How To Survive Living On Campus at SFSU

If you’re starting your first year at SFSU, you’re probably wondering what life is going to be like there. You’re both excited and nervous and that’s okay! If you’re a repeat student, these tips can still help as well! Keep reading for tips on how to survive living on campus at SFSU!

1. The number one key to survive living on campus at SFSU is to meet people!

But HOW? Without being awkward and weird?!

It’s easy! The two things you will need is a door stop and a speaker.

I made friends on my floor from keeping my door open and playing music loud enough so neighbors walking by could hear it. People would stop by and make a comment about the artist I was listening to or recommend a song. Before I knew it I had met just about everyone on my floor, AKA about sixty people.

Once you have a couple conversations, you’ll soon be going to City Eats with the girl from two doors down and bond over the questionable meals until you discover VilMar (Village Market).

2. The food at VilMar.

VilMar is heaven sent for SF State students. Whether you’re on you way home from a late night cram sash in the library or coming back from a party with friends, VilMar is the place where you’ll find every type of student at 3 am.

The pizza, the garlic fries, the shakes, all the snacks and drinks to fill your munchie needs, VilMar has got your back. UNTIL about two months in when you realize that the “Freshman 15” you swore you weren’t going to gain comes to haunt you. It’s a love hate relationship with that red awning covered oasis.

3. Explore San Francisco!

Trips into the city will help keep you sane when homesickness settles in or roommates are get-ting on those last nerves. An afternoon at Dolores Park with a coconut from the Coconut Man (you’ll know him when you see him) will surely remind you why you’re here, in one of the most incredible cities in the world!

Mastering travel on muni does not come naturally, you’re going to fall, you’re going to get lost. Embrace it and enjoy it. You might strike up a conversation with someone who just fell on the last stop or find a part of SF you had never heard about before.

4. Get a Clipper Card.

Invest in a clipper card! Instead of carrying around $2.25 for every bus ride, you can fill your clipper card up like a credit card and just scan it when you get on instead. I mean you can get away without paying most the time if you’re not getting off at any main stops that are under-ground like Embarcadero, Market, or Castro. (But I didn’t say that.) but to save yourself stress it’s better to just pay. You can add money to it at the help desk in Cesar Chavez (that big white wrap around table you see when you walk in)

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5. Outdoor Fun!

We have a huge quad outside of Ce-sar Chavez, so on sunny days take advantage of it! Grab a towel and meet a friend with some Ikes (the best sandwich place on campus, downstairs in Ce-sar Chavez) on the grass and take in the sunshine that you missed so much!

6. Join a club at SFSU.

While enjoying that amazing sandwich, check out the clubs that are tabling. Getting involved on campus is a great way to make new friends, create connections with staff on campus (useful with future letters of recommendation), and help you to feel out how our campus functions.

7. Enjoy going on dates.

Go on dates, but take off the pressure. Being in college you’re constantly going to change your habits, style, majors, and just about every other aspect of yourself too…and so is everyone else. So remember that when dating. The qualities you think you need in your Mr./Mrs. Right in August is probably going to be completely different in April.

My freshman year I was “hanging out” (to put it appropriately) with a guy on my floor second semester. Although plenty of people will tell you it’s a horrible idea, I don’t regret the decision at all. We ended up dating into the summer and then both agreed it wasn’t working out anymore and ended on good terms. We had fun and regardless of it not lasting “4ever” I learned a lot about myself and life, as cheesy as that sounds.

So honestly, my best advice to survive living on campus is meet a lot of people. Get involved, and take chances on things that you wouldn’t normally. If you do that, then I guarantee you’ll make it out of your freshman year just fine!