<p>EricTickles: I applaud you for keeping up with this thread and taking in all this advice. I can tell that you are now leaning towards Cal Poly. It will be worth it. Go to the Open House next week and feel the vibe. If you go to Cal Poly you will not regret it. Remember, go for the paid internships in summer and use that money to cover expenses. If it is challenging to get out of Cal Poly in 4 years there is a reason. It is a very rigorous program that will train you to be an excellent CS engineer. Think about that one. Do you want to get out in 4 years at all costs. Or do you want to be among the best educated professionals in your field? If you want to get out in 4 years you can do it. Vballmom gave you the formula. Go for it!!</p>
<p>@OsakaDad: I thank you very much for the complement haha. I do like a challenge. I’ll be sure to check it out next week. The internships would definitely help and being an excellent CS engineer from Cal Poly sounds riveting. I have a very tough decision coming at the end of this month.</p>
<p>vballmom, you’re lucky that your son found a cheap apartment (or just the fact that he’s willing to live in one. 
He must not eat much, either! I commend him for stretching his budget.</p>
<p>We’re finding that it’s going to cost more for our daughter to live OFF campus next year (as a junior.) Unfortunately, the house she and 4 friends found is going to cost $750 per bedroom plus utilities. A big reason they chose this particular place is because one of the girls is currently living in a house next door rented from the same landlord/property manager 1.9 miles from campus. So, this gal already knows the landlord and vice versa.That one wouldn’t accommodate the 5 of them next year. But, he had the 4 bedroom house in front available The girls were a bit concerned that if they didn’t take it, there might be too much competition trying to rent another house (but, possibly cheaper). So, they decided to go with this one. </p>
<p>In the meantime, after April 1st when students have to state their intentions to their landlords for next year, I’ve been seeing houses posted on Craigslist, albeit not necessarily less expensive (although some are). But, the amenities might be nicer, ie; a washer/dryer on the premises vs. just hook-ups. More of a yard and in a “pretty” neighborhood around the same distance from school. Oh, and they insist on having a HOUSE vs. an apartment. They particularly don’t want to live in those large complexes that cater to students (and a party atmosphere.) Mine enjoys a party, no doubt about it—just not 24/7. </p>
<p>Anyway, it looks like between the tuition costs going up and paying 12 months worth of housing, it’s going to be about $3,000 more for her next year. (if it were 9 months it would work out to be closer to what we’re paying for PCV now.) Unfortunately, most leases are for a full year. </p>
<p>So, I’ve already advised her to look for a LESS expensive place for her senior year. And, we usually over-estimate the costs on our budget, so I know certain things like books won’t cost as much. Unfortunately, my husband insists on sending a nice chunk for food and miscellaneous which I would NOT if it were left up to me. Arrrrghhh. I would take the cheap apt. approach in a minute!</p>
<p>vballmom had posted:</p>
<p>Something else to consider is that the Cal Poly cost of attendance is based on living on campus, which is very expensive. If you live off campus and don’t spend a lot on food, you can shave your costs by $4000-$5000 per year. The first year it’s required to live on campus, but after that you can live in a cheap apartment nearby.</p>
<p>My son is a third-year CPE student. He spends around $500/month for rent and $1200 per quarter for food, books, utilities and other misc expenses. Cal Poly’s budget for all of that is $15,500, so my son is spending at least $6000/year less than the budget.</p>
<p>2Leashes my son is in one of those student apartment complexes, sharing a 3-bedroom with 2 other guys. He likes the convenience but says it can be noisy at times. He’d prefer to live in a house next year. Last year he was in a (somewhat rundown) 5-bedroom house on the other side of the downtown area that wasn’t very expensive. </p>
<p>And you’re correct, he doesn’t eat much. He has a generous budget for food, too, but can’t really be bothered to cook. I think he eats most of his lunches on campus.</p>
<p>I’m thinking it might be easier with boys re; where they live. :-/ Just like with clothes, girls seem to be pickier and need more of them. Sigh. I actually like that they prefer a house vs a noisy apt. complex. But, again, that usually comes at a price. I think their senior they would like to live closer to downtown and I know many of those houses down there are older and maybe less expensive. I would hope they can find a happy medium—an older home, but in good repair (and not a fire trap). And, hopefully for a lower rent.</p>
<p>My daughter doesn’t cook at home, but since being in PCV she really has learned to throw together some decent meals. She buys most of her food at Trader Joe’s. And, she’s now a vegetarian, so I’m not sure exactly what she’s eating. She doesn’t eat a lot on campus, although I know she’ll grab a sandwich or salad now and then. I told my husband (after checking her bank acct.) that a good portion of her “food budget” money goes toward "miscellaneous, ie; clothes, concert tickets, eating out, gas, etc. Well, next year some of that will need to go toward her share of the utilities.</p>
<p>vballmom wrote:</p>
<p>2Leashes my son is in one of those student apartment complexes, sharing a 3-bedroom with 2 other guys. He likes the convenience but says it can be noisy at times. He’d prefer to live in a house next year. Last year he was in a (somewhat rundown) 5-bedroom house on the other side of the downtown area that wasn’t very expensive. </p>
<p>And you’re correct, he doesn’t eat much. He has a generous budget for food, too, but can’t really be bothered to cook. I think he eats most of his lunches on campus.</p>