Welcome to the New Student Guide

Many students find themselves excited and eager to get started, yet full of questions once they start their first term of college. You may be about to start New Student Orientation or returning to this New Student Guide (NSG) for helpful reminders. The guide is designed to streamline key resources and connect you with essential information for everyday college student success. 

New Student & Family Programs and the First-Year Experience program (for first-year students and new transfer students) are here to support and help you find the pathways to success. 

Go Gators!

The New Student Guide Chapters

Learning happens both inside and outside of the classroom and Student Life at SF State is all about creating experiences that facilitate the love of lifelong learning.  Whether it is settling into your new campus home, exploring San Francisco, or getting involved in clubs and organizations, SF State has so many incredible opportunities to help you learn, develop and grow.

 

Start here to know all there is to know about being a successful college student inside and outside the classroom! 

Being part of the Gator family means having many people in place to support you on your path to graduation. This chapter highlights our six colleges and the academic advising units that can help you understand and track your degree requirements each semester. You will also learn about campus resources you can connect with for support in your classes.

We are excited for you to start your educational journey with us! In your first semester, connect with faculty and classmates, explore the opportunities San Francisco State has to offer and learn all you can about your degree requirements so you can stay on track for graduation. We know that more than a third of SF State first-time freshmen are the first in their family to attend college and we are ready to support you.

We are excited for you to continue your educational journey with us. In your first semester, plan to connect with faculty and classmates in your major department, explore the opportunities San Francisco State has to offer, and learn all you can about your degree requirements so you can stay on track for graduation.

Text about transition, support, care, mentoring, advising, and troubleshooting. 

Learning how to register each semester is an essential skill for every Gator. This chapter provides a breakdown of the registration process and guidance on how to search, enroll and pay for classes. While important University notifications will always be sent to your SF State email, your Student Center provides the key information you need to prepare to enroll in classes each semester.

 This chapter focuses on general information every student needs to know about their degree requirements. Everything from general education, graduation requirements, upper-division requirements, and more. 

San Francisco State was named one of the most diverse large universities in the United States, and we are proud to welcome a new group of international students to our campus. This chapter provides helpful information and resources to guide you during your first year.

Transit benefits from OneCard

Your Student OneCard acts as a Clipper card, the all-in-one transit card for the Bay Area. You can use it to pay for rides on trains, buses and ferries. As part of tuition and fees, all students pay a fee each semester for a “Gator Pass.” This set of transit passes — accessed via your OneCard — afford students unlimited rides for fixed-route transit on transit operators that accept Clipper Cards(with the exception of cable cars).  

Visit Transit benefits from OneCard

Student Support Services

SSS is a federally funded TRIO program. The program aims to increase student retention rates by providing intensive academic advising, tutoring, developmental workshops, and priority registration to 160 participants in their freshman and sophomore years.

Visit Student Support Services