September 2025 print edition
This story originally appeared in the September print edition of Mustang News. Check out more from the edition at news stands around campus and San Luis Obispo.
Each back-to-school season, the air stirs with a familiar mix of change and anticipation. Whether it’s reconnecting with friends to compare class schedules or simply feeling those ‘Sunday Scaries’ that last all of September, the start of school can be daunting. As you enter the unknown of being a college student, be sure to use Mustang Media Group as a resource.
Mustang Media Group is Cal Poly’s fully integrated, student-run media organization. Bringing together the teams at KCPR radio, MNTV and Mustang News, our organization provides accurate and timely information about campus and community happenings.
Here is our detailed guide collecting various student resources, orientation highlights and student advice. Use this guide to navigate the unfamiliarities of your college transition.
Academic Resources
At Cal Poly, academic advising is tailored to meet the unique needs of students at different stages in your college journey. Regardless of whether you’re a first-time freshman or a transfer student, there are dedicated resources in place to support your academic success from day one.
The Mustang Success Center is a freshman-only resource to help advise students from any major. For transfers, there are numerous advising centers based on each academic college: CAFES, CAED, CENG, BCSM, CLA and OCOB.
In addition to academic college advising, transfer students can also access Transfer Academic Coaching, a program dedicated to helping transfer students adjust to Cal Poly through one-to-one peer coaching sessions.
INSIDER SCOOP: “Every week I look forward to the chance to hoist the championship belt at Brain Stew Trivia at KROBAR.”
Landon Block, Opinion Editor
Housing
The hunt for future housing begins almost as soon as students step on campus. While Mustang Move-In takes place in mid-September, you should start to secure your leases for the following school year as early as October. Housing in a college town is competitive, so it is essential to explore various options to find the best fit for the following school year.
Rising second-year students in CAED, CAFES, or CENG academic colleges, as well as Cal Poly Scholars, student-athletes and TRIO Achievers, are required to live in on-campus housing based on their major or program. These residences are assigned to on-campus Cerro Vista Apartments or the Poly Canyon Village (PCV) Apartments.
If you aren’t guaranteed housing, prioritize your housing search as early as October. Cal Poly utilizes a platform called EDUrain to guide students towards different off-campus housing options and potential roommates. The university also compiled a list of nearby property managers to help students with the search.
Mustang Village is a popular choice among second-year students due to its proximity to campus and furnished units. The apartment complex offers a wide range of floor plans to meet different needs and sizes of roommate groups. However, spaces for the following year fill up quickly.
INSIDER SCOOP: “Whether you are going to the beach or exploring the neighborhoods of SLO, High Street will make that experience 10 times better.”
Fiona Hastings, KCPR News Director
Food
For first-year students, meal plans are required. These meal plans allow students to purchase food from any of the dining establishments on campus, though other forms of payment are also accepted. You are also able to purchase plans beyond your first year. Most first-years gravitate towards Vista Grande Dining Complex (VG) and 1901 Marketplace, as they are the closest to the freshman dorms, but beyond that, food trucks near the Performing Arts Center (PAC) or Mott Lawn, Scout Coffee and Shake Smart are popular options.
Many students frequent local grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s, Ralphs or Costco with the help of CalFresh, a state food assistance program. CalFresh provides EBT, or Electronic Benefits Transfer cards, which many grocery stores accept. Students can apply to determine how much money they will receive each month. EBT is a great resource for students seeking financial assistance.
Cal Poly also offers The Basic Needs Initiative, which helps students in applying for and learning about various programs and resources, including Cal Poly’s Food Pantry, CalFresh programs, SLO Food Bank and Meal Voucher Program.
The food pantry is another free resource you may access to grab packaged and canned foods, frozen meals, fresh produce and hygienic items by swiping your student ID to get in.
INSIDER SCOOP: “A Linnaea’s recommendation coming from me is a tale as old as time. I can’t get enough of their oat milk rose matcha.”
Archana Pisupati, Editor-In-Chief
Clubs and Community
Finding a sense of community and belonging is crucial for the college experience. Students can browse over 400 student organizations that connect students through shared cultures, interests or hobbies on the Cal Poly Now website.
New students can personally explore all available clubs at the Club Showcase during WOW. The showcase allows students to get connected with clubs they may be interested in before the school year kicks off.
The Student Affairs office offers resources and a “supportive, inclusive, and empowering space,” through Student Diversity and Belonging and the Multicultural Center to meet the needs of those with diverse cultural backgrounds.
Beyond clubs and affinity groups, Cal Poly has on-campus events that can help foster friendships. Another way students can come together is through the Recreation Center, which offers free workout classes, exercise equipment and a lounge and lap pool.
INSIDER SCOOP: “I love sitting studying or hammocking on Avila Beach pier to fully unplug.”
Carly Heltzel, Mustang News News Editor
Health
Living in close quarters, freshmen in the residence halls are prone to sickness. Cal Poly Health Services provides both walk-in and scheduled appointments to serve your medical needs.
Located in Bldg. 27, open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the center offers immunizations, STI testing, sexual and reproductive healthcare, gender affirming care, radiology, pharmacy services and nutritional counseling, among other resources.
All general medical care is free for students as long as they have paid the appropriate mandatory Health Services Fee on the Cal Poly portal.
Along with this, Cal Poly Health Services also offers Counseling and Psychological Services to meet the emotional and mental health needs of students. With the busyness of college, CAPS provides clinical, educational and consultative services. These services include individual therapy to emotional well being workshops and self help videos.
INSIDER SCOOP: “My go-to pick-me-up in SLO is an açaí bowl from The Açaí Project.”
Caroline Ohlandt, Print Editor
Parking
First-year students are not allowed to bring their cars to campus unless they have an approved circumstance.
Transfer students are eligible to bring their cars on campus if they have purchased a parking pass. There are various parking structures on the campus for students to use for the day for $12 daily. There are also parking meters throughout campus that charge by 15 minutes, and can be accessed through the ParkMobile app.
There is an additional option for non-freshmen students to purchase a parking permit for the school year. Depending on the permit type, parking location and duration of the pass, the prices will vary. However, spots are limited and work through a waitlist system.
INSIDER SCOOP: “As a Cal Poly student, I have spent most of my time at Avila Beach soaking in the sun — whether it be at sunrise or sunset.”
Gabrielle Ottaviano, Social Media Manager
yakʔitʸutʸu
Cal Poly resides on the lands of the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash of San Luis Obispo County and region, and the yakʔitʸutʸu dorms on campus have been named in their honor. When entering Cal Poly, it is important to honor the land acknowledgment. Students can connect with the tribe and learn more about its history that spans thousands of years.
One way students can get involved and support the tribe is through the Landback Campaign. This campaign moves the tribe towards reclaiming their land in hopes of creating a lasting impact that protects their land and culture.