In addition, San Francisco State had an overall welcoming atmosphere. Some parts of the campus made me feel like I was at a shopping mall. There were people who were selling goods and there were many food places around the area. There were also some parts that made me feel like I was at the park. There were many trees, plants, and grasses around the campus environment. It made me feel relaxed as I walked down the concrete. Moreover, I noticed that there were many people walking everywhere to get to the place they needed to go. Some people would walk quickly while others took their time. Many of the students were very interactive with each other. I noticed how when they see a person they know, they hug as if they have not seen each other in a long time. So, all the people in the university were very friendly and helpful, which was evident when we asked people some of the questions that were on the scavenger hunt paper.
Prior to this field trip, I did not have much expectations. I expected it to be tiring because I knew the campus would be big. I also expected to get a lot of experience of how the college system works. As a result, both of my expectations were met at the end. It definitely was a tiring day because I noticed my energy somewhat died down at the end. There was a lot of walking primarily because some of us would get lost. Even with the map provided for us, we would not know where to go because all the buildings looked the same to us. I also noticed that I ate more than I usually would, which somewhat scares me because I feel that I will not have control on spending my money especially when it comes to food. I realized how much walking has to be done in order to get to classes. This brings me up to my surprise that I did not see many people riding bikes around the campus to get to their classes. It seemed as if most of the students preferred to walk rather than to ride a bike, therefore, it showed me how people does not think that the campus is not truly big compared to other colleges.
One of the high points of the day was when we did the scavenger hunt with out group. It definitely forced us to interact with people we do not know, and it showed us how the first day of college may be like for incoming freshmen. The scavenger hunt gave us a sense of how college is like. Another high point was when the Project Connect Interns gave us a tour of the campus. My intern, specifically, was really helpful because she mainly showed us the places regarding the areas we are interested in. She definitely had a lot of knowledge about the majors we are considering, and she knew a little bit of the history of the buildings. However, the low point for me was when we came into our groups again, and did different activities such as the skits and posters. I felt it was something we already knew about, so it did not really provide us more sense of the discrepancies between college and high school lives.
The field trip to San Francisco State was the same as any other college trips because they gave detailed information about their own campus as well as how to deal with college application requirements. They would compare and contrast between high school and college to ensure us that the systems are not completely the same as college requires the students to be more responsible and independent. However, the trip was definitely more interactive and hands-on than any other college campus visits I have went to. We got to communicate with more college students and explore the campus without any teachers helping us with directions. This trip was more adventurous because we explored the campus as if we were college freshmen. We had to find out all the information we would need to know as if we were attending the university on our own, which definitely challenged our communication skills. The trip did not have the typical “guide-tour-and-questions-and-answers-at-the-end” type of format. It was formatted in a way that would make us use all the skills we have developed throughout high school.
After attending the field trip, I somewhat feel more excited about going to college because there just seems to be a lot more freedom. Even though I know it will be tough, I also look forward to the challenges I will face because I like to know if I have the capability to handle any type of situations given to me. I do still feel a little anxious because as a shy person, I feel it will take me a while to meet new people and make friends. I am still exhausted by the tuition fees, but it is still not going to stop me from attending college. I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life, and focus on the area I am currently passionate about. College will definitely be a whole new, different experience for me, which excites and frightens me at the same time.
The field trip to San Francisco State was an overall great experience for me because it answered my question about how college life is like. As I was exploring the campus and interacting with the students, I felt as if I was not in school. The atmosphere was far different from high school because it seemed as if I was in a little friendly town. There were no specific cliques with the exception of the clubs. Everyone seemed very independent and were doing their own thing, which shows how focused each and every one of them are.