In this guest post from Digital Community writer Taylor Flood, learn about her experience as a transfer student at Ontario Tech.

When I was in high school, there was a stigma surrounding post-secondary education. While the differences were talked about in terms of learning (hands-on vs textbook), it often felt like college was the lesser of the two. Spoiler alter: not true!

However, at the time I believed that was true. I worked hard, made the honour roll every semester and got early acceptance into one of Canada's most prestigious universities. After graduation, I moved halfway across the country and struggled for a year and a half before I finally decided I’d had enough.

I dropped out of school and moved back home to begin figuring out my next move. A few months later, I found a college program that aligned with some of my passions and began forming a new plan. I realized I was interested in pursuing a career in Business—I just had to pick a school.

Finding the right fit

I was having a hard time figuring out what school was right for me, when someone recommended I look into the college-to-university programs. The more I learned about them, the more I realized it was exactly what I was looking for. 

One of the things that drew me in was that after successfully completing all the requirements and graduating from Durham, I would immediately start my second year of the Bachelor of Commerce program at Ontario Tech. The ability to easily transfer from one school to another was exactly what I was looking for. 

As is the case with most programs, there were minimum grades we had to achieve and other requirements to be met. To learn more about our college-to-university transfer programs and the admission requirements, visit our programs page.  

College experience

In my experience, college learning is so hands-on that at times, it feels like you're already working in your field! For example, teachers ask situational questions and give you the opportunity to come up with unique solutions. 

A lot of our assignments were group projects, which are very reflective of what you’ll find in the workplace. In a number of my classes, we did work for local companies and had the chance to present our ideas to the owners. How cool is that?!

College also presented me with opportunities like competing in the annual Durham College Marketing Competition and working in the Communications and Marketing department. Such experiences helped prepare me for entering the world of university. 

Making the transfer to university

Thankfully, the transition from college to university wasn’t as complex as I thought it would be. The staff from both schools made the process of transferring seamless. 

My Ontario Tech academic advisor was always there to answer my questions and help me figure out which classes I needed to fulfill my degree. While the learning styles between the two institutions are different, the resources available through the Student Learning Centre helped me adjust to university studies. 

If you or someone you know is trying to make a decision about post-secondary education, I strongly recommend you look into bridging programs. It was the best decision I could have ever made for my educational journey. Not only do I get both a college diploma and a university degree in the same amount of time it would have taken to get one degree, but now my resume stands out just a bit more—providing me with additional opportunities. 

I am thankful for the two years I had at Durham College. It is where I fell in love with my field and learned a lot about myself. But it also led me to Ontario Tech University, and I couldn't imagine continuing my education anywhere else!

Interested in our transfer programs?

Read more articles by Taylor on the Digital Community, like how to help manage stress or tips on sticking to your fitness goals.