THINGS I HATE ABOUT CAL POLY SLO

Every school has their drawbacks, here are some of the worst things about Cal Poly SLO in my opinion. Overall, I loved my experience there and wouldn't have chosen any other school to go to; message me or comment if you have any questions!:)
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[@Jason_Lucero]

I am a freshman here, there is no diversity here lol, I'm asian btw

[@EricaZetterquist]

Yes, a lot of people seem to disagree in the comments but I don’t think they are actually people who attend cal poly. I don’t know why everyone was so mad about me saying that, it’s pretty well known of campus :/

[@greg.murphy]

It's in the news, too. They must not be paying attention.

[@kayurrutia7656]

I agree no diversity!

[@alaluke7159]

Very helpful. We are looking at schools. What you said was great! Keep this video and I don't know why people give it thumbs down. They probably didn't like what they heard, but you told it like it is!

[@EricaZetterquist]

Thanks I’m glad you found it helpful!!:)

[@austinbeckd]

If you are an in-state student studying engineering or architecture, Cal Poly SLO is a bang for your buck. A better bang for your buck will probably be Cal Poly Pomona.

[@eggroll4528]

How so, specifically? I've heard cal poly slo is good for hands on doing, but what hands on learning do engineers do (electrical engineering specifically)? I know im really late, but I'm considering going to slo this fall

[@andygonzalez7655]

⁠@@eggroll4528 I’m also transferring for electrical engineering and I’m deciding between UCLA and SLO. Which school did you end up choosing?

[@roydummy4378]

One little thing to add would be the high school kids in this town. I know they're young but they relentlessly prank and annoy us. They tp college houses, throw water balloons at students, snitch on parties, not to mention they sneak into parties and steal beer. They act like a rival gang and constantly target cal poly students. They don't cause too much damage or harm, they just get annoying and they don't know when to stop.

[@kman7681]

For anyone wondering about the no mall situation, yeah there is no "real mall" in so but downtown kinda acts like one. There are a ton of cute little shops, but also a lot of the stores you would expect to see in the mall are located there. I honestly prefer it that way. It makes downtown feel like it's in a bigger city IMO.

[@EricaZetterquist]

yes i agree, they have added a lot more mainstream stores than my first year and definately I prefer shopping at unique/ small businesses. Coming from a large city it was just something I had never really thought of before!

[@greg.murphy]

The Promenade used to be a mall. They hoped that Embassy Suites would work like an anchor store. It didn't, so they had to close the mall and convert it to what's there today.

[@EricaZetterquist]

@@greg.murphy yes i heard about that! very interesting but it also helps keep the town quaint and unique!:)

[@joehowarth8149]

Why is having a mall a priority?

[@greg.murphy]

That reminds me, Mission Mall is downtown. It's about as much of a mall as a strip mall is.

[@timyamasaki8261]

It was the same way over thirty years ago. Later on I recall how the diversity there was horrible. I came from Orange County so there was really no change. But I live in LA County now and along with the changing times, I embrace diversity. I now work at JPL which I am happy to say has more diversity than any place else I worked (much more). I only went to one football game, and it was like a high school game. Cal Poly did make it to March Madness for the first time a few years ago. I think it was because they won their divisional tournament. I went to many of the women's volleyball games when I lived in the dorms. They were a decent Division I team beating schools like UCLA and USC. They did have a problem beating U of Hawaii. When I was there dorms were less than $500/quarter, a meal plan was less than $500/quarter, tuition was less than $300/quarter, parking was less than $200/quarter, and books and supplies were less than $300/quarter. I assume that Cal Poly SLO is still a dry campus including the dorms. We didn't really adhere to that policy.

[@helenfong6921]

Very helpful. Thank you so much. My daughter just got accepted to Cal Poly SLO as a Freshman, and we are considering this school. We like their business program (which is what my daughter has selected as her major) and the learn-by-doing model. My only concern is the diversity. We live in a diverse neighborhood in the Bay Area and I am not sure how the lack of diversity would impact my daughter.

[@POKHOHONGKONG]

My daughter got accepted to Cal Poly SLO and we are from the Bay Area too. We have the same concern.

[@judediaz3430]

Same here! I’m from the Bay Area and just got accepted as a transfer student. Im a Hispanic woman and part of the LGBTQ+ community so I’m a bit concerned when I hear about the lack of diversity. I’m so used to living an open and free life with my wife here in our city (about 40min from San Francisco). I truly hope no one gives us any problems.

[@glorialiu7536]

Did your daughter end up going to Cal Poly SLO? We are in the same situation this year and have the same concern.

[@skylarludlow3191]

I currently go to Cal State San Marcos, but I am considering a move to Cal Poly SLO for graduate school next year, so I definitely appreciate your video! Do you happen to know how tight campus restrictions are at the moment? I know campus tours are closed, but I was considering visiting the campus and just walking around to associate with the area, but I am not sure how tight campus restrictions are when it comes to being on the grounds.

