The walkway next to Grand Center, which includes the freshmen dorms. Photo courtesy of Tiffany Bobadilla.
Why are so many University of Tampa students transferring out?
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By Tiffany Bobadilla
TAMPA, Fla – The University of Tampa has recently gained a new nickname due to its high rate of students transferring out last fall semester. UTransfer is now what many students across campus and social media are calling UTampa.
Last semester was a long series of unfortunate events, the raw chicken served at the Ultimate Dining Hall being on top of that list, scaring the freshman out of Vaughn, the registration and housing war, and the hour-long wait times to get your Chick-fil-A order. Multiple TikToks made by UTampa students talking about the many reasons why they transferred have gone viral on social media, even making a big impact on the upcoming wave of students for the class of 2030.
Comments like “people are so cliquey,” “immature trust fund kids,” “fake friends” and “mean girls” fill the comment sections of these TikToks, such as “Best thing I have ever done” and “Why are y’all so mean here,” making many people believe that UTampa is a bad environment for its students.
When talking specifically about UTampa, some would say it is extremely hard to make friends here. While this may seem true for a lot of students, this is an issue for a lot of other Universities as well.
Just like at every college, there will be mean girls and fake friends who have nothing to do with the university you are at. If you were to take a look at big SEC schools like the University of Alabama and the University of Mississippi, very often you will find groups of mean girls. Now, these girls may seem like your friends, but in reality, they are not. Therefore, the problem isn’t the institution but the people in it.
“As a transfer student, I didn’t have many friends this past semester,” said Kyle Robers, a senior at UTampa studying MIS. “You just have to put yourself out there. I made friends now, you just have to join clubs and get out of your comfort zone.”
The payment plan at UTampa doesn’t include friends; you have to step out of your comfort zone to make sure you find that group of people that shares the same interests you have and would be willing to do those things together. It is a part of life, you have to make your own friends, you can’t just expect to have friends without trying to build these relationships.
Students this past fall all stormed into campus with a pre-painted picture of what the university was going to be like based on things that they’ve seen on social media. Everyone comes into this school thinking that everything here will be perfect due to the sunny days, a campus with palm trees all around its perimeter and an unlimited amount of things to do around the big city of Tampa.
All of these good things are going to be obviously highlighted on social media about the school. People don’t want to highlight their realistic day-to-day at the school but would rather show the media pictures of themselves smiling and going out every day with their friends.
“I don’t see why you would transfer out,” says Dylan Glener, a spring semester freshman at UTampa. “So far, the school seems very fun; there is a lot of stuff to do around campus.”
UTampa is filled with many different things, including clubs, sports, and events in which students can participate and make their time at the school worthwhile.
Meanwhile, the nickname UTransfer may be trending on social media right now, but it only portrays a singular aspect of the school. This nickname only reflects the growing gap between the set expectations that come from social media about the school and the reality of living the actual college experience. Just like at any other college, the experience is solely based on what you are willing to put into it.