Hey all. After visiting the campus multiple times (even though it’s 4 hours away), I enjoyed the vibe and education of SLO enough to know that I’ll like my time there, but know that in a way I won’t LOVE it. Coming from a huge city (South Bay / SoCal), seeing how small the college town is definitely sparks some worries. I feel like eventually, I’m going to run out of things to do before I just start repeating stuff. For lack of better words, I don’t want to fall into a routine of exploring or going to the same coffee shop or restaurant over the course of 4 years. Not being able to have my car freshman year either impacts my decision too, although I know I can reach out to upper class men or rent a ZipCar at most. I know Pismo Beach and Morro Bay etc are less than 20 minutes away, but they’re still a decent drive, and seem like small towns too. I loved the city vibe and vast variety of things to do at UCI, but really prefer the education and career opportunities at SLO (MechE major). What do you guys think? Do any seniors have any thoughts about ever getting tired of Cal Poly’s campus and the surroundings? I just don’t want to end up regretting Cal Poly and lose a semester if I transfer to UCI.
I would not be overly concerned with becoming bored at cal poly with your major. My D is a freshman arch. and she has barely any free time (I believe eng. is equally demanding). It is also easy to travel home on weekends if you want a change of pace: CP Rideshare Facebook has many ride offers N or S every weekend (even weekdays) for $10-$20 each way. First quarter my D came home using Rideshare every couple weeks (now she is too busy).
As @1andonly said, boredom isn’t much of an option for a ME. If you want to do well, you’ll be putting in quite a few hours on school work, some quarters, an unbelievable amount of time. With that said, there are lots of nature things, including surfing and hiking that don’t get repetitive feeling, IF you’re into those things. Intramurals is also an option, again, IF you’re into sports. My son is a ME. He’s also made several trips south to SB and LA. He went to the X games and has seen concerts down there. I don’t think you’ll find it boring. With that said, selling Cal Poly is not my goal. You should go where you feel you fit the best. Fit includes non-academic interests too. Good luck!
^ You’ll find that you will always have something to do. Clubs, sports, academics, etc will take up time.