[@EricaZetterquist]

I walked around campus the other day when I was visiting my Sister who goes there! Didn’t look like you could really get into any building but you can freely walk around campus and check out the downtown!:)

[@cyrusbell919]

I'm an undergrad student in community college right now and was considering this school to transfer to but this video told me everything I needed to know, Thanks for the insight

[@EricaZetterquist]

I’m glad it was helpful, hopefully things will change and the school will become more diverse and accepting!

[@swimmer6958]

I was a transfer to Cal Poly and am a BIPOC. This school has A LOT of growing to do but I still enjoyed my time as a student there.

[@EricaZetterquist]

@@swimmer6958 I'm glad you were able to enjoy your experience but YES its got a lot of growing left to do!!

[@joehowarth8149]

It’s weird if you choose to miss out on the Cal Poly experience because of this video. Go check it out yourself

[@NeverLostRoamer]

Good job good effort, I graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in the early 2000s so it was interesting for me to hear about life at SLO, thanks for posting.

[@gropemygoat1282]

You mentioned that bicyclists are targeted by police yeah? Is this them enforcing helmet laws or something because I'm not planning on having a car to avoid parking but I also don't want a pile of bike tickets 😭

[@EricaZetterquist]

Traffic laws! I never road my bike on the street but when I would at home I was never too familiar with all the rules bikers have to follow but the police there look out for it! Changing lanes, turns, stuff like that!

[@jungtaekim8016]

hey, thank you for sharing! I love your story! btw, I'm an international student going to college, and Cal Poly SLO is one of the universities that I want to transfer to. Do you think that I can get used to studying at Cal Poly as an international student?

[@EricaZetterquist]

Yes, I actually had a roommate who was an international student. I am not super familiar with the process of applying as an international student or what requirements they have. :/

[@hhernando808]

Thanks for the informative video! My daughter has been accepted to the Civil Engineering program for the fall.

[@EricaZetterquist]

Congrats! Engineering programs at Cal Poly are some of the most competitive programs! If she ends up going to Cal Poly, I'm sure she will learn a lot and have an amazing experience :)

[@zompus]

Interesting to hear your list of worst things about Cal Poly. I graduated from Cal Poly 20 years ago and the things you mention are the same as what we talked about back then: expensive/hard to get housing, expensive/hard to find parking, lack of diversity, hills, limited food options, overzealous ticketing. I had a high school math teacher who went to Cal Poly 20 years before me, and is black, and he told me that when he was at Cal Poly people would literally rub his arm to see if his blackness was painted on.

[@EricaZetterquist]

So horrible to hear the experience your teacher had :( and sad to hear these issues were known and talked about years ago but still no big changes have happened :(

[@caladam6735]

nice one erika, i'm a 14 year old from whitehorse canada but i really enjoyed the video.

[@EricaZetterquist]

Thanks:)

[@chamomilecat]

this was funny

[@caladam6735]

@@chamomilecat i’m 15 now isn’t that crazy

[@chamomilecat]

@@caladam6735 woop woop proud of you

[@Geckogeckos]

I'm about to start my 4th year at Cal Poly. The most recent racial incident that happened on campus was someone entered an apartment window and put a racial note in someone's room! The housing system for on-campus changes every year and is really problematic/unorganized. The parking in SLO is crazy in general...don't get me started on the on-campus food. I worked at The Avenue for a bit. There was plastic wrap melted in the beans at Tu Taco once. It's also insanely expensive :(

[@EricaZetterquist]

i hadn't heard about the last incident yet :( so sad and I hope Cal Poly is responding better this time

[@bananaomi]

thank u sm for this!! i'm also from san jose and i applied to transfer there :)

[@EricaZetterquist]

Glad it helped you, hope you get in!!:)

[@Fraughtful]

Yup lots of passive racism. Source: Am Mexican. Nobody is overtly racist, but it's real and its there.

[@hectoralamo7575]

I live in templeton and there’s a lot of racism towards Hispanics and or blacks. It Sucks being 10% of the Mexicans there. If you don’t live in nice houses then they make fun of you, I live in shitty apartments. A lot white students told me to tell my family to go back to fields and go back to Mexico. I hate templeton so much. I wish I could move to paso or another county.

[@Jason_Lucero]

@@hectoralamo7575 really?! I live nearby, I did not know that!

[@alfokenny211]

Which meal plan did you get your freshman year?

[@EricaZetterquist]

They have changed the meal plan multiple times since I was a freshman, it was just a plan everyone had to get their freshman year (it used “plus dollars” and all spots on campus were places you could use plus dollars to buy things with- basically worked like a debit card)

[@sebas7243]

My brother went there for his full time, no racism, no nothing, fully creative, there was lots of diversity. People love showing their culture during the graduation, personally, I’m to young to figure out how taxes work. Based on what I saw, 9/10, the on campus dorm are cramped. There is a chick-fil-a nearby, but also the chocolate muffin I had my first day there with my older brother was so good! 🤤 There is also a cool food area of Starbucks and stuff! Overall very good school based on brothers experience over all of his quarters before his graduation. (How many quarters are there?) so yes amazing school, 9.5/10! 🥰

[@EricaZetterquist]

Yes overall I loved Cal Poly but I do think there are some areas they can work on with diversity and inclusion!

