When I first came to San Jose State, everyone told me the same thing: “You’ll find your people.” And even though I believed them, a part of me still wondered how? How do you actually build your community in a place as big, busy, and constantly moving as San Jose? How do you create a sense of belonging when our city is just so big?
As my freshman year went on, I realized that community isn’t something that just lands on your lap. It’s something you slowly grow into. It’s the result of small choices, new experiences, and people you never expected to meet but end up shaping your college life in ways you’ll always carry with you.
What makes San Jose special is that it’s not just a college town or just a city; it’s both. You’re surrounded by students, professionals, families, and local culture all at once, making it a space where university life and city life naturally overlap.
That balance can feel overwhelming at first, like you’re stuck between wanting the classic campus experience and wanting to explore everything happening outside SJSU’s corners. But somewhere within that mix, there’s a sense of belonging that starts to reveal itself!
Where Campus Connections Begin
For many students, campus organizations become the first place where that foundation of community begins. There’s something comforting about walking into a room full of people who share your interests, passions, or background. People who get the part of you you’re still learning to understand.
Whether it’s a cultural organization, a club/organization that aligns with your major, a Greek organization, or even a smaller hobby-based club, have a way of reminding you that you’re not navigating college alone.
There’s always someone walking a path that looks a little like yours; you’re never as alone as you think. Sometimes the people meant for you are already on their way!
Finding Your People Through Everyday Moments
A SJSU justice studies with a concentration in criminology student Deanna Stone shared how simple, everyday routines became the core of her community:
“My experience finding community on campus at SJSU has been very positive because of the classmates and peers I have. Anytime we all have a free moment after class, we just go to the library and all do work together,” Stone said. “Showing up for each other is what makes me happy the most because we found a little group to confide in within school.”
Community doesn’t only happen within the stomping grounds of SJSU. Sometimes, it finds you in unexpected corners of the city. Maybe it’s a coffee shop where the barista starts to remember your order, or a weekly farmers market where you start recognizing people’s faces, or it’s a local event you decided to attend simply because it felt different from your usual routine.
What’s so fascinating about San Jose is that its culture is layered: It’s multi-lingual, artistic, tech and business-driven, and has so much history. And when you allow yourself to interact with all those layers, the city begins to feel less like a place you live near and more like a place you live with.
A City That Welcomes You In
Trinity Pham, a SJSU third year business administration student, knows firsthand what it’s like to step into a space that feels intimidating at first:
“As an introverted commuter, I expected it to be hard to find a community at SJSU. But this semester, I pushed myself to join the Data Analytics Club, and even though I was anxious at first, I ended up feeling surprisingly welcomed and supported,” Pham said.
Something is empowering about realizing you get to shape your own experience here. Community isn’t about finding one perfect group or one perfect spot. It’s about collecting moments that make you feel seen. Sometimes it’s the friend you randomly sat next to at the dining hall.
Sometimes it’s a professor who pushed you harder than you expected but made you feel capable. Sometimes it’s the classmates who turn a stressful group project into something that makes you all laugh about later.
These tiny connections, when you look back, end up being the foundation of your college journey.
Building community can also mean stepping into spaces that intimidate you at first. Maybe you don’t know anyone at the new club meeting, or you feel nervous attending a city festival alone, or introducing yourself to someone new. But some of the most meaningful experiences in San Jose come from those exact moments.
Those little pushes outside your comfort zone that lead you to people who make the campus and the city feel fuller and more familiar.
As Michelle Rick says in her guide to making friends in the Bay Area, “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed, so take a deep breath and put yourself out there.” Sometimes building community really is as simple as being willing to ask, reach out, or show up; even when it can feel scary.
Creating Community For Others
A SJSU third year geology student Angelika Jones shared how community can grow not just from participating, but from helping others:
“I am an RA on campus, so I have first-hand experience with building community on campus. I not only get to participate in the community, but I also get to plan events catered to my residents that foster community,” Jones said. “It has been such a valuable experience!”
Another thing I’ve learned is that community changes as you do. The people who feel central to your life freshman year might be different from the people you’re closest to junior year. The places you loved early on might not be the places you rely on now. And that’s okay.
Growing, shifting, and revising your circle is all part of the college experience.
San Jose gives you the space to evolve. You can find community in student leadership, in volunteer work, in late-night study sessions, in local food spots, in events downtown, or even in the quiet corners of campus where you and your friends like to sit and talk for hours. It’s not about aesthetics, it’s about warmth and comfort.
Letting Your Community Grow With You
Maybe the most comforting part is this: community doesn’t mean you need to have everything figured out. It doesn’t mean you’re surrounded by people 24/7 or that you never feel lonely. It just means you keep trying, showing up, participating, reaching out, until the right connections start forming.
Jasmine Medina a SJSU fourth year communications student shared how her own experience blossomed in a way she didn’t expect:
“My experience with community at SJSU has been rewarding and has been pleasantly unexpected. It has been a chapter of growth for me as I have been privileged to meet new individuals, and it has allowed me to venture into a new world,” Medina said.
San Jose has a way of surprising you. What feels unfamiliar at first eventually becomes the place you’ll miss the most when you move on. The friends you meet, the memories you make, the confidence you build they stay with you long after graduation.
Whether you find community through student organizations, cultural events, local food spots, campus traditions, or simply the people who walk into your life when you least expect it, there is a place for you here.
San Jose may not be a world-renowned city, but it has a quiet way of embracing you once you start embracing it back.
If you’re still figuring it out, exploring, experimenting, or trying to find your people, know that you’re not alone – community takes time.
How have you built your community at SJSU? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU!