Hi everyone,
So to my very very great astonishment, just a few days ago I received an acceptance email from Cal Poly SLO for electrical engineering. I was accepted as a transfer student from a Community College, and I honestly don’t know why because I know several more qualified people than me who were not accepted.
I honestly did not even think I would be put on the wait list for the school and was actually just planning on transferring to UC Davis next semester, but this now just changed everything.
So my dilemma is, I really don’t know if I should go to Cal Poly because I honestly think I won’t be able to handle the criteria there and really believe I will fail out. I mean how can I compare with those geniuses!
But on the other hand, I really would like to get a good job after graduating(most likely in Silicon Valley) and I KNOW Cal Poly is the best at that.
So…yeah…I’m super scared I won’t be able to graduate…because how can i compare with cal poly engineering students who have already been at cal poly for 2 years… and are used to the heavy workload.
I just don’t know what to do because …I would like to go to cal poly and graduate then get a job, but I just don’t know if I will be super behind and unable to catch up my classmates. I am just so scared to fail out, but I also don’t want to skip this opportunity.
Any Cal Poly transfer advice? and to Engineering majors, do a lot of your classmates find it difficult to pass classes and actually graduate?
It’s a common misconception that schools that are harder to get into are more difficult. For engineering even the reverse could be true. The easier admit might actually be harder, for many reasons, worse teachers being one possibility. I don’t know much about Davis engineering, but I can tell you this, it won’t be easy. Engineering isn’t easy anywhere. So, erase that concept from your mind. Choose the school you want to go to. Work hard. Use all the resources available. If you do that, you’ll certainly shine! Good luck.
Have u visited Cal Poly? One of the benefits of Cal Poly vs UC Davis is that it is small. Smaller class sizes equal more opportunity to get to know people for study groups. It’s a hands on school for those who need it. You must have most or all of ur undergrad studies completed I assume? Then at least u won’t be burdened with that. @eyemgh is always on point and is the resident expert. Of course it will be hard but don’t let that stop u. Also one thing I learned from my sister’s experience and experience of her friends that graduated from aero and bio engineering is that Cal Poly prides itself on success of their students. Simply put ur failure is their failure. They try to not let that happen. My long point here is that there is far more help at Cal Poly if ur willing to look for it. Good luck to u!
What eyemgh and calpoly13 said. Exactly. Schools are there to help students succeed, not fail. But you have to put in the effort and use the resources that are in front of you. Do you really want to take a pass on this opportunity? I don’t think so, go for it. Don’t let yourself get psyched out. Good luck!
haha thanks for the response you guys. It has helped a lot and yeah I think my low self confidence in my engineering abilities really scared me. I will visit the cal poly campus soon during spring break and make my final decision(: But do you guys have any recommendations on where exactly to visit while on my trip over there? Any specific engineering or housing areas I should visit or look out for?
This is right off their web page
Come See Us!
The Electrical Engineering Department, the College of Engineering and Cal Poly University all offer tours. Please see the College of Engineering Tours pages for more information.
Contact Us!
We hope that we’ve provided the key information you need to decide if Cal Poly EE is right for you. If you have any questions however, feel free to contact us any time.
Transfer housing is usually Cerro Vista on campus. U can look that up under housing for info. They give tours daily too.
Call the College of Engineering and ask for an official tour. Sit in on a class that you’ve already taken. See how it feels. Then, just spend time roaming campus. Get a feel for how students seem. Happy? Stressed? My experience has been glowing happiness every time I’ve visited, but see how it feels to you. Go see EE for sure. Bonderson is also a don’t miss. The whole building exists solely for student driven projects (machine shop, business incubator clubs, etc.), not course work. It’s very cool. I’ve toured a lot of campuses and never seen anything like it. See the surfboard making shop in the Union.
For living, I’m unsure how I’d advise a transfer. It’s really helpful to meet peers, but many upperclassmen live off campus. I’d guess Cerro or PCV will be your best option on campus. I think I’d do that at least for one year. Poly will certainly be able to suggest options based on other transfer students’ past experiences and guide you towards the best fit.
As for whether or not you’re ready, you are, or you will be. I’ll pass on some advice that was originally conveyed to me by @ucbalumnus in the engineering forum. It’s how to assess whether or not students should repeat classes they have AP credit for or take the credit and move forward. It certainly is applicable to transfers.
Look at the curriculum sheet (http://flowcharts.calpoly.edu/downloads/mymap/13-15.52EEBSU.pdf) and figure out which classes that you’ve taken already that are required for ones you will be enrolling in. Look up the syllabi and old tests for those classes online and see how you do. If you can’t find them, call the department and ask them to send some to you. They will if you tell them why you want them. If you’re rusty, brush up. If not, you’re ready. Do this no matter where you end up.
Good luck!
EDIT: Oops, @calpoly13 already covered some of this. What he said.
Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted. one moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?
Yo
You better lose yourself in the music (edit “college”), the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo
