Bleeding Maize and Blue: A Transfer Student’s Guide to Housing, Community, and Life at UMich

In this episode of The Best Four Podcast, Laura sits down with Erika, a senior studying communications and marketing at the University of Michigan, to talk about her journey from lifelong Wolverine fan to transfer student navigating life in Ann Arbor. With a dad who played football at Michigan, family tailgates growing up, and a love for the school that runs deep, Erika always knew Michigan culture. But after spending her freshman year at Wake Forest University, she realized she was ready for a bigger environment and eventually made the move to UMich.

Erika opens up about the realities of transferring, from finding housing after many students had already signed leases to meeting roommates online and figuring out how to build a community from scratch. She shares why location was her biggest housing priority, how clubs and student organizations helped her find her people, and why roommates don’t necessarily have to be your best friends. She also shares how an injury and illness forced her to step away from club lacrosse, why her love for Michigan helped her through that difficult transition, and how documenting her experience online turned into a community of its own, eventually opening doors to opportunities as an Unwell and Poppi ambassador.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Erika transferred from Wake Forest to the University of Michigan
• Navigating the housing search as a transfer student
• Finding roommates through Facebook and Instagram
• Why location was Erika’s top priority when choosing housing
• Adjusting to living with multiple roommates for the first time
• Why your roommates don’t have to be your best friends
• Finding community through clubs, organizations, and campus life
• What Erika would do differently if she could redo her transfer housing experience
• Dealing with imposter syndrome and learning to take up space at Michigan
• How content creation helped Erika build the transfer community she wished she had
• Why being active, curious, and willing to put yourself out there can completely change your college experience