year went by too fast, but that’s the rhythm of transfer life, although what is seen as limited time has really unlimited impact. Transfer students bring perspective, resilience and stories that campuses don’t hear often enough. Our voices matter. Our experiences matter. And the time we have deserves to be celebrated. We deserve to be shouted out and acknowledged for all that we have done.
My first year at university has taught me more lessons than I can count, and honestly, I’m still learning. But I want to share three with you, in case they resonate. Whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, grad student, transfer student, or even faculty or staff, I hope something in here finds you at the right moment and gives you a little comfort.
- Worrying about time steals more of it than anything else; you feel behind even when you’re not. You feel rushed even when you’re right on schedule. The truth is, time isn’t judging you — it’s just moving, and you get to decide whether you move with it or freeze in fear of falling further behind. This is definitely easier said than done — worrying about time is a particular past time of mine that I’m trying to move on from.
- Every moment is a doorway if you’re willing to walk through it; we walk through more doorways than we think, especially transfer students who walk through new campuses, new classrooms, new friend groups, new expectations, new versions of themselves. Every single doorway, even the ones you didn’t plan for, counts. You didn’t lose time by transferring. You gained more doors to choose from. So try the new thing, whether it’s big or small. Go alone or go with friends — just go. You never know what that one club meeting might spark, who you’ll meet at a campus event, or how a tiny decision might shift your entire college experience. The list of possibilities is longer than you can imagine.
- The lessons that take the longest to learn usually matter the most. I’m still learning all these lessons, especially not to worry about time or to compare your timeline to others’. We live our lives on our own timelines, and that’s the true magic of living. “When I’m afraid of time whizzing by, I often have to remind myself of this thought: I can either worry about not having enough time or enjoy the fact that I’m here and have time now,” a quote from my first piece says. My parents and my best friend, Laura, remind me of this truth often. And so does the version of me who’s learning to trust herself. I should listen to her — she’s usually right.
When you met me, I was wishing for connection, community, creativity and culture. Being a Vol turned out to be the best plot twist ever, full of the best on screen moments like singing “Rocky Top” at games, proudly rocking orange at all times, crafting at the Medbery Makerspace, enjoying warm days on the Humanities and Social Science steps, creating vlogs and video edits that savor snapshots in time I love, laughing with friends and enjoying the comfort of my Laurel Hall dorm room.
Transfer students are the most underrated people on campus. We know how to rebuild, reintroduce and reroute our entire lives. A year after transferring to UT, I’ve realized the real plot twist wasn’t the move — it was discovering how much strength it takes to begin again when everyone else already seems settled. Once again, I remind you, you’re never alone.
Your thoughts are my favorite read. Email me at [email protected].
Marissa Hunt is a junior at UT this year studying journalism. She can be reached at [email protected].
Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.
