By Jessica Badejo/ reporter

Jade Odomore graduated high school early with honors, but her goal was to graduate college early. 

She wanted to go about her plan without breaking the bank. And as the youngest of three girls, she didn’t want to be broke and left behind.

Like Odomore, all students who want to transfer successfully to a four-year university need to create a plan and work on achieving a goal.

Determined to reach her goal, Odomore took advantage of TCC’s maymester and wintermester classes while taking the maximum credit hours allowed. Despite the challenge, she earned an associate degree within a year and a half of graduating high school.

Odomore transferred to the University of North Texas in fall 2014, receiving the Emerald Eagle Scholars Scholarship through her grades and circumstance.

In her final year, she credits her progress at UNT to the skills she developed at TCC. Learning how to manage her time along with the work-school-life balance made the transition less dreadful, Odomore said.

“I figured out the importance of prioritizing the hard way,” she said. “Making connections is essential to my major and career.”

Many students struggle even if they don’t pack on credit hours as Odomore did. Between school, work and extracurricular activities, it can be easy for students to put off transferring or not see upper education as an option.

“There are five major factors with students transferring,” SE transfer advisor Terrell Shaw said, “money, familiarity, family life-ties, degree offered, distance.”

The big picture isn’t to enroll in classes but to graduate and land a dream job. To achieve a goal, there should be a plan set, Shaw said.

Shaw encourages students to locate a transfer plan or create one and go by it when enrolling in classes. Transfer plans are available for most Texas universities broken down according to the major of choice.

Transfer programs also come with plans to make the transition from a community college to university simpler and less hectic. TCC also offers formal transfer agreements with 52 schools and programs.

A number of universities have worked hand-in-hand with TCC to make transferring an easy option for students by providing the necessary resources. All the information students need is available, but they must seek to find it.

“If a student’s university of choice doesn’t have an agreement with the community college,” Texas A&M University transfer advisor Bunmi Jaiyeola said, “that shouldn’t stand in the way of having a successful transfer.”

The admission office is more than just a place for students’ applications, Jaiyeola said. It is a source for scholarships and other information vital to prospective transfer students. Students shouldn’t call only the admissions office but any other office that piques interest to build connections for the future.