Researching transfer student experiences at UCLA. I AM the research subject

[RafuSS]

I'm working on a research project about transfer student experiences at UCLA. Specifically, what helps transfers succeed and what makes them struggle. I interview students, analyze their stories, look for patterns.

Every interview, I hear my own story. The loneliness. The imposter syndrome. The moment when things click and you realize you belong.

It's weird to study something you've lived. When a student says "I felt like everyone else knew each other already," I remember standing alone at orientation. When someone says "I almost dropped out my first quarter," I remember that panic attack in Powell.

My professor says this is a gift. That I notice things other researchers miss. That I ask better questions because I lived the answers.

Maybe she's right. Maybe lived experience isn't a bias to overcome. Maybe it's insight to use.

I'm presenting this research at a conference next month. To an audience of people who study transfer students. I am the research. I am the researcher. It's weird. It's wonderful.

 

[Walter]

I research first-gen student experiences. I'm first-gen. Every interview is a mirror. When someone talks about their parents not understanding why they're always at the library, I think of my mom. When someone talks about the guilt of leaving home, I feel it in my chest.

My advisor says the same thing your professor says: use it. Don't fight it. Let your experience guide your questions. Let it help you see what others miss.

It's weird work. But it's important work. Keep going.