By Kat Tabor
I first came to the University of Oregon through dual enrollment between Lane Community College and the University of Oregon during the summer and fall terms of 2025. I was finishing up my time at LCC while also taking classes at UO. Then in winter 2026, I officially transferred into the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC). It was exciting, but it also came with a few surprises.
My time at LCC and The Torch gave me so many opportunities. The Torch newsroom is where I really learned how to report, talk to sources and work on real stories. By the time I transferred, I had already worked in three newsrooms and served as editor-in-chief. Now Agostinho Da Silva has taken over the role and is absolutely killing it.
Still, transferring wasn’t as smooth as I expected. I finished all my prerequisites at LCC, but when I got to UO it sometimes felt like I was starting over. In some classes we were learning things I had already practiced in real newsrooms. I get why the basics matter, but it can be hard to stay motivated when you feel like you’ve already done a lot of it before.
The culture also feels different. In some ways students at UO seem really motivated and focused on their careers. At the same time, people can feel more distant. LCC felt smaller and more connected. You got to know people, and there was more of a family feeling between students and instructors.
UO is definitely better funded though. There are more activities, more resources and more equipment available to students. At the SOJC, students can borrow professional gear from what’s called the “J Cage.” If you’re in a JCOM class and complete a short training, you can check out cameras, audio recorders and other equipment for free.
But I’ve also noticed differences in how people talk about money. At LCC, I kind of assumed most students were in the same boat as me — working jobs and trying to get by. At UO that assumption isn’t always there. I’ve had people ask things like, “Why don’t you just buy it?” or “Why work so many jobs just for fun money?” I’ve even been asked why I take the bus instead of calling an Uber. For a lot of transfer students, working multiple jobs isn’t about extra spending money. It’s about paying rent and staying in school.
The winter term doesn’t help either; they always say it’s the hardest term. The dark weather and long stretches without many breaks can make it hard to stay motivated.
Because of this, I’m working with The Torch advisor Dr. Camilla Mortensen — who somehow manages to wear many hats as an instructor at both UO and LCC, editor-in-chief of Eugene Weekly, and mom to horses and dogs — to start a club for journalism transfer students at the SOJC. The goal is to help students coming from community colleges adjust, meet people and learn about resources like the J Cage.
Transferring schools can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. My hope is that this club helps transfer students feel a little less alone while they figure out their place at the SOJC.
