Students are cracking open their laptops once again as the first day of the spring semester kicked off Monday for the State Center Community College District.
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Perla Gomez is in her first semester at Fresno City College.
"It's a really huge school, so I'm a bit lost," Gomez said.
Gomez, who is studying to become a Registered Nurse, used the booths set up around campus to help track down her classes.
"I really love that they have all these and the fliers to give you and the maps, especially the maps," Gomez said.
She wasn't the only one using those maps to figure out how to get from point A to point B.
The college is seeing continued growth.
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FCC President Robert Pimentel says during the fall semester, enrollment numbers were at pre-pandemic levels and are continuing to increase.
Other State Center Community College District schools are on similar paths.
Clovis Community College says student headcount from Spring 2023 to Spring 2024 is up 19 percent.
At Madera Community College, more students are enrolled this semester compared to this time last year.
Fresno City College's West Fresno Campus is fully up and running this semester with new transportation options for students.
"When we opened our new campus, we found out that a lot of students did not have transportation to go back and forth, so we decided to get a van that will transport students back and forth to the campuses -- between the campuses," Pimentel said.
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A new shuttle service from Kerman to FCC's main campus also started Monday.
People can also enroll in short courses offered by the SCCCD through Ed2Go's online training.
Hundreds of courses are available including Excel, QuickBooks, and technical writing.
"Overall, we're excited to see students come back, get an education and achieve the goals that they want for themselves and their families," Pimentel said.
Enrollment is still available at all of the State Center Community College District locations. There will also be short-term classes starting in the coming months.
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