Heather Mangan

Being in unfamiliar places can be hard, but there are a few things to know that can make living on campus easier.

First-year students should get out of their rooms and see what SDSU has to offer, said Sue Sandberg, associate director of education and staffing for residential life. And if they are in their rooms, she suggests they should keep their doors open to meet people as they walk by.

“You never know who you’re going to meet or what you’re going to find,” Sandberg said. “It is so tempting to go to the one place that is yours and close the doors.”

Another way to make the first year of college easier is to get involved, Sandberg said. And residential halls help students do that.

“Residential halls are really the place to get involved right away,” she said.

Safety is also an issue students need to be aware of, Sandberg said.

“I think a lot of students when they first come to school don’t worry about personal safety,” she said.

Students should lock their doors to ensure their safety, Sandberg said. Their doors should be locked when they are not in their rooms or are sleeping.

It also might be a good idea for students to lock the doors when they are studying, she said.

Sandberg also said students should carry their keys with them wherever they go and not let anyone they don’t know into their halls or onto their floors.

New students should also use the residential hall staff to help them in their first few weeks on campus, Sandberg said. She said they can help students add/drop classes, fight homesickness and get around campus.

“I would like students to recognize that the residential staff is there to help them,” she said.

She also tells new students to ask questions.

“I think they need to know it’s okay to ask questions,” Sandberg said. “If you have that question, someone else probably does too.”

Parking with 3,400 other drivers on campus can be tricky, but the University Police Department works to make parking easier for students.

All SDSU students must have a parking pass to park on campus. Parking passes can be bought from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the UPD, which is located at the corner of Harvey Dunn Street and Medary Avenue. Parking passes, or decals, are color-coded according to resident status – on or off campus, or commuter. Decals should be clearly displayed at all times to indicate that vehicles are parked in appropriate spaces.

Students who have visitors on campus should instruct them to obtain a visitor’s parking pass at the UPD.

The UPD’s Web site suggests that a student pay for a ticket within 96 hours to avoid a late fee. The site also states that any parking ticket may be appealed to the UPD appeals committee.

An appeal must be thoroughly stated and submitted within 96 hours after a citation has been issued.

A student who plans to appeal a ticket must appear before the Appeals Committee. The appeal will automatically be denied if a student fails to appear before the committee.

If a student’s appeal is denied, he or she will have to pay an additional $10.