With food court lines stretching from door-to-door, tables and chairs occupied and parking spaces nearly impossible to find, Sacramento State kicked off the fall semester with the largest new class in campus history.

Approximately 8,000 freshman and transfer students joined Sac State this fall, President Alexander Gonzalez said last week during his fall address.

One of the very first things 18-year-old economics Monterey transfer student Heena Sikand noticed was Sac State’s annual Club Days in the Quad. She said it offered her an introduction of state college life.

“(There’s) a lot more people (compared to community college),” Sikand said. “I feel people take it more seriously. I see people with more backpacks already, whereas in community colleges you just carry around a purse or nothing on the first day.”

Andrew Pryor, 19, business, said he is happy to see the campus filled with students once again. He is also excited to be a part of the Sac State Wakeboard Club, and hopes to compete against other schools.

“(I) moved up here, (made) new friends and joined clubs,” Pryor said. “It should be a lot of fun.”

Pryor said Club Days shows students what is available and can help define their college experience.

Interim Director of Student Organization and Leadership Tom Carroll said Club Days is a great opportunity for campus organizations to promote themselves and it helps create a sense of community at Sac State.

“Students who get involved typically graduate faster (and) often get higher grades,” Carroll said. “There’s a ton of awesome things that happen just by being part of something on the university.”

Carroll said there are many different campus organizations recruiting – including fraternities, academic, sports and religious clubs – and the event has evolved past only fraternities and sororities.

Alex Rose, 21, mechanical engineering, said he wished the people in the booths were more outgoing and they seemed to be waiting for students to approach them.

“The people at booths seem to be having their own conversation,” Rose said. “I don’t know if that’s a tactic to make them seem more sociable. But it makes it harder to approach for me.”

Devanie Freitas, 20, communication studies, said while Club Days is a cool thing to do for people wanting to get involved, the experience is not for her.

“I work alot and trying to go to school,” Freitas said. “I wouldn’t really have time to add on a club-type thing.”

Freitas added she anticipates crowds to thin out in three weeks, when students realize what classes they no longer need to attend.

Olivia Jones, a 20-year-old graphic design major, agreed there were a lot more students today than there will be later in the semester and as a result, parking was “crazy.”

“Everything actually looks pretty much the same,” Jones said. “It’s just busier. There’s a lot of students.”

Jones said everyone seems relaxed and happy to be back in school and the booths did not seem to be overly aggressive in promoting themselves.

As president of the Delta Chi club, 22-year-old communication studies major Daniel Wallace has been involved in Club Days before and said the event allows students to network and make friends.

“I know some people who avoid the quad area because they don’t want to get bombarded with all of the information,” Wallace said. “But if it’s something that you are interested in (if it’s) your first day, I think it’s a great way to invest in yourself.”