<p>Any advice for post freshman housing? my son wants to move off campus ,we are trying to talk him into staying on campus one more year!</p>
<p>Wow. I am hoping my son will go to Poly Canyon after his frehman year. I hope you are able to keep your son on campus 1 more year! It just seems safer and more convienient. Studies have shown that students do better in school when they live on campus too. That is one reason they built Poly Canyon. Of course, the students can’t drink and have more rules to follow when on campus…that’s why we parents like it!</p>
<p>No idea about where they go after being on campus. I hope some current students or parents can help you with that!</p>
<p>I moved back on campus for senior year (after living in other parts of the city during soph and junior years). My grades definitely improved, average GPA during first three years was 3.3, earned a 3.7 during senior year with a heavier unit load and harder classes. Its not common for 4th and 5th year seniors to live on campus, but I had just completed an internship the prior Summer and was given a full job offer upon graduation. The offer was contingent upon maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA during my final year at Poly. With the crappy economy and shrinking supply of jobs for new grads, I wasn’t going to take any chances and opted to live in Cerro Vista to help stay focused. </p>
<p>Main advantage of living on campus is that you can focus on school and play without hassling with all the extra stuff. Heres a quick list of reasons off the top of my head:</p>
<p>Affordable. Rent is paid quarterly, which comes out to approximately $675 / month. It also includes internet, cable tv, all utilities, and weekly housekeeping of common areas (kitchen, living room, and bathrooms). Each student is only responsible for their share of the rent, unlike an off campus place where you have to concern yourself with roommate(s) not paying their share of the bills, and end up having services cut and possibly evicted. </p>
<p>The apartments are new and modern; Cerro Vista (2004), Poly Canyon (2008). Campus maintenance staff respond to service requests quickly, usually within a day. </p>
<p>Library is only a short 10 minute walk. I stayed later and studied more productively because of this. The gym is also nearby.</p>
<p>Quiet. I like to party as much as the next person, but a little peace and quiet time during the week is always good. Nice to not have random drunks knocking on your door at 2 am asking to use the bathroom, haha. </p>
<p>If you want to drink, make friends who live off campus problem solved.</p>
<p>Fully furnished! No need to buy furniture and try to figure out what to do with it when moving out. I could fit everything I needed in my little beat up Honda Civic: Clothes, computer, small tv, cookware, and several boxes of school/personal items. Moving in and out was a breeze.</p>
<p>Sleep in while everyone else is looking for a parking spot or the catching the bus.</p>
<p>Safety. This is probably more of a concern for those of you with daughters. The area is patrolled regularly by campus police. Their station is also nearby as well.</p>
<p>My son is somewhat typical in his living arrangements form what I see. He lived in the on campus apartments his 2nd year and then aclose by but off campus apartment his 3rd year. He is living on the south side of SLO in a nice residential neighborhood in his 4th year. Here is my opinion of these different living arrangements:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The dorm room was small, my son is no neat freak but his roommate was worse. He was OK with it, I wasn’t that happy.</p></li>
<li><p>The on campus apartment was much better. The room did seem to be made to be “bullet proof”; i.e. lineolium floors, furniture that was functional but not real comfortable, etc. Noise level seemed OK.</p></li>
<li><p>The off campus apartment was in a building of (what seemed like) all students. Noisey in his building and the one next door. Apartment was clean but well worn when he and his roomate moved in. A lot of money. Had a serious water leak in his room the first time it rained and almost drowned his computer (would have if was on the other side of his desk). His surge protector gave him an indication of a problem when he plugged it in and we subsequently found the plug was not properly grounded. He called and they fixed it right away but not a real comfrtable feeling about things at that point. After a year, he definitely wanted out of that place.</p></li>
<li><p>This year in the house is probably the best. Nice quiet place, not many distractions. Great roommates. He has to drive to school, but once there hangs out in the library and studies during his free time between classes.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>So of all place places he lived, I thought the 3rd year off campus apartment was the worst. The house the best followed by the on campus apartment. </p>
<p>My $0.02 worth.</p>
<p>Wow! Thank you so much for the excellent posts!</p>
<p>08alum^ Congrats on the job offer and I am so glad to hear that going back to campus has helped you stay focused. That is what I have heard as well. great points about it making your life easier. You did the right thing and it is paying off!</p>
<p>HPuck35^ again thanks for the great info. It sounds like he is in a great place now. The apartment off campus sounds awful. I am hoping that my son will stay on campus or go somewhere like where your son is now. I think he will stay on campus for at least 2 years and maybe the whole time. We will see…</p>
<p>I am glad that he is choosing the Cerro apartments for his freshman year. It sounds like a great place for him. The best of both worlds! An apartment like place on campus.
