Reid, Robbie Transfer to Success at Rutgers

Ask any college student who has transferred from one school to another and they will probably tell you how intimidating of a process it is to have to reintegrate yourself somewhere entirely new. Especially so if they have transferred from a small institution, like Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland, to a drastically larger one like Rutgers University.

Reid, at School of Communication and Information

However, for current Rutgers juniors Tara Reid and her good friend Sarah Robbie, transferring from Towson to Rutgers ended up being significantly more rewarding than it ever was intimidating. 

Both Reid and Robbie transferred to Rutgers before the beginning of their sophomore year, during the fall semester of 2014. Since then they have both made the most of their time at the University in their own different, yet equally successful ways.

            

Since high school, Robbie has been running mid-distance track and field events. She enjoys running track and field competitively because it makes her feel as if she’s part of something larger than herself and a representative of the school she is attending.

            

Although when Robbie was a member of the track and field team at Towson she felt as if she was already a “big fish in a little pond,” because the school’s relatively small size did not foster a particularly competitive athletic atmosphere.

            

Oppositely, when she transferred to Rutgers, a recent addition to the Big Ten Conference, Robbie became a “small fish in a big pond” instead. This did not discourage her however, but rather encouraged her to improve as an athlete and work twice as hard to make a name for herself.

            

Overall, Robbie has been very satisfied with her decision to transfer and believes that academically and socially, Rutgers is everything she could’ve wanted from a university. She finds the academics at Rutgers to be more challenging, yet rewarding and her fellow teammates on the track and field team have already become great friends.

            

Reid has found similar success during her time spent at Rutgers so far. Following her aspirations to work in the entertainment industry, Reid is currently working towards earning a certificate in Digital Filmmaking.

While this certificate is not required for graduation, she believes it will serve as a valuable asset as she eventually begins searching for post-collegiate career opportunities. To earn the certificate she must take eight applicable classes.

Considering Reid also currently performs with the Livingston Theater Company, the Cabaret Theater, and the Rutgers Performing Dance Company, interns at Good*Fella Media, a hip-hop and R&B news media outlet, and is taking 19 credits this semester, still managing to find time to learn the art of filmmaking is a testament to her passion.

Inspired by the documentary format of one of her favorite movies, Kurt Kuenne’s celebrated 2008 film, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, one of the classes she took to earn credit towards the certificate was a Documentary Filmmaking course. Reid took the course during her sophomore year.

The subject of her final project was coincidentally fitting. She documented the recounting of Robbie’s experience as she transferred from Towson to Rutgers, and the obstacles and aspirations she would have to overcome as a new member of the Rutgers track and field team. The film is available to watch anytime on YouTube, titled: Transitioning to Rutgers Documentary.

Reid’s documentary project is very much a mutual testament to both of their individual successes at Rutgers, and the great opportunities the University can offer to those driven enough to not back down when facing an intimidating challenge.