San Francisco State University Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Silvia

San Francisco State University has brought me much to learn, everyone is mostly on their own. It is hard to communicate with students throughout the campus because everyone is very different. It is perhaps the most diverse University I have visited. I love to see the different cultures and groups. Most of the students are involved on campus wether it is through social media or gaming consoles. It is not such a big campus to get around in, which I personally love because it gives me more of an opportunity to walk up stairs.

Samantha

SF State is great. Being a junior now, I've taken very diverse classes already to fulfill my GE requirements. I've taken Astronomy, where the grad student Lab instructors told us that the education for the sciences is so top notch. There are professors here so passionate about what they do, they are friendly and inviting, warm and zany. The school is big, but not as big as many school around here - which is nice. The only thing I think I'd change is updating the buildings. Our new library is so state-of-the-art and gorgeous, that the other surrounding facilities fall flat. But hey, going here you're getting a refreshing education in the middle of one of the greatest cities in the world. When you need to take a load off, just take the Bart or Muni to the city or across the bay to go for a hike or walk the Sutro Bath ruins or take a stroll down the famous Haight. People, including myself, love the school. We have so much pride for SF State and SF, in general. You won't find a more tightly knit group of people, where San Franciscans can come together over the Giants winning, painting the city orange and black. The school never ceases to amaze me. They have student run gardens spread around campus where you can volunteer weekly. There are special meals where they are bicycle-powered. It's an amazing place, full of the most amazing things.

Anton

If i had the chance to change, i would definitely choose a different school. We are educated in an atmosphere where most professors do not care much about the students. Classes are extremely hard to get due to the low teacher-student ratio (which gets worse and worse every year). Bottom line...many people expect to graduate from college within 4 years. I would say the average at SFSU is 5 to 6 years.

Alex

The school is extremely small and more of a commuter campus. There isn't much school pride or spirit...the biggest sports here are baseball and soccer (though I have never seen a game...). The school sits in the southwest corner of the city and is far from all the city action. Though public transportation is extremely convenient. It's a block away from Lake Merced and a few blocks away from Ocean Beach. It's always colder/foggier at SF State than the rest of the city. Housing is also tough to get so apply as soon as you send in your application for admission. The library is currently under construction so it's difficult to study. There is a library annex that's open 24 hours but it's located in an awkward part of the campus and is extremely inconvenient to get to.

Katherine

I spend most of my time on campus twice of week in the 24 hour study area on the first floor of the library. I commute from the south bay to school, so I am not there most the of the other weeks, unless I have homework and need to use the library. I enjoy the fact that the school provides shuttles from the Daly City Bart to Campus. It makes it easier to not drive.

James

In terms of the school pride, there is not much. As a business student, I hear a lot amongst my fellow students that we are already at a competitive disadvantage in the work place but only because we come from SFSU.

regina

What SFSU is like. If you merely walk around the campus and through the buildings you will realize that it is rather small and that the buildings are rather old. But if you take a second look, you notice there is a lot of character. From the people walking around to the chalk writings on the concrete. You discover new places and things all the time. Recently we had a student walk out in response to the tuition hikes again. This is the second one I have witnessed. Students gather and rally together to protest against the continuous increase in tuition costs at SFSU and lack of improvement. We pay extra every year and classes are being cut at a rapid pace.

Andy

SFSU is an average sized campus which has a lot of students enrolled. You would just never realize it. Most people come just for the duration of class time and nothing more. There are a few like myself who are on campus 2-3 days a week for the entire day, with gaps between classes. I generally utilize those times to study. The library has been a common destination for me. I am able to get my work done in a quiet area and utilize the computer labs.

Blake

nice campus. pretty big. student union is really nice with areas just to relax or hang out in.

Albert

Campus is located in the famous city. A lot of activities going on, also great place to meet great people. The campus is too small though. And there's nothing at all in the neighborhood.

Tate

Biggest controversy: Budget! Best thing is SFSU's diversity. Things I'd change many of the professors Why: because many can't explain the material correctly those that can, they have a thick accent. Our school is the right size if we add more students classes would fill up faster, and we don't have the space to fit more students at the Cesar Chavez (where the food court is located)

Alex

SFSU is always fighting for people rights. Most student are against war on Iraq, and they did a protest. They also did walk out of class to fight against California Budget Cut.

