19 Go SLO 2021
MAKE CAMPUS YOUR HOME TIPS FROM UNIVERSITY HOUSING Sponsored by UNIVERSITY HOUSING
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elcome to Cal Poly, new Mustangs! Of the over 20,000 students that attend Cal Poly, around 8,000 live on campus. In fact, more than 5,000 of our residents are new students like you. Which means you’re in good company. Cal Poly is literally a village of college students. And for the next nine months, this campus will be your home! So, take some time to explore your new home when you get here. Meet your neighbors, create a space where you feel comfortable and get involved in your community. Here are a few ways you can make campus feel just like SLOme in September. DECORATE YOUR ROOM Put your personal stamp on your room. Pin photos to your cork board, put plants on the windowsill or hang some posters (we recommend command strips and blue painter’s tape so you don’t leave any marks on the wall). Put up a collage of your family and friends. You already know who your roommates are, so start coordinating with them on larger items in the room (like rugs) that everyone will be using. GO ON A WALKING TOUR OF CAMPUS On campus for the first time? There are lots of spots you can explore. Here’s a quick list of some of our favorite places: • Say hi to the horses at the Grand Avenue entrance of campus. • Find all nine of the boulders that dot the pathways in yak?ityutyu. They represent the Nine Sisters, a chain of mountains that stretch from San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay. • Take a selfie with the statue of Albert Einstein, near the Baker Center. • Catch an Insta-worthy sunset from the top level of a parking structure. • Buy a succulent from the Cal Poly Plant Shop. Then, explore the walking trails around the Arboretum.
MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS!
MEET THE FACULTY-IN-RESIDENCE
Use the white board outside your room to share a few details about yourself and invite folks to knock on your door and say hi! There are tons of spaces in your community for you to gather together with new friends. Take over your common room and host a movie night using SpectrumU — an online streaming service like Netflix that’s available to all residents. Do yoga with friends on the community lawn. Or use the community kitchen to make and share a meal from home.
Did you know that three faculty members live in student communities? Dr. Joni Roberts, from the College of Science and Mathematics, lives in Cerro Vista Apartments; Dr. Nishi Rajakaruna, from the College of Science and Mathematics, lives in yak?ityutyu; and Dr. Padma Maitland, from the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, lives in Poly Canyon Village. They help residents connect their home life to their academic life. Keep an eye out for events — like tea nights and movie screenings — planned by faculty-in-residence.
TAKE A HIKE Lace up your hiking boots and hit the road with a few friends. Cal Poly has tons of hiking trails right in your backyard. Take the trail behind the Red Bricks up to the Poly P. Or explore Poly Canyon. (You’ll spot the trailheads along the walking path to Poly Canyon Village.)
GET INVOLVED Inter Housing Council (IHC) is a great way to meet friends and get involved where you live. This organization helps put on large, weekend events for residents. IHC also helps students advocate for changes in their community and creates leadership positions in the community. Ask your Resident Advisor about how to get involved when you move on campus.
Meet your neighbors, create a space where you feel comfortable and get involved in your community.
