Church preachers, volleypong players, Marine recruiters and student organizations mixed on the plaza with the hourly waves of students rushing to get to class.

For some, the chaos may have been overwhelming — but Colorado State University students offered a friendly environment for their new fellow Rams on their first day.

While returning students are used to crowds flowing throughout campus, freshman and transfer students must quickly adapt to keep up.

“I’m surprised to see how busy all the sidewalks are,” said Thomas Ryan, a freshman neuroscience major. “Orientation and everything was pretty empty compared to this.”

The crowds of people may be stressful for those used to a smaller student body, but the welcoming students at CSU can make the transition easy for transfers from other schools, including Jenna Richards, junior construction management major.

“CSU has a great culture,” Richards said. “To go from a small school like Front Range and transfer to CSU can be challenging, but CSU welcomed me with open arms. The plaza doesn’t feel as busy as it did my first year here. For freshmen, it can be overwhelming and confusing on the first day, but CSU is nice and there are a lot of people who can help you out.”

For some students, simply getting through the day without walking into the wrong classroom and finding a place to relax is enough to constitute a good day.

“Not getting lost was a major accomplishment,” said Jessica Karandisecky, an equine science major who is a transferring junior. “The Oval is already my favorite spot on campus, and I’ve met a lot of cool people.”

Students said they are excited to return to CSU after the completion of Eddy Hall and the Lory Student Center.

“I’m really glad that the LSC and Eddy construction (are) finished, even though it still gets super crowded around the library and Clark,” Richards said.

For some, including undeclared sophomore Carolin Sousa, the completion of a number of construction projects on campus represents a fresh start for new and returning students alike.

“The entire feel of campus is different with some of the construction done,” Sousa said.

Collegian Reporter Nathan Zafuto can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @NathanZafuto.