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This is NPR's Life Kit, and I'm Alyssa Ad Warnie, a higher ed correspondent for NPR.

I want to introduce you to a current college student named Mia Mendoza. So you are in a unique position because you transferred

twice. Yes. So you're like really are the transfer expert? Definitely. I would say so.

After high school, Mia started classes at City College of San Francisco.

When I started community college, both my mom and my dad were just like,

we want you to at least get your associate's degree.

When you get your associate's degree, you can stop school if you want.

But when she got her associate's degree, she didn't want to stop learning. So she transferred

to San Francisco State University, the local option. She wanted to save money and live at home.

But it wasn't quite the right fit. She was having trouble connecting with other students, and she wanted more support outside

of the classroom.

So I was not happy at San Francisco State, and I wanted to get away from being at home.

So a year later, she transferred a second time to CSU San Bernardino in Southern California.

That's when things clicked.

So doing that second transfer and being out of my element and just saying, I'm going to try everything, join clubs, do this, do that, just putting myself out there.

Once I got here, I think it was worth it to come here.

Transferring between schools, going from a community college to a university, moving between two four-year programs, it's really a popular way for people to experience college. People are mobile and life.

It ebbs and flows.

Today, it's actually pretty common to go to one or two or even three different institutions before you get your degree.

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