<p>My S will be a sophomore next year, and he is interested in living off-campus. I would prefer that he live in Poly Canyon Village as a sophomore. I figure he will have his junior and senior years to experience off-campus living. Landlord issues, grocery shopping and distance from the campus are a few of my concerns. He is living in Yosemite this year, and has had a very difficult time with the dining plan. He says the food is simply awful. Is it the same meal plan at PCV? Any other sophomores have input for me?</p>
<p>The meal plan is the same, the same campus dining is used by all. The good news is that PCV does not require students to buy a meal plan, each unit has a full kitchen, meals are up to each student. He can still buy meals on campus if he chooses, or shop in town, Albertsons, Costco etc. and prepare his own meals.</p>
<p>The young woman he is driving with today told me it would be ‘social suicide’ to live in PCV…</p>
<p>My son wanted live off campus his soph year and I remember preferring that he live in PCV. He ended up renting a 5-bedroom house with 4 other students and was fine. His junior year he was with 2 others at the Valencia apartments and was fine there too - it’s a student apartment on the bus line. It was a lot cheaper to live off campus and he felt that PCV was too hard to go back & forth to class from, easier to take the bus. Whatever…</p>
<p>The downside was that the apartments were noisy. The rental houses are generally quieter.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say it’s social suicide to live in pcv, especially if it’s just for sophomore year. I lived in PCV last year, and two of my roommates were sophomores. Both were in sororities and were so social that they were hardly ever there. I also lived in pcv my sophomore year and met some new people in my building while living there. But I guess it kinda depends on what social things you like to do…</p>
<p>“Social suicide” @ PCV? Hardly. I am currently @ PCV for my soph. year and while it IS relatively quiet as compared to the " party central" neighborhoods close to campus, frankly, I’m happy to party off-campus and return to a bit of sanity @ PCV when it’s time to buckle down and study. Having a kitchen and therefore the opportunity to eat some decent food has been a real plus. Can’t imagine anyone signing up for a dining plan if you live in PCV…one year was enough for dining plan my frosh year. Oh, the horror of it all 
For next year, I am renting a house with friends and while I’m really excited to be off campus next year, signing a 12-mo lease and having my parents deal with a notarized co-sign in case anyone skips on rent, unfurnished, must pay utilities, etc. etc. makes PCV look like a piece of cake on the no-hassle scale. Nine-mo. lease, all utilities and internet paid, not responsible if your roommates flake out on rent…ie. it’s REALLY convenient.
Anyway, either on or off-campus is fine. No right answer. Depends on the individual. Seems like about half the people from my dorm moved on to PCV for their soph year, other half went off-campus. For Jr. year, everyone I know will be off-campus though I assume there are a few who will remain @ PCV. Me, our first purchase for the house will be a kiddie pool for the backyard! Hope that helps.</p>
<p>When it was time to discuss sophomore housing our daughter gave us the song and dance routine about how “all her friends are living off campus next year!” Well, we didn’t let that sway us. Since PCV offers a wonderful transition from the freshman to sophomore years AND it couldn’t be in a nicer setting, we told her that this was where she was going to spend her 2nd year at Cal Poly. No room for negotiation. Just as we had told her she couldn’t have her car as a freshman. Again, we stuck to our guns. But then that’s just us. </p>
<p>As for PCV being social, I think it partly depends on where you’re located. Unfortunately, they had a late registering date so didn’t get their first few building choices. And their apt. was kind of isolated from the others in their building which was way in back of the complex. The upside is they were on the first floor not far from the entrance to the street and close to the laundry room. Easy for move-in. Also, a nice view of the hills and within easy walking distance to the covered parking garage and bike racks.
No, I wouldn’t say it was super-social and she didn’t really take part in PCV activities. Fortunately, she had a very social year in the Yosemite dorms and is so glad she had that experience. In the meantime, she learned to grocery shop and do some cooking. And,she experienced living with two, random girls as well as her friend in a perfectly fine apartment in PCV. She spent a lot of time off campus at friends’ houses and at sorority events. And this year she and that same friend and 3 other girls are sharing a 4 bedroom house on E. Foothill Blvd. and it’s worked out great. She is right on the busline so takes the free bus to school and doesn’t have to buy an expensive parking pass on campus. We wouldn’t hesitate having her live in PCV if we had to do it again.</p>