<p>Is there a parent-event for Admitted Students Day where they can see the actual departments and hear what the instructors have to say, similar to what the students would be experiencing? I know the actual Open House/Poly Royal is open for the public. I was there in 1988 with my older girls.</p>
<p>My daughter regretfully won’t be able to attend Open House weekend because of a choir/jazz trip down to San Diego. It only happens every other year and it’s a big deal for the kids. Sea World, etc. So, even though she’s disappointed about Open House, I know this Heritage Festival competition means a lot to her and she’s anticipated it for a year.</p>
<p>So, any of you current or new CPSLO parents—what do you think about me showing up without my kid? Naturally, I want HER to be there, but this sounds like the next-best-thing. It might be fun to meet other parents and an opportunity to see her department “in action”.</p>
<p>That is not true. It proves that her daughter is committed to her singing group and wants to attend her special program. It also proves that she is wanting to find out more about CP to help her daughter. She doesn’t want to miss out on the good information and excitement. I would feel the same way and I think it would be fine to go as a parent. Of course that is only if her daughter wants her to go!</p>
<p>Excuse me? My daughter indeed DOES want to attend Cal Poly. She’s all signed up. As momofmv said, she has had a school choir committment long before she even applied to schools. She’s very devoted to her extra-curricular activity—vocal music. And, since it’s a school competition, she doesn’t feel comfortable letting her group down…similar to a member of a sports team. Not to mention, this is a fun event she’s looked forward to all year!</p>
<p>I had discussed this with momofmv through email and we just both thought it might be fun to meet since she’ll be there with her son. So, I merely wanted to ask if other parents have ever considered attending without their child. I know there is a Parent Coffeehouse while the kids have their Friday Nite Invite. Sure, I would love it if she and her friend were attending this! In an ideal world the Heritage Festival in San Diego would reschedule their event so my daughter could attend Open House at Cal Poly. ;)</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**Zungra wrote:</p>
<p>I think this proves you want your daughter to go to Cal Poly more than she does. **</p>
<p>I would go if my son couldn’t. The open house is planned for students, families as well as the general public (at specific times.) S has a school commitment one day that weekend, too. Thankfully, the schedule will allow him to do both.</p>
<p>Looks like we all agree that you should come on down and join the fun!<br>
I hope to see you at the parents thing on Friday night! We will have to come up with a way to meet. Will you come on Friday for the admitted students day. That seems to be the most important. My son and I are excited about the schedule for that day for his depart. he will get to meet current students, tour the labs and see projects and have a luncheon with time for Q&A. Then on Friday night there will be the students social stuff and a time for parents to talk and meet too. We can’t wait!</p>
<p>We are oos and the weekend will be expensive ($1600 for two). In your opinion is the event “not to be missed” or “nice event to attend, but not necessary” or “not worth that kind of money”? Thanks for any help you can offer as someone who’s been twice.</p>
<p>csfmap: I’d say the most valuable part of the weekend is on Friday when the large groups break up into individual department gatherings and you get to hear from the professors and students in you child’s major. It was really nice to see and hear from the adults that would be teaching the classes in my son’s major and to listen to their philosophies about how and why they do things the way they do. It was really nice to be able to participate in the Q&A session with these professors and some students in the major.</p>
<p>I’d say that the event is “not to be missed” if your child is still deciding wether or not to attend Cal Poly. If however, your child has already decided to attend, then I would say it is “a nice event to attend, but not necessary.”</p>
<p>ralph4 said: I’d say that the event is “not to be missed” if your child is still deciding wether or not to attend Cal Poly. If however, your child has already decided to attend, then I would say it is “a nice event to attend, but not necessary.”
