Thursday’s first day of school at CSU Stanislaus can be a confusing and exciting time for many students.

For most the fall semester begins with their heads spinning with questions like:

“Will I get into the classes that I’m on the waiting list for?” Or, “Is my financial aid taken care of?” “Where should I get some food?” “Am I all set up in my dorm or apartment?” “Can I stand this teacher for an entire semester?” “How much are my books going to cost?”

Freshman students like 18-year old Guadalupe Arzola and 18 year-old Yolanda Villeda were just happy the day was going smoothly because they were expecting the worst.

“People always tell you that it will be hard and the people are mean but it has been the total opposite,” said Arzola.

Villeda said getting her books early and getting lucky with good teachers made her day easier.

Returning students usually begin to get accustomed to their surroundings by adjusting their schedules to make it more convenient.

Sarah McLain, a 26-year-old communication and business marketing major, said, “My day’s gone great so far since I don’t have class until this evening.”

McLain, who works in the Information and Technologies office, said that traffic through her work space had been light for a typical first day.

“Students from the dorms come to us for e-mail addresses and for their high-speed Internet hook-ups,” said McLain.

Jarvis Poncho, a graduate student in his 20s, was busy trying to get a master’s degree in business administration.

“I’m back to teach a class in my major and to make up an incomplete. In other words it’s been hectic,” said Poncho.

Enrollment this year will creep just above the 8,000-student mark with a record 650 in the freshman class alone. Fifty-one of those freshmen are from Turlock, said Roger Pugh, assistant vice president for enrollment management.

At CSU Stockton, enrollment is expected to be nearly 1,300 students.

Pugh also said that diversity continues to grow on campus with an increase in Hispanic students and the number of black students doubling.

The school took a $4 million dollar hit with the state’s budget woes which limited enrollment, said Pugh.

With sign-ups for winter term almost closed, Pugh said anyone looking to enroll for the spring semester should sign up now.