Ask an (engineering/computer scientist) freshmen anything!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
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<p>Hey guys, looks like it’s that time of the year again!</p>

<p>I remember when I was in your shoes last year, refreshing CC at every chance I could.</p>

<p>If you have any questions pertaining admissions or “chance me” enquires, please refer to the following thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo/1625482-the-keys-to-the-kingdom-p1.html”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo/1625482-the-keys-to-the-kingdom-p1.html</a></p>

<p>Keep in mind that the average SAT score for Cal Poly’s College of Engineering is 1406/1600 and 32/36 for the ACT. </p>

<p>With exception to that, feel free to ask me anything! From learning by doing in the classrooms, to residential housing and dorm life, to clubs and greek life, and even dining and cuisine if you’re into that. I can also answer specific questions to prospective CPE/CSC/SE majors in regards to what to expect and what it’s like (Our department is awesome btw).</p>

<p>I could also grab some of my fellow engineering friends from my dorm if you have other specific questions towards the college of engineering. </p>

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<p>I have some questions about the computer science major, I read somewhere that the languages learned at calpoly are a little outdated/not really common anymore, is that true? What languages did you learn in your first year?
Also, about housing: Poly Canyon and Cerro Vista are the only housing options with kitchens and bathrooms that aren’t for the entire floor, right? Which one is harder to commute from and are the roommates for those based off of majors?
also, what were your stats and do you think the CS average stats are lower than the engineering average, or are they about the same?
Thanks!</p>

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<p>@emptyfridge‌ Hello there!</p>

<p>You will be given a list of 5 introductory topics to choose from when you enroll in Cal Poly:
Robotics (C++), Game Design (Java), Computational Art (Java), Security (Python) and Music (Drracket…). They are all under a class called CPE123. </p>

<p>With the exception of Drracket, which we shall not talk about for good reasons…all the languages listed above are very similar if not identical to the current languages used today in the industry. In the past, CPE 101 (which is the very next class you take after CPE123) was taught in C. Starting this year however, they’ve changed it to be taught in Python, similar to what MIT is doing. </p>

<p>Depending on what classes you get in your CPE 123 intro class, there is a very good chance you will be learning C++, Java and Python in your very first year; unheard of in many places. </p>

<p>In regards to housing, you are correct. Poly Canyon and Cerro Vista are the ONLY options for a non-dorm shared kitchen. Having said that, it is definitely possible to cook in a dorm shared kitchen, and though it may be somewhat more inconvenient, it is actually much more fun. I say this from experience. As for commuting to classes, both Poly Canyon and Cerro Vista are pretty much the furthest dorms away from classes. In fact, you’ll probably need a bike if you like in Poly Canyon. Generally, I advise prospective freshmen NOT to live in the apartments in their first years, as you only get to experience living in a dorm once (unless you become a RA). It’s also known to have less of a social vibe than other dorms, but it’s whatever you make of it really. </p>

<p>With the exception of the red brick, in which each red brick is dedicated towards a certain college, you will typically get a mix of different students from different majors. I mean, even within the redbricks, you might get certain people from different majors. I know business majors that lived in the Architecture red brick, or engineers that lived in the math and science red brick. Cal Poly does a good job of diversifying things. </p>

<p>To answer your last question, Cal Poly’s computer science department is one of the more selective ones within the college of engineering. I had a 3.9 GPA unweighted and a 33 on the ACT (scored 30 the first time, Cal Poly takes the highest score! ), so I’d say my stats were pretty good. If I’m not mistaken, over 3300 students applied for computer science with only an average of a 180 spots, so it’s definitely going to be competitive. </p>

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<p>thanks for the reply! I’m glad that it’s not outdated like I thought it would be
One other thing- i keep seeing people talking about the red brick but what exactly are they? Is it just a nickname for one of the buildings, and which one is it?</p>

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<p>@emptyfridge‌ The redbricks are the typical standard dorms of any college. There are 6 red bricks, each belonging to a different college: Santa Lucia for Engineering, Fremont for Agriculture, Tenaya for Business, Muir for Math and Science, Trinity for Liberal Arts and Sequoia for Architecture. </p>

<p>So for example, if you’re studying engineering, chances are you would want to dorm with people of the same major if not similar, so Santa Lucia would be a good choice. That doesn’t mean you can’t dorm in other redbricks though; I’ve engineering friends that dorm in Sequoia just for the heck of it. </p>

<p>The redbricks are one of the more social dorms, and personally my favorite type of dorm. You’ll get a good mix of studious and social if you live there. </p>

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