Coffee, pho, syllabus: Students offer peers advice on living the Gator life

Through two peer mentor programs, students help students connect, learn and thrive

Whether you’re new or returning to San Francisco State University, you have access to a variety of resources, the most valuable being your peers. Students in San Francisco State’s Peer2Peer Mentor Collective and First-Year Experience (FYE) Peer Mentor program have a wealth of advice to offer on the key to balancing a college career and city living.

The mentors are continuing students who meet regularly with new students, most often virtually. In the Peer2Peer Mentor Collective, students text each other most frequently, while the FYE students most frequently meet in person.

Kenya Bravo, an SF State student and FYE peer mentor, emphasizes the importance of keeping your life organized. She says students should use a planner (or a calendar or reminder app on their smartphone) to keep track of tasks, events and activities. Bravo also recommends reading the class syllabus as early as possible.

“Not every professor is going to go over the syllabus,” she said. “It’ll tell you a lot of things you’d want to know, like dates for assignments and your grade breakdown.” To save money, she adds, students may be able to find free digital versions of textbooks.

On the first day of classes, student mentor Rishika Patel likes to arrive to the classroom 10 minutes early. “You can pick out your seating, you can meet other students in the class and prepare yourself before the professor starts lecturing or explaining the syllabus,” she said.

Even if you already know your way around the 144-acre campus, new discoveries await around the corner. SF State is home to more than 60 student resources and more than 200 student organizations. Student mentor Alpana Kallianpur suggests getting acquainted with where resources are located. “It’s important to know what you have available around you,” Kallianpur said.

Student mentor Dylan Gillespie notes that the Student Services building is a central location for in-person assistance from Admissions, Financial Aid, the Registrar’s and Bursar’s offices, One Card, Student Engagement and Transition, Student Support Services, Disability Programs and Resource Center, and Veterans Services. The building is also home to the Dream Resource Center, Educational Opportunity Program, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Diversity, Student Equity and Interfaith Programs. The centers for Undergraduate Advising and Career and Leadership Development are in the Administration building.

“They’re all extra support — here to support you,” Gillespie said.

Sometimes, finding a coffee on campus or the best pho in the Bay Area might be your priority. When student mentor Isabella Sofia Ceja arrives on campus, she grabs a boba drink from Quickly outside of the Cesar Chavez Student Center. When she needs a recharge, she goes to Cafe Rosso for a cup of coffee and a bagel stuffed with bacon, eggs and cheese. When she is ready to leave campus, she takes the bus to Kevin’s Noodle House in Daly City. It’s only a 10-minute ride from the SFSU campus.

“The Bay Area weather always puts me in the mood for pho,” Ceja said.

Patel’s final piece of advice is something that students have been doing since kindergarten: “Make friends in every class that you have.”

Students can sign up online to find a Peer2Peer mentor or become one themselves. Visit the Peer2Peer Mentor Collective web page to learn more and get involved.

Learn more about the FYE Peer Mentor Program.