How bad is CSUB

[momshere]

I am going to attend cal state bakersfield this fall and im wondering how bad could it actually be? because all im able to find on the internet is negative stuff so what do you guys think?

thanks

[NCalRent]

Why have you committed to attend a school for which you have such misgivings? That’s rarely a recipe for success.

Bakersfield is an ag and oil town that get HOT in the summer and can be gloomy with fog in the winter. It is one of the lowest cost places to live in CA. It ain’t Santa Barbara but, there are worst places to be.

Cal State Bakersfield is far from the worst school in the country… you should check it out for yourself before coming to a conclusion.

[momshere]

Dont get me wrong I am going into the semester with high spirits its just the negativity and toxicity of the people that talk badly about csub as for the hot weather I am an international student that lived most his life in the middle east so thats not a problem for me.

[aunt_bea]

You’ve posted this question several times and I’ve already answered it in your other post:

My brother lives in Bakersfield. It is exactly what the name describes. It is in the San Joaquin Valley/fields and it does get toasty. It can get extremely hot,and can get cold (low 20’s) within a day. It is not near beaches nor the ocean. Think small rivers. Remember, California is a HUGE state.

The people are very friendly and it is like a “small” town; you are living in a midsized farming community. The air pollution can be horrible on some days because of the oil derricks and the pesticides used on the crops. Most of the homes have air conditioning. Housing is less expensive than most other areas of California because the area is an irrigated,flat, high desert. (The grocery stores do have excellent produce).

The area is very conservative in their politics. There are a lot of “cowboy” farmers. It has a large Spanish population given the people who harvest the crops; there appear to be more radio stations in Spanish than English.

To get there, you are either driving north from LA, driving south from San Francisco, or driving west from Las Vegas. It’s a place where people stop to refill gas tanks and get quick bites to eat. Some people stay in Bakersfield on the way up to the Sierra Mountains (Sequoia/Yosemite) a full days’ drive, or to get to northern California (Sacramento, San Jose, etc.). The highway into Bakersfield is the 99 which intersects with the 5. There are a number of farm highways that meet in Bakersfield.

So if you are from the Middle East, you can expect similar weather conditions and desert/farmland.

The CSU campus has around 9000 students, both full and part time. In comparison to the larger CSU’s like SDSU (33K students) and CSULB (37K students), it is considered a medium-sized college. Once you figure out the grid of the town, it’s not too hard to get lost, unless you accidentally get on a farm highway going to the Mojave Desert or similar.

People are not trying to be negative about Bakersfield; it’s just not a “tourist” type of town.

Keep up with your posts by reading the responses.

[momshere]

Thanks for the detailed and helpful answer I appreciate it.

[simba9]

I wouldn’t worry about the school itself.

The city of Bakersfield has a reputation as a not very exiting town, but it’s not a horrible place. It’s like a lot of other cities in the US. Its problem may have something to do with it being fairly close to more glamorous cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, so Bakersfield looks pretty dull in comparison.

[calmom17]

The campus built brand new dorms just a few years ago. There is a shopping center within walking distance of the dorms that has a grocery store, Starbucks,Baja Fresh ,Tahoe Joes,Edwards multiplex theatre and various other shops and restaurants. If you want to live off campus,rents will be significantly cheaper than most CSUs

[calmom17]

It is about 2 hrs drive to the beach or to winter skiing. 1 1/2 hrs to LA. Kern River rafting is about 45 minute drive. The cowboy or hick stereotype is just that. Yes agriculture is big and the there is a large population of Latino farmworkers as a result,but the city itself is nearly 400,000 pop so it isn’t a small town…Although it has the feel of a small town…which is a good thing. Air pollution is an issue on some days,but continues to slowly improve.It is not caused by the oil industry,rather it is due to geographical location in a valley surrounded by mountains to the south.Pollution from northern CA and the well traveled highways 99 and 5… those emissions settle and get trapped .

[aunt_bea]

The cowboy or hick stereotype is just that.

OP: My comment about the “cowboys” or anything else in Bakersfield wasn’t meant to be derogatory and shouldn’t have been taken in that manner. (Buck Owens Crystal Palace wouldn’t have survived in other parts of California).
These are hardworking men and women that put in a hard days work. Much like my brother.
I also mentioned that it is “LIKE” a small town which is a good thing.

As a non-resident of Bakersfield, the views I stated were coming in as a visitor, and I didn’t think it could be perceived in a negative view. I like visiting because it is different from the rest of SoCal.

CAVEAT: I don’t think it’s that easy to get to the beach. Maybe a river beach?

[calmom17]

Didn’t mean to sound defensiveness…just clarifying. Since we don’t have to deal with LA -like traffic, lots of people take the drive on weekends to beaches in Ventura or Avila Beach/SLO. Lake Ming and Buena Vista Lake r within 25 minute drive for boating/water sports. The Kern River runs through town but due to heavy rains this year,the upper Kern is pretty dangerous,many drowning…so no swimming there.