Housing application are opening soon so I was wondering what are the dorms like on campus? What are the people like in the dorm? Amenities in the dorms? Set up?
This is a post from @Dankiel in another thread (Cal Poly Regular Decision Thread 2016-2017 #235):
- Another common rumor is that first year housing sucks. This is slightly true, but not if you play your cards right. There are 4 different dorm buildings offered to Freshman: Towers (the "social dorms") Redbricks (the "academic" dorms"), North Mountain (motel style larger dorms for Engineers) and Cerro Vista (the apartments.) Each have their downsides, but if you choose the one that is right for you, you should have a pretty good experience. I'll give you a quick lowdown on each dorms' pros and cons, and then I'll let you decide which one you think is best for you: First, THE TOWERS are the "social dorms" because each floor is coed and not major specific which thus leads to a louder and more exciting environment. The towers overall (unless you are in tower 1 or tower 0) are relatively further from important areas of campus than the other dorms are. Also, they are ugly as ****. Vile 1970's brutalist architecture makes them look like prison cells. The towers have rooms with 2 people as well as 3, yet the size of the room does not change and thus a 2 person is much more preferable. These rooms can comfortably fit 2 people, but fitting 3 is a bit of a stretch. Next, THE REDBRICKS are known as academic because each dorm delegated for one of the 6 colleges here at Poly. Also, each floor is either male or female in order to prevent loud nights of tomfoolery as much as possible. The Redbricks are the closest dorms to the main campus and the parking lot is right behind them. It is also easy to find study groups since people are usually in very similar majors. However, for what the RB have in convenience, they lack heavily in quality. The rooms in these dorms are definitely the smallest. While a double in the towers would be relatively comfortable for 2 people to live in, a double in the red bricks would be pretty cramped. Thus, a triple in the Redbricks is by far the worst housing available. It is dangerously crammed and essentially a cesspool for diseases. Next, NORTH MOUNTAIN are dorms that are specifically for Engineers, but many non-engineers live there as well. These dorms are motel style so they have no hallways which reduces noise but also social activity. These rooms are ALL triples, but the room size is huge. Imagine the size of a living room of a generously sized house except 2 bunkbeds (one with a desk underneath) taking up some of the space. Definitely very livable. Also, each of these buildings has a well-maintained lawn out in front that you can play a variety of games in. Plus many bbq pits. North Mountain are the 2nd closest dorms to the center of campus. Definitely a good bet, but if you do not like being surrounded by engineers, or really do not want to live in a triple, or want to have a hallway, not the best option. And finally, CERRO VISTA. The apartments. Where I currently live. Objectively speaking, Cerro are the best dorms. They are BY FAR the newest, they have personal heating (and some units are rumored to have air conditioning, both of which is not offered in any other freshman dorm), it's right next to the parking lot,close to all of the hiking trials, it has the best views you get on campus without hiking, and are by far the most private dorms. Cerro has two different set ups: a 6 person apartment with 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, 3 bedrooms, and a study. And a 4 person apartment with 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and 4 bedrooms. The 6 person apt is the least expensive housing option on campus, and has many more perks than the more expensive ones (like guaranteeing only living in a double, having a kitchen and living room, a study room, and only sharing a bathroom with 3 people) while the 4 person apt (while being the most expensive option on campus) allows you to bring all of your electronics and clothes up to Cal Poly since you can lock everything up and prevent any of your stuff from being stolen. Plus you get the ultimate privacy. This is a must have for anyone who is going to be in a relationship here at Cal Poly. Also, it's harder for RA's to get jurisdiction to search your apartment than your dorm room. The only downsides to Cerro are that it is the furthest from campus (other than a select few group of Towers that are almost at the entrance of campus), and the lack of hallways makes the environment less social. If I had to rank the housing experiences personally, this is how I would rank them 1. 4 person apt Cerro... 2. Double in towers.... 3. 6 person apt Cerro... 4. North mountain.... 5. Double in Redbricks.... 6. Triple in Towers... 7. Triple in Redbricks. DO NOT BE CAUGHT IN A TRIPLE IN THE REDBRICKS. Best value, go for a 6 person apt in Cerro. If you are VERY social and don't care about personal space THAT much, go for a double in the towers, and if you are anything else, get a single apartment in Cerro. A single apt in Cerro is actually an amazing quality of living for ANY college's standards. Pretty much the best place to live as a freshman in any college to be honest.
Not the original poster but thanks AMCDad that was incredibly helpful