New Gators get a crash course in SFSU — and San Francisco

The four-day ‘Living in SF Transition Experience’ helped incoming students make friends, navigate the city and prepare for college life

Before classes even began, hundreds of new Gators got a head start on two important parts of the SFSU experience: finding their community and making San Francisco their own.

The new “Living in SF Transition Experience,” held Aug. 20 – 23, was a free, four-day Welcome Week program for incoming students living on campus. Interest was immediate: An invitation went to 1,900 residential students, and 430 signed up in less than 24 hours.

Led by trained student mentors, the program introduced participants to campus resources, student clubs and organizations, academic tools such as Canvas and the public transportation benefit that provides unlimited rides to Gators throughout the Bay Area. Students met in small groups throughout the four days, giving them a chance to get acquainted before the first day of classes.

For Ashlyn Okada, a Business Marketing Administration major from Palos Verdes, that was part of the appeal.

“There’s a new opportunity to meet someone every day,” she said.

The experience culminated Sunday, Aug. 23, with small-group adventures through San Francisco. Students put what they had learned about public transit into practice while visiting Fisherman’s Wharf and other destinations around the city, getting better acquainted with the place they now call home. 

Lucas Nguyen, a Communications major from Rosemead, a suburb of Los Angeles, said San Francisco itself was a major reason he chose SFSU.

“I really love the environment,” Nguyen said. “It’s more close-knit. There’s more community in San Francisco. L.A. is bigger and more spread out.” 

Nguyen has already found that sense of community at SFSU, particularly among students who are figuring out college life and meeting new people together. 

For Anthropology major Alexandra Trejo of Victorville, living in San Francisco offers a chance to experience new cultures and meet people from different backgrounds.

“I’m just really excited to embark on this journey and dive into other cultures,” she said. “I’m excited to come to SF State because it’s part of the city, and it’s a really good school. It offers so much for students. So many opportunities as well — living in the city and going to school here.”

The “Living in SF Transition Experience” evolved from last year’s one-unit “Living in San Francisco” course, which combined college-transition lessons with an excursion through the city. The new format makes the experience an optional part of Welcome Week while retaining many of the original program’s goals. Students learn how to navigate San Francisco and use their transit benefits, find academic and wellness resources, prepare for their first classes and discover ways to get involved on campus.

Most importantly, they begin doing all of it together.

By the time classes started, participants had already met classmates, learned their way around campus and ventured beyond it — taking some of their first steps toward making both SFSU and San Francisco feel like home.

Learn more about SFSU New Student and Family Programs.