Business administration freshman Erin Powers moved to campus because she wanted to “close the door” on her childhood and high school, she said.
“I felt like I could not do that at home because I was in the same environment I was in when I was growing up,” Powers said. “I was lucky enough that Cal Poly was letting us on campus and I saw that opportunity and decided to take it.”
Powers said being on campus for the whole year has given her a space to have her own life and her own sanctuary to do her own work.
“It gives me a sense of being an adult and not being stuck at home in my childhood room,” Powers said. “I have had to force myself to grow up, especially with COVID-19 and being accountable for being safe.”
Powers said she likes that Cal Poly put in the effort to stay open during COVID-19 because it has allowed her to “keep her life going” while still being safe.
“It is a positive to have some sense of normalcy while still being made aware that I do not have COVID-19 twice a week,” Powers said.
Architecture freshman Sam Schaefer said he’s glad he hasn’t had roommates all year since he is living in the South Mountain Residence Halls.
“I am in a triple and it is a really small room and I can not imagine having three people living in this room,” Schaefer said. “It is kind of nice having this space to myself to study and it is just more calm compared to three people.”
Schaefer said he is looking forward to in-person classes in the fall because he has not explored campus very much, despite living on campus the whole year.
“I am an architecture major and I do not know where the architecture building is,” Schaefer said. “I feel like that says something since I am on campus.”
Environmental management and protection freshman Alex Siecke said living through all of the quarters on campus the whole year has helped her to understand to not set her expectations too high.
“I know a lot of people who came on campus this quarter already have really high expectations of what Cal Poly is like,” Siecke said. “I feel like I understand what it means to live on campus here.”
Siecke said Cal Poly’s COVID-19 testing requirements are hard because students have to get tested exactly every three days now as opposed to fall quarter which was twice a week.
“It is difficult to get there every three days because stuff happens and things come up during the day,” Siecke said.
Wine and viticulture freshman Camilla Mcfall said she has not regretted being on campus anytime during the year.
“Cal Poly is my dream school and it has lived up to all of my expectations,” Mcfall said. “I think you just have to remind yourself that this is just a limited experience we are having and that things will work out for the best.”