SM: You already mentioned the beach, but what about the rest of the social scene? What do CSULB students do in their free time?
Allie: It’s really fun. In Long Beach there are really cool areas to hang out, like Belmont Shores and the downtown area. Downtown has mostly an upscale nightlife scene, but there’s also Second Street which has more college kids—a younger crowd. The school is really big, so there are students pretty much everywhere you go. A lot of people like to go walk around Huntington Beach [a nearby beach town], shopping and lunching along the water. Weekends are also good for traveling because Long Beach is really conveniently located between Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Diego, so a lot of people take trips out of town to visit friends at other schools.

SM: As a senior, finishing up your last units, what advice would you give to people thinking of attending CSULB?
Allie: Live in the dorms: They’re a great place to meet people. Once you’re ready to move off campus, move to the beach! I lived in Huntington Beach, and it was only a short drive to campus and totally worth it. I went boogie boarding every day, made s’mores over bonfires on the beach and just had a blast. It was the perfect place to be a college student. Long Beach State is a really great school because the campus is so big— there are tons of different ways to get involved in the community and with other students. It’s really easy to make friends and develop a core group of people to hang out with. I did!

For more information about California State University, Long Beach, visit www.csulb.edu.