From the ongoing construction to the hushed study aisle of the Library, students are faced with newfound independence and academic challenges.
Aron Chan, one of the many students on campus who isn’t local to the area, has had to make a great deal of effort to navigate campus. He is from Monterey.
“Being back here at Fresno State has been a very rough adaptation. I have to rely on my own finances, my own budget and I also have to focus on maintaining a school- to-social-life balance,” Chan said.
For Chan, the most difficult part about being on campus is trying his best to not miss home.
He said the construction here makes everything very limited such as the parking.
“Walking here requires me to simply budget my own time and I have to get here earlier or else I simply won’t make it to class,” he said.
Chan said he supports himself through the work he does at the Save Mart Center, while also selling stuff he can scavenge through eBay, such as rare cards and commodities.
Chan isn’t the only one who shares the sentiment of getting overwhelmed as a college student.
“At first it was pretty overwhelming I would say, compared to high school the teachers would guide you, so finding your own way to what works best for you is pretty difficult,” said Renee Deloza, a junior studying forensics.
Deloza encourages students to use the resources that are provided on campus such as tutoring and asking questions.
Jeremiah Rodriguez, a freshman who was sitting next to Deloza at the time, overheard and said he agreed with her thinking that the transition from high school to college is very different, mentioning that he is still adapting.
“All the hot girls here,” Rodriguez said when asked about what he’s most excited for this semester.
Vincent Yang, a mechanical engineering student, said he believes that classes will start to snowball, as in, things will start to go at their usual pace pretty soon so students should prepare for rise in difficulty.
“It’s all about adaptability,” said Yang.
Adam Xiong, a transfer student from Fresno City College, said that compared to community college, it’s totally different. From clubs to student involvement, there is a lot more to do, says Xiong, as to him they’re more active here on campus. Especially since there was a club rush just recently.
“It’s a different life,” he said.
Joseph Joyce, a transfer student from Clovis Community College, said coming to Fresno State, he was most shocked by the size of the campus alone.
“It’s definitely taking some adapting, going from taking some general education classes to my MCJ classes that focuses on my career and what I want to do,” Joyce said.
Joyce said that he’s always had a vague idea of what he wanted to do but ever since these first couple of weeks he’s gotten a better idea of what kind of work he wants to put out due to the nature and environment of the classes he’s taking.
“Just being here for only two weeks so far and I’ve already made multiple friends, got some phone numbers, and have been hanging out. It’s definitely a journey worth taking,” he said.
