College students fill the student center. Three girls are isolated from another group of students. They are all wearing purple SFSU sweatshirts, showing their school spirit. The three girls are clearly enjoying their break from the orientation. They lean back in their chairs, have a full plate of food in front of them, and giggle and gossip about other students. The jacket that all three wear has words printed on with golden thread. It reads ‘Freshmen Orientation’. All three of them are friends who have come together to help the incoming freshmen.

“We work for New Student Programs,” says Ashley. “We’re here for New Student Orientation.”

As advisers, they help the transition from high school to college for the incoming students.

“There’s a bunch of different workshops and we…advise and help them pick classes,” explains Miranda. “We split up later and focused on their majors.”

Adding to that, the girls advise freshmen about what classes to take, give them campus tours, and get them excited to join SFSU. To help the families feel comfortable sending their child to SFSU, the New Student Programs also have some workshops for the them. The parents are also introduced to the college lifestyle. They can now send their child to San Francisco State University without any worry.

“So, the families are separated from the students and we give them their own workshops,” says Ashley, “about transition, about what their student should expect moving onto campus or moving to San Francisco.”

Ashley, Miranda, and Jenelyn all come from California, but nowhere close to San Francisco. Ashley comes from Fairfield, Miranda from Orange County, and Jenelyn from Stockton. Knowing the difficulties of moving here, the three help the freshmen have a smooth transition.

“[The freshmen] are mainly from California but there are some out of state…there’s a lot of So-Cal,” says Miranda.

All three of them agreed on one point.

“[It was] more of a transition to the city from the suburbs,” says Ashley.

As freshmen, they all remember that they didn’t not take orientation that seriously. But now that they are on the other side of the orientation, they know all the work that has to be put in to help the freshmen transition comfortably to SFSU.

“Working [and] doing orientation now shows the importance of orientation,” says Jenelyn. “There’s a lot more to it that students get from orientation.”