• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Campus life / CM’s Guide to San Francisco State University

CM’s Guide to San Francisco State University

October 21, 2014 //  by Madison Rutherford

FacebookTweet

 
The Vibe 
 

A melting pot of creativity and culture
 
#GatorLife
 
Hipsters, nerds, bros, fashionistas, skaters, sports fanatics and sorority girls coexist across San Francisco State University’s 142-acre campus. The “typical” SF State student doesn’t exist because the university is indelibly individualistic in nature. 

 
SF State has by and large been dubbed a “commuter campus,” but that doesn’t mean campus life isn’t thriving. It makes up for its lack of sports (we haven’t had a football team since the Clinton administration—talk about Throwback Thursday…) with its school spirit. In other words, “that school without a football team,” swarms with purple and gold “SFSU” sweaters regardless. Students take pride in their passions beyond tailgating and Greek life—it’s not school spirit in the traditional sense, it’s Bay Area pride. 
 
Tucked away in the southern part of San Francisco, California, everything from campus cuisine to the classes offered glows with the culture of the city. It is a culture that is innately laced into the fabric of the institution. 
 
For the most part, the student population at SF State resembles that of any college campus in California—except on a typical day, students will be wrapped up in several layers to match the chilly fog that often descends upon the campus. 
 
When campus is glazed in a bright yellow-orange hue instead of a gloomy grey one, the university really comes to life. You can find students lounging on the grass in the quad or enjoying the sunshine as they slowly make their way to class.  
 
Student activism, politics, diversity and appreciation of the arts are deeply rooted in the philosophy of the university—it’s a presence you can see and feel as you walk through campus.
 
The Numbers
 
 

Bragging Rights

1. Honored by Entertainment Weekly as one of the nation's leading film schools, SF State counts more than 13 Oscar winners among its alumni.

2. SF State has one of the oldest and most respected creative writing departments in the nation. Alumni include Pulitzer-winning poets, best-selling authors and California’s poet laureate, Carol Muske-Dukes. It is the only university in California to offer a bachelor's degree in technical and professional writing.

3. According to U.S. News & World Report, SF State is the 6th most diverse college campus in the Western United States.

4. SF State is serious about giving back to the community and the environment. Princeton Review named SF State as one of 81 "Colleges with a Conscience," and it has also been recognized as one of the Carnegie Foundation's "Community Engagement" institutions.

(main images via di.net and flickr.com)
 
Top 6 Quirks
 
Getting Around
 
The Way We Live
 
Where to Hang Out Between Classes
 
Death to the Dining Hall
 
Farewell Freshman 15
 
Off-Campus Hotspots
 
Spring Break & Study Abroad
 
Annual Bashes
 
Where to Celebrate Your 21st
 
It’s Not Always Sunny at SF State (Literally)
 
 

FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Campus life San Francisco

About Madison Rutherford

Madison is a senior at San Francisco State University, pursuing a degree in Journalism. College has been her favorite adventure so far. Much like the prolific musician Asher Roth, she’s wondering if she really has to graduate, or if she can just stay here for the rest of her life.

You May Also Like

Top 21 Things to Do Prior to Graduating St. John’s University

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

10 Easy Ways to Make Sure Your Spring Semester Doesn’t Suck

A Gator’s Bucket-List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating From UF

the receptionist

A Conversation with the Receptionist

best classes

10 Best Classes You Need to Take at Drake University

St Salvators Quad image

My Hate/Love Relationship With My Joint Degree Program

College students walking

Becoming a Chameleon at Other College Campuses

And Suddenly, I Found Myself Living With a Stranger

Top 10 Safest Colleges and Campuses in the United States

CampusLife_sm

CM’s Top 10 Schools Doing Residential Life Right

colleges for future philanthropists

Live to Give: Top 10 Colleges for Future Philanthropists

Top 10 COVID-19 Safe Activities to Do Near Fresno, California

One Girl and a Whole World: What I Learned from My International Friends

fog

10 Reasons Why Bennington College Is the Quirkiest College

crim dell bridge

10 Signs That You’re a True TWAMP: Typical William & Mary Person

10 Tech Gifts to Make Zoom University That Much Easier

10 Essential Steps Before Graduating at Penn State

Longsword and Fencing Mask Pictured in Front of Window

Swords, Bruises, and How to Find Joy in College

Fight On: 8 Reasons Why USC is Better Than UCLA

College Magazine’s 10 Best Colleges for Studying a Foreign Language

bruin belles two girls laughing

How You Can Get Involved with the Bruin Belles

10 COVID-19 Safe Activities Near Orlando, Florida

friend group

Top 10 FOMO-Worthy Events at St. John’s University

Previous Post: « Where to Celebrate Your 21st at SF State
Next Post: 10 Halloween Costumes for Nauseatingly Adorable Couples »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

102

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

mental health
95

Pandemic and Academic Blues: Being Aware of Your Mental Health

44

Top 10 Colleges With the Most Fashionable Students

23

A Gator’s Bucket-List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating From UF

Broadway
21

10 Musical Soundtracks to Make Study Sessions That Much Easier

Featured Chapter: St. John’s University

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.