Welcome home, Gators! 6 days of activities planned for new students

It’s a mix of excitement and anxiety — the feeling one gets when embarking on a new adventure. College is a time when students can be challenged both academically and socially, which is why San Francisco State University has planned several events to make the transition seamless.

The entire University will be on display during Welcome Days, which begins Aug. 19 and runs through Aug. 24. The six days of events, activities, workshops and information sessions are a chance for freshmen, transfer students and family members to get to know the University and experience all that it has to offer: academics, cuisine, student activities and residential life.

“Welcome Days really focuses on the social transition to SF State,” said SF State Assistant Dean of Students Brian Stuart. “It’s important that during their first week students try to find a way to make this gigantic institution feel manageable and smaller. Joining clubs and organizations can help students meet and connect and make the University feel like home.”

Campus will be bustling Saturday, Aug. 19, Move-In Day, with roughly 2,200 new students and family members toting suitcases, laptops and other belongings to transform their new dorm into a home. Once settled, students and families can socialize at a barbecue on the West Campus Green followed by a panel for parents on residential life. The evening concludes with a screening of a movie outside on the Quad.

In the days that follow, numerous events are scheduled that showcase SF State life, including an introduction to campus fraternities and sororities, a chance to sample the University’s food, workshops on how to be a successful student and other information on student clubs and organizations.

“It’s really a celebration of the new students joining the academic community and the culture of SF State,” Stuart added. “We are as excited that they are here as they are to be here.”

And this year SF State will be buzzing with more students than last year. The University will welcome 4,160 freshmen and 3,672 transfer students. That’s an increase of 1,580 students, or 25 percent, from 2016.

New students are encouraged to RSVP for Welcome Days and to download the Gator Guides app for a complete schedule of events.  

Students can also join the conversation on social media using #SFStateWelcome and follow SF State on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. They can go one step further by participating in an Instagram contest for a chance to win cool Gator gear. How to enter: Snap a selfie next to the bronze Gator statue on campus. Post it to Instagram using the hashtag #SFStateWelcome. Photos will be re-posted on the SF State feed. The photo with the most likes wins. The contest runs Aug. 19 through 28.