As a new transfer student walking onto the UCR campus, things may seem overwhelming. You might ask yourself why you are at UCR and what resources are available on campus that will guide you to the path of success as you navigate the rest of your undergraduate career here. There is so much to do: taking classes, meeting new people, and exploring organizations and clubs on campus during Wednesday nooners.
Being unfamiliar with the campus can be scary, but having the resources and fellow students to guide you may be able to put you at ease.
As you approach a group of transfer students, they greet you with bright smiles. Two students, Selim Zoorob and Nour Homsi, greet you heartwarmingly and introduce themselves. Selim Zoorob introduces himself as a 4th year CNAS honors undergraduate student graduating this year with a B.S. in Physics and Nour Homsi is a 4th year CNAS undergraduate student graduating this year with a B.S. in Biology. Both students are insightful and hard-working individuals who have navigated through UCR as transfer students and you can’t wait to ask them questions to get a better understanding of the campus and what UCR has to offer for transfer students.
Nour Homsi
BS, Biology, Summa Cum Laude
Selim Zoorob
BS, Physics
In the Q&A below, you will hear from graduating seniors Selim and Nour talk about their experiences as transfer students at UCR.
“Why did you decide to come to UCR?”
Selim Zoorob: “As a community college student I had the opportunity to be part of the ‘Sequencing to Success’ program at UCR where I researched fish DNA for four weeks. It was a positive experience. I got the chance to meet many people and I got a great sense of what the university is truly about. The physics department at UCR is one of the best in the U.S.. I felt compelled to be part of it. It has been a great experience.”
Nour Homsi: “I was offered a research opportunity at UCR School of Medicine (SOM) in addition to a 10,000 scholarship for transfer students before fully transferring to UCR. Therefore, I felt prioritized as a student that UCR wants and finds important. This showed me that UCR truly finds all their students important and offers accessible networking to ensure their students are well and prepared. I thought that if I was offered an opportunity to connect with staff members at UCR SOM and be a research intern there before I even step foot at UCR then how far more will I grow at UCR and form more connections as a full-time student when I fully transfer.
The main reason I chose UCR was due to the professors here rather than the University itself (it is a GREAT university) because I value professors and what they do so much so I felt very safe about entrusting my personal development and future in the hands of the working professors here at UCR. I had the fortunate opportunity to interact with some of them during my research experience in the summer right before my decision to choose UCR.”
What are some things that you are involved in?
Selim Zoorob: “I am a CNAS STEM Peer mentor, Vice President of Socials for the CNAS Science Ambassadors, Social director of the Society of Physics students, Social coordinator of CAMP (California Alliance of Minority Participation). I am part of Dr. Zandi's biophysics laboratory where I research the kinetics of viral particles. I am part of Honors (and have recently completed my capstone project).”
Nour Homsi: “CNAS Ambassador Program, Biomedical research intern at UCR SOM, Collective mentorship, [and] Peer Mental Health Educator at Active Minds in the Well program.”
What are some resources that you think would be helpful for incoming transfer students?
Selim Zoorob: “As a transfer, I got a lot of help from CAMP and from Society of Physics Students (SPS) to adapt to campus. I haven't checked out the R'Closet yet and would like to do so before I graduate. The writing center is amazing. Many of the tutors helped me write my capstone project.”
Nour Homsi: “Office Hours, HPAC, Student Resource Center, and the Well! The Well is the most healthy environment I have been in. I wished I knew about the Well earlier.”
What do you plan on doing in the future in terms of career goals?
Selim Zoorob: “I will be attending UCR in Fall 22' for the biophysics Ph.D. program. I seek to become an experimentalist. I will be traveling to Geneva, Switzerland this summer as part of an 8-week internship at CERN.”
Nour Homsi: “I am applying for medical schools in the summer.”
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