This is why my daughter isn't too disappointed that she can't attend the Open House weekend. She already knows she'll be going to Cal Poly. Our visit last week pretty much confirmed that. I just thought it might be nice for ***me ***to go and get a better feel for the campus and students. But also just to meet some parents. I enjoy these kinds of events more than my daughter *and *my husband. ;)</p>
<p>Yesterday I was at the park and had the chance to sit and talk with a Cal Poly freshman. She and my daughter used to play basketball on the school team. She was very helpful. When I mentioned not being able to attend Open House, she told me that for *her* it ***wasn't ***something she felt was "not to be missed". Instead, she said that SOAR was the most important. Also, she knew from the moment she stepped on the campus that this is where she wanted to go. So she applied ED and got in.</p>
<p>But, I might just go anyway. :)</p>
<p>So, ralph4, you’re saying that parents *do *come along to these individual department tours and Q&A sessions? It’s not just about the students? I wouldn’t want to stand out like a sore thumb! :)</p>
<p>**ralph 4 said:</p>
<p>I’d say the most valuable part of the weekend is on Friday when the large groups break up into individual department gatherings and you get to hear from the professors and students in you child’s major. It was really nice to see and hear from the adults that would be teaching the classes in my son’s major and to listen to their philosophies about how and why they do things the way they do. It was really nice to be able to participate in the Q&A session with these professors and some students in the major.**</p>
<p>Yes. From my experiences (MatE and CSC) parents and students went to the Department gatherings. At MatE, everyone was together for the departmental presentations and lunch, then we broke up into two groups for the Q&A sessions – future students did Q&A with older current students in the department, and parents did Q&A with the professors.</p>
<p>For Comp Sci, the parents and students attended together for the entire afternoon session. Both were helpful and informative, but MatE is a much smaller department, and I enjoyed our time with that department the most.</p>
<p>Hi ralph4! My son and I are so excited about the MatE departmental stuff! Your post makes it sound so great! I like how they divide the students and parents for different types of Q&A. So far the MatE department has been really welcoming. </p>
<p>How hard do you think the “hands on” part is for MatE? What does your son really like about MatE? Is he going to specialize in any one area next year? Thanks!</p>
<p>I hope you and your son like Open House weekend as much as we did.</p>
<p>“How hard do you think the “hands on” part is for MatE?” </p>
<p>I think the MatE projects are time consuming, more than “hard”. They require working in groups, delegating, brainstorming, designing, planning experiments, cost projection, budgeting, documenting, building, testing, working with community organizations, presentations, etc. all on a timeline–kind of like being on an engineering project in the real world. My son says that one of his freshman MATE classes (1 credit) took more time than all the rest of his other classes put together (and he was taking calc, phys, chem, and Speech, I think).</p>
<p>“What does your son really like about MatE?”</p>
<p>He likes the material he is learning and he likes the people and the profs. By now my son knows pretty much all the MatE students in his year since they take so many classes together and do so many projects. They are his friends. My son also really likes the IME classes he has gotten to take. He likes working in the machine shop and has taken 2 extra IME classes (mold casting and materials removal) and hopes to take welding. If he were to major in something different it would be IME, but he’s still happy he’s in MatE.</p>
<p>“Is he going to specialize in any one area next year?” </p>
<p>I don’t know. He’s currently taking his first 500 level MatE course – Materials Analysis. I guess that counts as an upper level MatE Technical Elective. Hopefully by the end of the Spring quarter, he will know what he will do for a senior project. I think he gets to pick his project (with professor approval of course) and then choose more upper level MatE electives that may go along with whatever he is doing for Sr. project.</p>
<p>You are always such a great help! Your son sounds like a great kid and he is doing well. I am hoping that my son likes the program like your son. The work and the friendship part sounds great! I think IME sounds really interesting too. Hopefully your son will get to do something from both fields. </p>
<p>Thank you for describing the MatE projects. I think my son will do well and really enjoy it. He is a hard working student and he will like the different aspects of the projects. I think your explanation of the MatE program has really helped us to see what he will be doing.</p>
<p>Thanks again and I will let you know how Open House goes. Keep me posted on your son’s progress if you would like to. I’d love to hear what a senior project is like.</p>
<p>I think it looks like a “mixer” for the kids. they get to eat, play games in the bowling alley and get to know some other students. looks like a social event and lots of fun!</p>
<p>the Parent’s coffee looks like the same.</p>
<p>Hopefully we will hear from some of the veteran parents…</p>
<p>Thanks momofmv. I just added Friday night to our hotel reservation so we will be staying Thursday and Friday night. I am hoping my son meets some other kids to hang out with because his idea of fun is not spending 3 entire days with his mama!</p>
Naturally, I want HER to be there, but this sounds like the next-best-thing. It might be fun to meet other parents and an opportunity to see her department “in action”.</p>