San Francisco State University — Restaurant in San Francisco

Like most academic institutions, SFSU has its strengths and weaknesses. Overall, I have enjoyed my time here.

Pros: commuter-friendly with free student shuttles and now the upcoming discount deal (albeit a controversial one) with muni and BART. Many food options both on campus and at the nearby mall. Small, easy to navigate campus with mostly new or updated buildings. The iLearn course materials sharing system also has been getting better and better every semester I've been here. There are many professional and dedicated instructors and staff.

Cons: a "new" online registration system/student portal that essentially only works on internet explorer and looks like something made a decade or two ago, definitely not user friendly and rather confusing. Compared to the system UCSB used when I was there EIGHT years ago it's a disappointment. The registrar and other student services offices are notorious for outright LOSING your paperwork with no explanation. Keeping up with things and nagging these people to make sure they're doing their job is crucial if you are applying for other schools or scholarships you need your transcripts or other documents sent to. It's rather depressing in this day and age that lost paperwork can still happen on such a grand scale. Don't fall through the cracks!

Finally, if you can take most of your courses at a community college first, do so. It's cheaper and probably closer to where you live, plus also likely easier to get into the classes you need. Transfer in later to get your degree. That goes for almost any school,...

I believe this school has it's goods and bads, but I still like this school over all. Budget cuts aren't the schools fault, it's the state's fault, so people reviewing this school based on their difficulty on getting classes might as well move to Nevada or Arizona because it's happening all over California. UC's and CSU's...

Yes, getting classes are hard, but I think the campus is nice and chill. People are really friendly and diverse. Studying abroad is also a great option: Same tuition. (I'm going next semester.)

It's a commuter campus like any other CSU, so sometimes the campus is dead on weekends, but you can still make the best of it. It's not like the campus is completely empty. On campus student's linger around in the residential part of campus near the Village and Mary Park/Ward. Btw, commuting DOES NOT give you an excuse to not join clubs, frat or sorority, and interact with others. I hate whiny brats who complain about not having friends...Go make friends! The opportunity is in front of you all the time!

Professors vary; some are excellent, some not so much. Grass is super green (don't know if that matters).

Overall, I've had pretty good experiences here starting off as a freshman in the dorms. Made a good set of friends that I'll probably be friends with for life. And learned good life experiences. Now I'm a junior.

Good luck all!...Actually start making your own...

I was really excited to attend but overall it wasn’t much different than community college at least for Gen ed. my excitement peaked week 4 and by week 11 of the semester I realized what was ahead of me and how the school is kind of a crazy mess. Having ethnic studies tie their bodies to the Muni tracks and an on campus anti abortion protest with bloody pictures was definitely a bit much And not made better by the pleasant Marchant booths the fallowing week. My department I’ve heard is basically a mess though unfortunately. My CC was state if the art and this place has some buildings that are authentically 1950’s and untouched it’s kind of scary so I try not to think about earthquakes given that Fine Arts, the library and Humanities are probably the safest buildings on campus. It feels impossible and hopeless here because almost nobody lives near campus and everyone commutes so it always feels dead. This factor makes it very hard to feel/get connected on campus to any degree and make friends. Don’t get fooled by impacted programs it doesn’t exactly mean they are “good” it just means the school is cheap and hasn’t built new buildings like it probably should have(Cinema, science and kin departments that’s you!). Go here if they have a good program for your major that’s what’s important, not location,...