Welcome to CSU Stanislaus! If you are a new or recently transferred student, you are likely still settling into your classes, exploring campus and adjusting to the university. Being new on campus is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming and confusing, especially if you don’t know where to find information. Here is some information that can help!

Where to Find Information

The Stanislaus State University website is the first place to look for information about Stan State. The Stan State website may take some time to learn to navigate, but it is a valuable source of information.

Under the menu tab, the website includes information on: majors and programs, campus life, the academic catalog and calendar, people search, athletics, events and news.

Maps of the Stockton and Turlock campuses are also available on the website. The website provides the names of buildings, locations of classrooms and details about the resources located in buildings.

The website also provides access to the myStanState portal, which brings students to their student dashboard. The dashboard includes links to many frequently used and important links for students. These include your student email, Canvas, My Academic Pathway, academic resources (University Library, Stan Tutor, Zoom, Warrior Connect), class registration, Enrollment Services, study space availability and more.

My Academic Pathway is a helpful tool for planning your class schedule and keeping yourself on track. This resource shows general education and major requirements you have fulfilled, or need to fulfill, to graduate.

In addition to using My Academic Pathway, knowing your advisor and meeting with them is key to succeeding at Stan State. You can visit the Advising and Success Center in the Vasché Library for general advising, success programs and advising resources.

Brett Ashmun Ed.D, is a faculty member at Stan State in the Liberal Studies department, the director of The Great Valley Writing Project and an advisor for the Liberal Studies major. Ashmun highly suggests new students check out The First Year Success Program, which is geared toward helping new and recently transferred students adjust to and succeed in their first year at Stan State.

Warrior Connect is a good way to connect with your advisors, and allows you to set up in-person or Zoom meetings with them.

Jimena Mojica-Camarena (English and Ethnic Studies, Senior) relies on both her major advisors and My Academic Pathway to keep her on track for graduation. She suggests students contact their advisors through email, or by going in person.

“A lot of departments have an email where you can ask for your advisor. I know sometimes advisors are busy, so they don’t send emails to every new student they have. So I would recommend just going in person, also, because departments have offices, and asking to look up [your] advisor,” Mojica-Camarena says.

When asked if she had any advice for new or transfer students, Raquel Tejieda (Liberal Studies, Junior) strongly suggested students speak to multiple advisors to find the best fit and get the most accurate information.

“Make sure you find an advisor that you trust. And if you just have a gut feeling, that they may or may not like […] you’re questioning some of the advice you’re given, definitely reach out to other advisors in the same department, and ask around because one might not work as well, like you might not have the same understanding,” Tejieda says.

Campus Resources

There are many campus resources new students can take advantage of.

In the University Student Center, you can find a bunch of really helpful resources at the service desk. Students have access to rentable laptops, chargers, Print-N-Go services and more.

The Student Center also houses the Campus Bookstore, where students can rent or buy course materials, class supplies, technology, student apparel and much more.

The Vasché Library contains many valuable resources for students, including Technology Support Desk, Advising and Success Center, Learning Commons (Testing, Tutoring Center, Writing Center), Student Leadership, Engagement & Belonging, Disability Resource Services and state-of-the-art computer labs.

The Technology Support Desk provides a number of services, including technical assistance to issuing Warrior Cards and many other student resources. Warrior Cards serve as your official identification and are used to access many student resources. Getting your Warrior Card is a high priority as a new student.

The Learning Commons, located on the second floor of the Vasché Library, is open to students looking for academic support.

The Tutoring Center is free to students, and provides opportunities for students to work with peer tutors on a variety of subjects.

The Writing Center is open to students looking for writing help, no matter their major.

Mojica-Camarena works at the Writing Center, and finds a lot of value in being a peer tutor.

“Even though I’m a tutor, I get tutored too. It helps for someone else to look at my writing and provide suggestions. I feel like oftentimes when you’re writing, you feel very alone, and you might think that you’re the only one struggling, when a lot of people just need that extra support,” Mojia-Camarena says.

The Mary Stuart Rogers building, commonly called the MSR building, contains the office of: Student Affairs, Financial Aid & Scholarships, Student Recruitment and Outreach, Student Support Services and Human Resources. You can visit these resources in person to learn more or visit their sites on the Stan State website.

Being a new student can often be stressful, and perhaps even feel overwhelming, so taking care of your mental health is vital. Counseling and Psychological Services, or commonly called CAPS, is available to all currently enrolled students.

Advice for New Students

Whether you are a transfer student with a declared major, or an undeclared freshman, deciding what you want to study can be difficult. Upperclassmen Mojica-Camarena and Tejeda and Liberal Studies advisor Ashmun have some advice.

For students who are undeclared, Ashmun suggests students talk to faculty members and other students to find out what interests them.

“Talk to different faculty, talk to students about different departments or majors. And then find out who is in that department, who is that faculty member who is receptive and open, having conversations, and then kind of chatting them up and finding time to talk with them about the major so you can get a better idea of what it is, and if you want to go down that route,” says Ashmun.

In broad majors, like English, Mojica-Camarena suggests exploring electives and specializing in what interests you.

“Take advantage of the GE courses, your electives, to see if there’s a niche that you like, and you could go into that in the field,” says Mojica-Camarena.

She also suggests students get to know professors in their major.

“Get involved and try to know professors personally so they can give you resources and advice on how to navigate the major,” says Mojica-Camarena.

Most importantly, Tejeda reminds students that it’s okay not to know everything, or if they need to ask for help.

“Being open to the fact that you’re not going to know everything, so just kind of taking it easy on yourself, you’re obviously going to learn this new process, so just giving yourself the time, but also asking around so that you know you know you’re getting what you need,” says Tejeda.

Tips for Keeping Up with Classwork and Studying

Mojica-Camarena likes to get started early on major projects and uses tools like lists and planners to stay on track.

“I personally use a planner, or I write down my test for the day, and that helps me keep on track of what I have to do during the week. So, if I have a large project due Friday, I usually like to start a week before, just to give myself enough time,” says Mojica-Camarena.

Tejeda also uses lists, a combination of hand-written and typed, to help her remember assignments.“You know, things happen in life, so it’s just easier for you to write things down physically on paper. But you could also do it in a Google Doc, just to kind of keep you on a list-like format, that’s definitely helped me a lot, study wise,” says Tejeda.

Ashmun suggests students work with each other, talk to their professors and utilize technology when they study.

“Utilizing your peers, your classmates, your technology, and then also reaching out to your faculty member, and seeing that they offer any like study hours or advising or office hours where you can come in and just have a conversation about anything that you’re you’re a little murky on or a little confused on,” says Ashmun.
There are many great places to study on campus. The library has many quiet sections, denoted by the color of the space. Red spaces allow you to have a conversation and eat while studying. In Blue areas, conversation and snacks are not allowed, so it’s a calming quiet place to study.

You can reserve study rooms in the library online through the library’s website.

The Innovative Center is another great place to study, or work on classwork. The Innovative Center is open to Honors students, as well as other students so long as they sign in.

No matter where you are in your academic journey, Stanislaus State has plenty of resources to help you succeed.