To the first time Cal State Long Beach student, allow me to be your personal liaison as you get ready to start on an epic journey.
Perhaps the most important knowledge when preparing for any journey is knowing what to bring, and in some cases knowing what to leave; I would like to share this knowledge with you.
Do not bring:
A laptop: CSULB is home of the Horn Center, and the Spidell Technology Center in the library, two of the largest computer labs in the California State University system. There are also more intimate study spaces where students can use computers and print in the FO4 building like the African Student Association Center, American Indian Student Study Center, Asian/Pacific Student Center, LGBT Resource Center and the Raza Resource Center. Both the Horn and Spidell centers offer Mac and PC computers and collectively have 288 available desktops. This may not sound like a lot for over 37,000 students, but there are practically always open computers.
Some will inevitably neglect this advice and stuff a laptop in their backpack, but typically only gain sore shoulders and an aching back. A lighter pack means a happier back. With all the figurative weight from the stress of classes, getting some literal weight off the shoulders will be a huge help for the psyche.
A winter coat: Depending on your schedule you might fall into the Long Beach marine layer temperature trap. For students with class at 8 or 9:30 a.m., it is likely there will be some overcast and cooler temperatures when leaving for campus. However, around 11 a.m. you’ll emerge from class and be greeted by rays of sunshine. This will force you to make a choice: either leave the sweatshirt on and sweat into your undershirt all day or take it off and run the risk of forgetting it on a bench somewhere.
A car: As many already know, CSULB is a commuter school. For lots of students, leaving the car is not an option, but for Long Beach residents it is highly recommended you get yourself on a bus schedule. On top of saving time, the bus also makes things easier on the planet and the pocket book. Bus rides are already included in student fees, so if it’s possible, save money on carbon-emitting gasoline and pick up a complimentary, unlimited-use TAP card.
Since so many of the 37,000-plus students live outside the city, parking lots fill up fast. Traffic on the way to campus matched with the long and grueling search for a parking spot makes for a strong case to save time by taking the bus. On top of that, you’ll avoid more wasted time and feet-aches when getting off the bus at Brotman or the library instead of walking from the deep corner of the parking lot.
For students living on campus, there’s really no reason to bring a car at all. Dorm students can walk or shuttle around campus, and bus to anywhere around the city, even Seal Beach, for free. If students want to take trips out of town, the Metro is available at an affordable price, and has a bus that goes directly to Disneyland.
Cigarettes: Yes, to the bane of many students and faculty alike, CSULB has become a smoke-, vapor-, and tobacco-free campus. The ashtrays have been ripped away from the old smoking areas, and in their place are signs that read “Breathe.” As of the 2016 fall semester the school’s campaign to create a healthy educational and working environment will be officially in effect. To avoid a campus where cigarette butts are tossed to the ground in the absence of ashtrays, it’s probably best to just leave the temptation at home.
Do Bring:
Comfortable shoes: Clocking in at 5,522,402 square feet with 106 permanent buildings on 322 acres, CSULB is a large campus. It is broken up into two segments, upper and lower campus. Lower campus is topographically lower than upper campus, meaning a walk from the parking structure to the library is one heck of an uphill climb.
Comfy shoes are especially important for students still completing their lower division GE classes because their schedule can drag them from the liberal arts buildings down to engineering, up to the College of Arts, before heading back to kinesiology. Students’ feet will be much happier if they’re sure to wear socks with their Vans, and leave the heels at home.
Refillable water bottle: The average school day can be long and hot, especially while lugging around a pack full of textbooks from lower to upper campus. A quality reusable water bottle is a sound investment. Hydration is ever-important to surviving the day. There are plenty of water fountains around campus, but it’s always handy to have water in hand. Water fountains have an overhead spout to make refilling bottles quick and convenient. Without a reusable bottle, students are likely to wind up buying water bottles from an on-campus store or vending machine. Last year, the average American used 167 disposable water bottles for a national total of about 50 billion plastic water bottles. Not only will bringing your own bottle help save money but it will also help save the planet.
Beach Club card: Your student ID is something to always keep on your person. There are campus shuttles constantly circling campus as well as shuttles going to the Beachside dorms, Los Coyotes Diagonal and Anaheim Street, and all you needs to do to catch a ride is flash a CSULB student ID card.
On top of that, your ID card is also how to access Beach Club money. Students need Beach Club for printing in the library or Horn Center, but it can also be used in the Beach Walk or The Nugget Bar and Grill to purchase food or even beer. Students can find kiosks in all these places to add money to their Beach Club account, but students signed up for the dorms’ value meal plan might be surprised to find their card already stocked with $150.
Small appliances: This is a recommendation specifically for students moving into a dorm room this fall. You should not bring a mini-fridge to class, but it is a great thing to have in a dorm room – as well as a microwave. Dining hall meals will only be available during certain hours that may not fit well into your schedule, and depending on the meal plan you may have to limit yourself to only one dining hall visit some days. Places to store and heat easy snacks that are available at all hours will be a luxury that will help you stay on a budget.
Possibly the best appliance to have in a dorm room is a coffee maker. Nearly every student is bound to experience a couple late night study/homework sessions. Coffee won’t just help you to stay up to get work done, but it will get you through the next day too. No one should get to tell you when or where to drink coffee.