Thanks again!</p>
<p>GREAT thread. Your timing is perfect Sunrise Sunset. I just signed a Guaranty Of Lease Agreement for my son who is wants to rent a condo at Cedar Creek with a friend. After reading this thread I am having second thoughts; the negative grade impact - he’s engineering - being the primary concern. Any input on Cedar Creek would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>For the on-campus apartments, the lease is Sept to June. Many of the off-campus apartments have Sept to Aug lease contracts. You might sub-lease your off-campus apartment over the summer, but not sure how successful that is.</p>
<p>Some of my sons friends moved off campus because its easier to drink and party.</p>
<p>thanks all for input…we are hoping he stays on campus for soph year!</p>
<p>great info! I’m now even more glad that we convinced my son to stay at Cerro for his sophomore year. He is going to live with the same roommates and they’ve asked to live across the hall from a group of girls they’ve become friends with.</p>
<p>slodad^ glad your son is staying at Cerro another year. How nice that the same roommates want to be together too. Extra nice to have a group of girls to want to room near! It sounds like Cerro was a very positive place for them. </p>
<p>Why didn’t they want to move to Poly Canyon(if you don’t mind me asking?)</p>
<p>I don’t know why…maybe Cerro is closer? They are requesting an apartment at the bottom of the hill. They are at the top now. I do remember at the beginning of the school year his upper class friends said not to live in Poly Canyon. I’m seeing him tonight…I’ll ask.</p>
<p>They should get the bottom of the hill. The top of the hill for one year is enough! Can’t wait to see where my son ends up! I can understand that cerro is a lot closer than Poly Canyon.</p>
<p>Hi all, I am jumping in on this thread because of an unusual housing situation. We just went to open house with my soon to be freshman son and he loved it. However, he has a medical disability that turns out affect his housing. We spoke with the appropriate disability counselor who was very nice and helpful (everyone there seemed to be!) but her first recommendation for going to college with this set of medical problems was that my son live off campus. My son had been bugging me to let him do this but I had been resistant and was responding to him with the comment that freshmen are supposed to live on campus. However, this was the official recommendation (medical issue is life threatening), based on interviewing my son and hearing how he is presently accommodate, and the disability office will waive any on campus requirements, help with other accommodations, etc. So, in short, if my son is to go to Cal Poly, I need to deal with finding off campus housing ASAP. If anyone is willing, I would love to PM any current parents and/or people who live in or near SLO for advice. Thanks, CC parents!</p>
<p>PS: We are also out of state - does not make it any easier! now I understand more why all my mom friends who have kids with chronic illness thought I was crazy to let my son apply out of state :(.</p>
<p>You might want to consider [Front</a> Porch Townhomes Application](<a href=“http://www.frontporchtownhomes.com/]Front”>http://www.frontporchtownhomes.com/). My son just checked them out and reports that the complex is brand new and beautiful, very close to campus (right across from the Cal Poly Health Center) and the units are well appointed with 5 bedrooms 51/2 baths each with washer/dryers. However, the rent is $660/mth if he shares a bedroom; $900/mth if he doesn’t and the landlord will assign students to the rest of the bedrooms just like the Cal Poly dorms. If you can afford it, this might be the way to go.</p>
<p>Wow…I live in SLO and had never heard of Front Porch…thanks gotpeter! They do sound very nice and also conveniently located. I read on their site that there is an on-site ministry. Is this a Christian community?</p>
<p>According to my son the complex was just completed. Its managed by a nonprofit company called EAH - [Affordable</a> Housing in California and Hawaii - EAH](<a href=“http://www.eah.org/]Affordable”>http://www.eah.org/) - and a cursory examination did not find a religious affiliation. Perhaps its the owners who lean that way. I do know there is an active Christian contingency at Cal Poly because they are always trying to convert my son. He went to Catholic schools so they have no chance. But I digress . . . Maybe there is a connection.</p>
<p>I was just curious because of the on-site ministry. My son is Jewish and he also has been approached to convert…but he is used to that having gone to SLO High.</p>
<p>This is getting more and more interesting. My son took a tour of the place and learned that it is owned by the Santa Barbara Presbyterian Church and the “on-site ministry” is really a minister’s residence. The property manager assured him that any student is welcome regardless of religious persuasion and there will be no effort to promote Christianity or anything else. Okay, then why is this church in the business of building and owning apartment complexes and housing a minister in SLO? Unfortunately, he didn’t ask that.</p>
<p>We are Jewish as well - and additionally, my son professes to be an atheist. He is looking for a secular living situation. The building does look nice on the web site, however, for students for whom this is a good fit culturally.</p>