[@YollowBoys]

For freshmen move in is it possible to move in all my stuff by myself?

[@YollowBoys]

Also will I get a ticket if I skateboard on campus?

[@EricaZetterquist]

I’m pretty sure skate boarding isn’t allowed on campus, I would double check but yeah If it’s not allowed you’ll definitely get a ticket. Might take a lot of trips to and from your car to move in and they make you park pretty far away. I’m sure there would be people to lend a hand if you were moving in yourself tho!

[@jocolli]

The lack of diversity is most likely because of what Cal Poly is about, and if you travel 30 min north or south, either direction the diversity is sparse. It’s an extremely expensive place to live, and most families have been here for generations! Cal Poly is one of the best schools for AG business, and College Rodeo.

[@EricaZetterquist]

yes, i think that plays a part in it! the areas around San Luis Obispo are not nearly as diverse as the rest of CA.

[@CatherineHomer]

The older I get the more I hate the hills! Yes I went there to! Your points are well put!

[@EricaZetterquist]

thank you !

[@lmaoluke]

which colleges tend to have the most diversity in sexual orientations? (sdsu, the ucs?)

[@EricaZetterquist]

hmm honestly I'm not sure! I would guess ones in more liberal cities/ places have more diversity in sexual orientation (CSULB, UCLA, UCSC, Berkeley, SFSU, etc.)

[@lmaoluke]

@@EricaZetterquist ahh thank you! sdsu has been my top school for the longest time, but csulb and ucla are also appealing just because they're in such good/populous areas. ty for the input :p

[@ollie_naka8139]

UCSD Is absolutely awesome with diverse sexual orientations/gender expressions etc. I've lived in SD my whole life and my friends and I would always go to the Che Cafe on the UCSD campus. It's basically a student-run mini club with local bands and everyone there is super diverse and really chill. It's a great place to meet like people. Besides that, all of San Diego is really chill and accepting so it's a great place to live overall.

[@pumitriii6160]

1:04 what??

[@user-vj9qz3br6l]

As a minority student who is used to seeing other minorities most of the time, Cal Poly was actually a breath of fresh air to see so many white people for a change.

[@strykeplaysmcjohnpickhypix1205]

How’s the outdoors nature activities in SLO/Cal Poly

[@EricaZetterquist]

The amount of outdoor activities are one of the largest benefits of going to Cal Poly!! It owns thousands of acres, some behind the actually campus that you can hike and camp on. San Luis Obispo is 10-15 mins from tons of beautiful beaches. If you like outdoorsy activities I would say Cal Poly would be the best college to attend in California if you want that!

[@ddll23]

Wasn't much better when I went from 2009 to 2014

[@EricaZetterquist]

Did you enjoy cal poly overall?

[@symbioticmango]

I graduated in 2017. back then retention for both students and faculty of color were abysmal. doesn't seem to be improving

[@EricaZetterquist]

Unfortunately I don’t think it’s improved much :(

[@Caleb_Mandrake872]

Most Students of Color cannot keep up with the academic rigor that Call Poly demands. Cal Poly shouldn't have to lower their standards. That's what makes Cal Poly stand out from the rest.

[@Caleb_Mandrake872]

0:37 - There are tons of People of Color all over Cal Poly. Indians, Asians, Hispanics, Blacks, & mixed-race are everywhere on campus. What type of people do you hang out with that you don't see People of Color?

[@dq6600]

Cal poly is the worst part of slo

[@SelmaCasagranda]

What was your major?

[@EricaZetterquist]

Construction Management!

[@ricardocamacho2698]

@@EricaZetterquist How was it. I’m going into Cal poly for construction management as well. Any tips ?

[@EricaZetterquist]

@@ricardocamacho2698 I have a video talking about the major but i loved it and have a good job now- the program sets you up for success!

[@marlo8635]

What do you mean the whitest

[@jesssimmons4528]

The one nice thing about Cal Poly is the diversity of thought. Speakers like Lauren Southern and MIlo Yiannopoulos came to campus. It was so refreshing to hear from conservative speakers and such a change for the racist left.

[@sameehasiraj2558]

..?

[@CatherineHomer]

The team has sucked for years!

[@marlo8635]

Who’s kid is this

[@teeduck]

Should of went to Cal if you wanted diversity

[@rickyandrews8409]

I want to like to say that you are very pretty and beautiful girl 😆

[@EricaZetterquist]

Thank you :)

[@rickyandrews8409]

@@EricaZetterquist your welcome

[@erickcastellanos6814]

SHUT UP, there's no diversity.... bruh.. i think ill take it off my list

[@tacochub4353]

Virtue signalling... who gives a crap about the diversity lol. If they earn their spot, they would attend

[@monimoni7938]

I’m a cal poly grad lived in mustang village also. She needs to stop complaining

[@oafootnotes]

yeah no shit...she's a privileged brat...Karen in the making

[@Tornado91204]

This video is very helpful to people who do not all think the same or look the same and want to know the pros and cons. Diversity of ideas, people, food, life, etc is important to quality of life and so I value the info.