Kelly

It has a big campus...no free parking....people are striking against the budget cut...

Cameron

This is a commuter school at the lower part of urban San Francisco. Most students do not live on or around campus.

Bevan

never experienced yet

Christian

The best thing about SFSU is the size. I like that it is small. There are not a lot of people. The school is what you make of it. You can go out and be social or you can get your work done and leave.

Cody

unfortunately we are a commuter school. Students are generally juggling school, work and families, so the typical college town feel is not there. Once I tell people I go to SFSU, its usually accompanied by ohh so and so goes there. Everyone knows someone or other which attends our school. The hard part is catching them while they are on campus. I am usually on campus just for the duration of classes, marketing meetings and any group meetings. Otherwise I choose to do all my studying off campus.

KJ

Accounting professors drink your blood.

christine

While on campus I find myself studying in the grass quads in front of the Ceasar Chavez building (warm days generally), there is usually some sort of live entertainment or organizations out selling food. Other than that I am studying in the library of the few study halls provided. The biggest complaint from incoming students is that SFSU is such a commuter school where it is hard to interact and create friendships from scratch. It is tough when we are not a college town. But as you enter into your upper division courses and have declared a major, you will begin to see familiar faces and create those friendships.

Andy

I think SFSU is not big and not small, just right. Since I am an international student, I was concerning about making friends here, but most people are so friendly and easy to talk to.

Andy

I think SFSU is not big and not small, just right. Since I am an international student, I was concerning about making friends here, but most people are so friendly and easy to talk to.

Casey

SFSU is a great school filled with many wonderful people.

Justine

Like any college, SFSU has its good and bad points. Good points: 1. Student population is friendly 2. Easily accessible by public transportation 3. Affordable (compared to UCs and private schools) 4. Helpful student organizations 5. On-campus recruiting for jobs 6. Student center that offers a lot of conveniences, such as ATMs from a variety of banks and several cafeteria options 7. San Francisco is a recognizable/respectable name to put on your resume Bad points: 1. Classes are hard to get/fill up quickly 2. Students can only sign up for 8 units (2 core classes) during priority registration 3. Registration order is unfair (Seniors, Freshmen, Juniors, Sophomores; it should be Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores, Freshmen) 4. Teacher aides may grade inconsistently 5. Library facilities could be updated 6. Teachers are knowledgable but often do not seem to care about their students doing well

Carson

I think the college of business deserves more space for classes. I am not sure what the ratio for business students is overall, but I think it's large enough for college of business to get more priority in school. I also heard that the nursing program is very poor. I would strongly recommend giving priority to that program.

Robin

I don't know what college town is, but I don't hang out in school that much.

Harper

SFSU is a diverse university with just right size.

Jessie

i think sfsu is just right size. 10-min break between classes is okay.

Nancy

I think that the campus is a bit small compared to other universities, but it is understandable for the amount of land that we have in San Francisco, we can't allot a huge amount to the campus. I like the small size, so that I can take classes back to back and not spend more than 10 minutes traveling to the next building. Most of my time spent on campus are either in the library or ceasar chavez center. There are a lot of events on campus, and the school's pride depends on the student itself, there are about a 50/50 student ratio of school pride, since about half or so are commuters (from what it seems like).

Jefferson

The worst thing is how the impact the school with more and more students without the proper facilities and faculty to accomodate them. Students are finding it harder and harder to get their degree with the constant budget cuts and rise in tuition. It seems like a scheme to keep people in school longer in order for thr school to recieve more money.

Christina

I like the fact that the school isn't too big and that it's close to the 28 Bus

Kelly

the school is too small, i spend most time in library, parking always a problem for me.

Kendall

SFSU is definitely not the prettiest university in the world, nor having a prestigious reputation like Harvard or Standford. It is located next to a mall, Stonestown Galleria, what other university in the world is located right next to a mall? The students tend to be commuters, there are literally no student life here on campus. It is very hard making new friends on campus, especially if you don't know anyone to start with. One notable thing is the classes get filled up REALLY fast, there are too many students enrolled than the university can handled. If you happened to miss your registration date, then there is a good chance you will end up with some really messed up schedule.

ron

the best thing about sfsu is that most people, including students, teachers, and school members are very helpful. I have learned so much of the useful things, such as being helpful, through sfsu.

david

large size of school.

