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Incoming
students offer new view of campus
By
Jeanette Prather
Daily Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
So
many students attend Cal State Long Beach
it’s a wonder how we all survive the
first week of classes. From running frantically
between classes — books in arms and
schedule in hands — to scrambling
up courses in search of the perfect schedule;
it is unanimous that the school turns into
an upheaval during the first few days of
lecture.
Freshmen,
transfer students, international students
and moms alike have come together to talk
about their first impressions and experiences
with the chaos of CSULB after the first
week of classes.
Freshman
Andrea Swinson from New Jersey said that
her overall enrollment process was smooth
and that S.O.A.R. helped her a great deal.
Swinson is a journalism major that hopes
to graduate in four years and land a job
in print journalism.
This
18-year-old has had no problems with parking
at CSULB because she resides in the Parkside
Commons and has no need for a vehicle. She
has witnessed, however, a massive surge
of traffic in the mornings while she walks
to class.
When
asked why Swinson choose CSULB, she replied,
"I have a friend that goes to Pepperdine
so I spent a week and a half in California
and loved it out here."
Pat
Cranor, another newcomer to CSULB, shared
some of his views and experiences of campus
procedures during the first week as well.
Cranor is a 22-year-old transfer student
from Long Beach City College with a major
in public relations. Cranor was cleared
to enroll on Aug. 19, and although he was
one of the many students who were approved
for late acceptance into CSULB, he got into
all but one of his classes.
As
far as parking goes, Cranor’s theory
is, "If you get there with good timing,
then you can get lucky and find parking.
That’s how I did it."
Like
most other college students, Cranor holds
down a part-time job in addition to his
full-time schedule at CSULB.
"It’s
not stressful," Cranor said, "because
it helps keep my mind off other stuff that’s
going on."
His
goal is to get out in two years with social
ties and hopes to network into his profession.
Another
student with a similar schedule is transfer
student Veronica Zuba. Originally from Austria,
Zuba moved to America three years ago, attended
Golden West Junior College in Huntington
Beach and just made the switch to CSULB
this semester. Zuba registered for classes
at the end of July and claimed that the
overall enrollment process went smooth,
but S.O.A.R. helped out a lot.
Zuba’s
is majoring in international studies and
presently has a part-time job.
"It’s
more stressful to have a job when you’re
in school," Zuba said, "and parking
has been nerve-racking so I have to get
here really early and park out of the way
of my class."
But
overall, Zuba claims to be having a wonderful
experience so far with CSULB, "I absolutely
love all the activities they offer outside
of school," she said.
Japanese
international student, Yasuyuki Yoshida,
agreed that he’s had positive experiences
at CSULB as well.
"I
like this school a lot because most people
are very friendly," Yoshida said.
This
is Yoshida’s first time in California,
and as a first-year freshman he plans to
study hard for the next four years to prepare
himself for his major, research in political
science.
Yoshida
said he had no problems getting the classes
that he needed when he registered in August
because he had a great advisor. Also, Yoshida
is enthused at the fact that he doesn’t
have a vehicle, so he doesn’t have
to deal with parking on campus. All he has
to do is walk to class from the International
House.
Student
Suzanne Holland is doing it all. She is
continuing her education to receive her
master’s degree in teaching after
having graduated from CSULB in 1980. In
addition to this, she is a single mother
of a high school senior while she is still
working as a special education teacher.
Holland
is nearing the final stages of her degree
at CSULB so she was able to get all the
classes she wanted. "The internet has
made registering a lot easier than it was
before," Holland said.
Holland’s goal at CSULB is to be successful
in achieving her master’s and she
admitted, "I’m here because I
really want to know this stuff."
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