<p>Right now I have:
Sierra Madre
Yosemite
Tenaya (Business Students)</p>
<p>I am considering Cerro Vista though. Im not the best sleeper, so I’d enjoy my own room. A kitchen would be nice too even though I don’t really cook. But then again I want to get that once in a life time dorm experience and be in a very social environment. I know cerro also has social events, but the typical dorms must be a lot better socially… any thoughts?</p>
<p>I think anywhere you go you’ll “make friends” so to say lol
but obviously the dorms are going to be a lot busier socially…
cerro vista is also a little farther away from everything cause of the hill lol</p>
<p>You all know mine and my son’s feelings about Cerro! I have posted a few times about why we like it. It is a bit farther from the center of the campus, but the engineering buildings are pretty close. Not much farther than North Mountain or red bricks. We did like the Towrs (Yosemite, Sierra madre) better than the red bricks because of the size of the dorms and the hallways. red bricks was way too confining. I know that doesn’t bother everyone, but my son didn’t like the feeling.</p>
<p>remember that the campus isn’t very big and it is easy to get around. I think the most important thing is to pick the style of dorms and the program that you want to be involved with (Living Learning, Honors, etc…)</p>
<p>Also, there are some great pictures if you Google images for Cerro Cal Poly slo. It shows the rooms and the furniture. Pretty cool!</p>
<p>Cerro Vista is really not that much further from campus than the North Mountain dorms, it is right pat them in fact. I think what makes most people feel like it is farther is the hill we have to walk up. But it’s good exercise at least! While people enjoy the social aspects of the dorms, I haven’t met one person who’s lived in the dorms who hasn’t been a little bit jealous at one point or another of people living in Cerro Vista. I think most people just want the kitchen and a bit more space. But I’m sure whatever choice you make you’ll end up liking.</p>
<p>@LSkaiWalk</p>
<p>I’m not the best person to speak on this, because I’ve never lived in a dorm. However, my year living in Poly Canyon Village has been incredible. First quarter, my roomies and I just propped our door open and yelled at people who walked by. Those people became our friends. Now we just leave our door open all the time and people freely filter in and out. My life is full of beach days, hikes, late-night In-N-Out/Taco Bell/Pita Pit runs, and additional spontaneity. I see no reason why this couldn’t work in Cerro Vista as well. </p>
<p>I think dorm life has been far oversold. If you live in an apartment and you don’t like your roomie, you can at least retreat to your room. If you get stuck with one in a dorm, you’re screwed. </p>
<p>@momofmv</p>
<p>Cerro isn’t really close to the engineering buildings. The closest one is Engineering East, I believe, which is still halfway across the main campus. Then again, <b>NO</b> on-campus housing is anywhere close to the engineering buildings. </p>
<p>I’d also have to disagree with your statement that the campus is small and easy to get around. It’s a well-known campus-fact that our school sprawls across a great area and class schedules often have kids bouncing across campus multiple times in a day.</p>
<p>I agree that if you choose to live in the dorms, try to go for a Living Learning Community in your particular college. Or the Connections (for freshmen). My daughter applied for:</p>
<ol>
<li>Sierra Madre–Connections</li>
<li>Muir–Living Learning Community (College of Math and Science) red bricks</li>
<li>Yosemite–Connections</li>
</ol>
<p>I have a friend whose daughter is a freshman in Industrial Engineering and lives in a LLC for the College of Engineers in Santa Lucia (double) red bricks. Her mom told me she now kind of wishes that she was in Cerro Vista. For my own daughter I think she’ll do just fine in the dorms her first year. She can then have the opportunity to experience Poly Canyon as a sophomore and maybe beyond. Even though she doesn’t share a room at home, she did spend almost 2 weeks volunteering in Guatemala a couple summers ago with a group of other kids who all shared small living quarters. She’s also used to numerous sleep-overs. :)</p>
<p>That said, one of my older twin daughters went to CSU Fresno and refused to live in a dorm. Since she paid her own way through college, it was her choice. She and a h.s. friend shared an apt. in a complex basically on campus. It might have been run by the school since they had a big meeting for the kids and parents on campus to sign contracts, go over the rules, etc. The next year she shared a 4 bedroom apt. in the same complex (less money). Furnished like Cerro. Quite spacious, too. A few pools scattered around the complex. Exercise room, etc. It cost her less than the dorms because she didn’t eat a lot. Rent was dirt cheap in Fresno back then, too. And, believe me, she did NOT cook. Still doesn’t and she’s almost 34. :)</p>
<p>Dr Wurm Thanks for the great insights.</p>
<p>I guess I was comparing Cal Poly to other campuses like UCDavis where I went. The campus is so large and does not have the same feel of CP. You really have to have a bike to get around. I have visited the CP campus several times and just feel like you can walk everywhere. Of course it depends on your schedule and how much time you have to get somewhere! I agree that the dorms aren’t close to the new engineering building (the pumpkin colored one), but Cerro isn’t really much farther than North Mountain. </p>
<p>Thanks for the great info. on the social life in Poly Canyon and how you can do the same in Cerro. My son thought the same thing about having a dorm roommate that is hard to live with. In the apartment style, you can go to your own room if you need to.<br>
He is not really feeling the need to have the “typical” dorm experience that a lot of people seem to want. He would be happy with the situation you described.</p>
<p>2Leashes ~ it is amazing how different kids can be and what appeals to one, does not for another. Thanks for sharing!</p>
<p>Myself, I would do better in a place like Cerro Vista. While I like to socialize, I also love my “alone time”. So, for me, a place like that would be a perfect solution. But, I’m kind of glad that my daughter wants to experience the dorms, at least for her freshman year. I can live vicariously through her since I never lived at a residential college. :)</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>momofmv wrote:</p>
<p>2Leashes ~ it is amazing how different kids can be and what appeals to one, does not for another. Thanks for sharing!</p>
<p>My D is about 90% sure she will attend CP, but still not ready to commit and apply for housing. </p>
<p>Anyhow I told her she can wait until after we check things out again in Mid-April (we never actually got to look at the dorms previously), but that she would run the risk of not getting into her first few choices by delaying her decision. Her response to that was she can’t have any favorite choices without first actually seeing them to begin with before our planned trip in April. </p>
<p>Score: Dad 0, Daughter 1</p>
<p>I then countered that with if she waited too long that she might get stuck in a triple. She shot back that would only mean she will have doubled her odds of getting a good roommate if that were to happen.</p>
<p>Final Score: Dad 0, Daughter 2</p>
<p>norcalpadre</p>
<p>Have your D apply now and choose what she thinks she might want. She will have up until August I think to make changes to her choices. Getting your payment in early is really the key to getting priority. My son choose dorms when we applied last Feb, but after we toured in April he changed his choice to Cerro Vista. He ended up in Cerro Vista.</p>