click logo for homepage
 

	Vol.6, No 135, August 23, 1999
	First day preparations for confused students By Ana Tintocalis Daily Forty-Niner Mass confusion. Thatís the thought many incoming freshmen have as they walk through the campus of Cal State Long Beach during their first day of classes. From finding obscure classrooms to purchasing costly textbooks, first-year students may think the college experience is not what itís cut out to be. ìThe transition from high school to college can be tremendously frightening for freshmen,î said Academic Advising Director Marilee Samuelson. ìThe college setting is something entirely new for them and it can be intimidating the first time around.î It is a process every college student has endured, either successfully or unsuccessfully. Those who manage to overcome frustrations and hardships during the first year of college have their own stories of survival. Junior Laurna Wong, a liberal arts major, decided to attend CSULB after she graduated from a small high school in Los Angeles. She felt the difference immediately when she first stepped on campus. ìI was confused but I was excited at the same time,î she said. ìThe campus was really big and I didnít know where everything was at. I didnít really understand the whole university system either.î Registration, class scheduling and social interaction are the main concerns for freshmen, according to academic advising officials. ìThey are much more concerned about getting into the appropriate courses, if theyíll make friends or if theyíll like where they live,î said Suzanne Wurzer, assistant director of Academic Advising. Incoming freshman Jacqueline Batten said she is getting apprehensive as the first week of classes approaches. ìIím worried about not knowing anyone in my classes, asking really stupid questions and getting lost,î she said. ìI could imagine myself standing in the middle of campus not knowing where to go.î		For those students who may feel lost in the shuffle during the first week of classes, the following is a list of tips to keep in mind: Visit your classrooms before school begins.  Allow an hour to find parking and walk to class during the first week of classes. Use Campus Connection, a shuttle service, to reduce time  after parking.  Arrive 15 minutes before a class starts for good seating. Refer to campus information booths or maps to locate a building. Keep a copy of your class schedule in hand.  Buy textbooks during the evenings or on a weekend. Add or drop classes using the Voice Response Registration  after the first week. . First day preparations for confused students Difficult parking has solutions Campus jobs help students Financial aid available Career Center helps students meet goals Food shops feed CSULB Overseas studies worth experience Library offers many services Disability program grows Health Center gets new look Campus crimes down; hate crimes increase Escorts ease fears on campus Dorms filled to capacity; 419 wait Dorms vs.Apartment Colleges at a glance How to buy a computer, bargain hunting Graduation check list Freshmen: calm, cool, confused Important test dates Important dates throughout CSULB's History KLON Blues Festival Fall '99 events May gone, women's volleyball ranked fifth Coach excited about season Team to swing into action High expectations for low scores Squad optimistic Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.