Jesse

The best thing about SFSU are the random sleeping/resting spots, the greenery, the public piano rooms, the lounges and computer labs. I spend time randomly when on campus, apart from being in class. The biggest recent controversy are the budget cuts. That's all I've been hearing about this semester. The most frequent complaints I hear are either about certain professors who irk the students, or that everything is expensive and becoming more expensive.

Rory

The biggest problem in our school would be our funding and our recognition. If we need to change anything in our school, it would be our business program. I feel this school deserves a much better recognition than what we have. Our school board isn't really focus on the students but rather on their salaries and bonuses. It's weird how our classes and our recognition are shrunking while the board gets higher pay every year. There are a lot of other problems like lack of school pride, stduents aren't getting involve with school, and lack of commitment from the faculities. But I feel those are problems that base on our recognition and our funding.

Gene

SFSU is a good school. The only problem is that we have UC Berkeley next to us in the bay area, and when looking for a job, SFSU students are underestimated. IF we had better representation for Sports, I think we can be more proud of SFSU.

Alex

For me personally, I felt this aura, this atmosphere that was very calming and tranquil and it drew me in. That's why I chose this school. I feel that the size is just right and doesn't need too much. I get positive reactions sometimes and sometimes I get asked "Do you live on campus or do you commute?" Personally, I do both at the same time.

Toby

The school size is a little bit small. People seem to honor UC over CSU. The most frequent student complaints would probably be the shortage of class openings due to reduction in funding.

Kendall

It's definitely a place to explore academics. It has a lot of classes. Administration isn't the greatest because they are sticklers about prerequisites. The GE program takes up a lot of your units. It's hard that they're cutting down on classes. Class sizes are pretty good. You can get to know a professor easily if you want to. It's in a cool city and close to transportation.

candice

The campus is not very modern and it could use some remodeling of the buildings. It doesn't seem like SFSU has a lot of school pride.

Eric

The best thing about SFSU compared to all the other state colleges is that tuition is the lowest at sfsu. Our school way to small to accommodate all the students we have. There is no school pride, we are the "gay tors". And our school color is ugly. The school is way to liberal. Students frequently complain about parking.

Jay

It's near my house. Change some of the teachers. They should have a Survivor system where student can vote off the professors. Too small. What ever your major is, you'd pretty much stay in one building. Business building. What college town? Don't know about the administration. Latest controversy: fee hike & less class schedule. There are a lot of pride.

Harper

SFSU is diverse. I like the atmospher.

Brian

The biggest issue with SFSU is that classes are extremely difficult to get. If that was changed, SFSU would be one big step closer to becoming a highly regarded school.

Misha

This is the perfect school for me: big enough to be anonymous, small enough to get to know people.

Philip

Thes best about SFSU is that it is located right off the highway, so it is very convenient to get there. However, it is too small and parking is horrible. The biggest recent issue on campus is the budget cut on eduation. There is a lot of school pride.

Brett

Even though SFSU is located in San Francisco, it is not a party school at all. It is actual very nice and comfortable to be on main campus.

Shawn

THe best thing about SFSU is that is located in one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. It has wonderful, friendly people. SFSU has a lot of excellent instructors. One thing I would change is the maximum amount of units you can register. For example, in the primary time for registering for your classes, you could only register for 8 units. HOW RIDICULOUS IS THIS!!! One possible change is adding one more unit to that number. Also, just let us complete our schedule how it is. Oh yes. Another thing that the shcool can do to help out their students is convincing the city of SF to extend the muni fastpass to Daly City BART station. That would be increadible and will reduce transportation time. Where do I spend most of my time? Either in class, the library, the student union, or talking with classmates. There are many things you can do in SFSU.

Sam

SFSU is a commuter school. Students generally hold jobs and attend full time. People come from all over the bay and generally come for class and leave right after.