Stasia Ferry, '13, loves the city of Chicago, where she is now attending Loyola University Chicago after transferring from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.

FRESHMAN FOCUS: Ohio Wesleyan transfer now ‘infatuated’ with Loyola University Chicago

College sophomore Stasia Ferry, ‘13, recently transferred to Loyola University Chicago from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. She is majoring in communications and minoring in sociology with a focus in urban studies.  

Q: Why did you decide to transfer for the second semester?  

A: I pretty much knew I wasn’t going to stay at OWU by the middle of my first semester there.

I didn’t want to be super far behind in regards to my major, but I was too late to transfer for fall of 2014, so spring (of) 2015 was my next chance.

Q: What motivated you to transfer?

A: It’s not that OWU isn’t a great school. It just wasn’t a good fit for me. Second semester freshman year I tried to take more challenging classes, but I still didn’t feel challenged, so I wasn’t motivated to do the work. There isn’t a lot to do in Delaware, so I was just in a very bad place mentally.

Lack of motivation to succeed at OWU was basically the wake-up call I needed that I needed to find another university. I really want to succeed, and just the thought I could go somewhere else and take classes that were actually going to benefit me was enough to motivate me to transfer.

Q: Why did you choose Loyola University Chicago? Were you originally interested in the school when you applied to colleges as a senior?

A: When I was a senior, I was stuck in the mindset that since I went to a small high school, I should go to a small college. So I applied to places that were generally small or in small towns. I never even considered Chicago.

The last year and Delaware, Ohio, have taught me that I am a city person. I went to visit Chicago the summer of 2014, and everything just felt right.

I found Loyola on the most basic Google search, “Universities in Chicago.” I saw that I could live downtown, and I was sold.

Q: Did you consider other schools when you were transferring?

A: Emerson College, Quinnipiac, UMass Amherst, and Portland State.

Q: What was life like at Ohio Wesleyan?

A: My first semester at OWU went by quickly. I did the typical freshman thing, wandering around in groups on Friday and Saturdays looking for parties and then going to the bar.

My second semester was dreadful, no joke. It was cold and barren, and there was nothing to do. And I was with people I shouldn’t have been hanging out with, doing things I probably shouldn’t have been doing. I didn’t like the person I was becoming at all.

Last semester was the semester I really got it together. I knew I couldn’t waste my time at OWU anymore; I wouldn’t be happy, and I wouldn’t have a degree.

I cut back on the activities I had enjoyed the previous semesters as they were detrimental to my schoolwork as well as my overall well being. There were ups and downs, but I learned a lot about myself and I’m thankful for that.

And I wouldn’t be in this fantastic city if I didn’t go there.

Q: Do you miss anything about OWU?

A: I met some really great people there. Saying goodbye to some of my friends was really heartbreaking, but I’m so grateful that they were in my life for the time that they were. A lot of the teachers were real characters too.

I miss my friends. That’s about it. I miss walking down the sidewalk to class and seeing literally all of my friends. But other than that, OWU is in the past.

Q: Were you apprehensive about transferring?

A: I was nervous about starting over again, but that quickly dissipated when I looked at it as a fresh start in a better place.

Q: What are some differences between the two schools?

A: LUC is around 15,000 students, which is way bigger than OWU, and it has more to offer: more internships, more jobs, more classes, more opportunities.

Q: How’s the adjustment been going?  

A: Now that I’m older and I’ve done this whole thing before, it’s going really well. I’m in a much different place mentally than where I was last year. I’m here to get ahead, and that’s what I’m focused on—not trying to make friends to see where the party is.

Q: What do you like best about Loyola University Chicago?  

A: The absolutely stunning buildings. They’re all beautiful and huge and impressive. I’m still so shocked I get to go here.

Q: Where are you living?

A: I live at Baumhart in the Water Tower District. My old dorm used to be like a frat, filthy and loud all the time. No one focused on anything. But my (new) building is full of upperclassmen as well as graduate students (like my roommate) and other young professionals with jobs. Other transfers think it’s so isolating out here, but I’m in the heart of Chicago with other like-minded people.

Q: What classes are you taking and how do they compare to Ohio Wesleyan classes?  

A: The School of Communications Seminar, Comm and New Media, Ethics and Communications, Social and Political Philosophy, and Loyola’s Mission (theology course).

It’s already more challenging than OWU. My New Media class is intense. We have to make blogs, (which is) not that daunting of a task, but in the previous session, people have been picked up by big name companies and were contacted through the blogs.

The (school) has esteemed professors in their respective fields. Seriously, my Comm 200 professor’s credentials are insane.

I might pick up a minor in PR as well, and I’m going to take some pre-law classes. My plan is to go to law school after I graduate. I want to be a sports agent, and I could either get my MBA or (go to) law school, so I decided on law school and more specifically contract law.

Q: How is your experience at Chicago overall?  

A: I love it here. The Lake Shore campus is beautiful. Go ahead and Google it. It’s gorgeous. I wake up every day really happy and excited to tackle the day. I live in the Gold Coast, so everything is really accessible, and you have to try to actually be miserable. It’s only been a week, but I have a really good feeling about everything so far.

I’m infatuated. I might be in my honeymoon stage with it, but I hope it doesn’t end. I wake up every day and look out my window, and there’s the John Hancock building. People have never been to Chicago, and that makes me legitimately sad for them.

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