Connor
College Tours
Connor is thinking about potential colleges he might be interested in attending when the time comes. It appears he will follow in Jordyn's footsteps and major in Computer Science. He's begun the
process of looking into which schools offer Computer Science and has started ranking the programs. He already has a lot of information on Cal Poly Pomona from Jordyn, but he still wanted to take
another look around to see where his classes might be in relation to the dorms. He also wanted to tour the Cal State Fullerton campus for the same reason. Since we were in L.A. for Thanksgiving and
both Jordyn and Tyler were available, they (and Dad) took Connor on tours of the two campuses. After these campus tours Connor will set his sights on two Oregon schools, the University of Oregon and
Oregon State University.
The first campus we hit was Fullerton. Tyler had some food he had to drop off at his apartment so we went there first. After we checked out his
Christmas decorations we drove over to the parking lot nearest the dorms and walked around. It appears as if Connor were to follow
through with his plans to major in Computer Science most of his classes will be in a building very close to the dorms (right across the road). We also walked to the library and some other buildings
where he would have many of his general education classes. All in all, Connor said he liked the Fullerton campus as it wasn't too big and the terrain was flat (no hills).
Cal State University Fullerton.
After Fullerton we drove up the 57 to Cal Poly Pomona. This is where Jordyn went to college and got her degree in Computer Science. The
campus is a little more spread out and hilly than CSUF, so Jordyn showed Connor some of the nuances of getting around (short cuts and less traveled paths). While at first it might be a challenge to deal
with the hills and the distances, she said it will get easier over time. Chances are Connor will be in better shape as a result. In the end, Connor said he probably preferred CSUF over CPP just based
on the campus layouts, but his decision will ultimately be based on where he gets accepted and what school has the better program.
In front of the Bronco statue. |
Library. |
After the two campus tours and having dinner back at Grandma's and Grandpa's we got tickets to see Wakanda Forever at the Puente Hills Mall.
In our seats.
On Tuesday, February 21st we drove down to San Diego State University to get an idea of what the campus was like. Connor liked it because he didn't feel as if he had to walk too far to get from one place to
another. The dorms were in decent proximity to the classrooms and the buildings he would frequent as a student. He also liked how everything had a very natural or organic feel to it. Some of the other schools
he visited seemed to be locked into a grid pattern where things were very straight and structured. Overall, he got a very good vibe from SDSU.
Mediteranian Garden. |
Computer Science Building. |
After SDSU, we traveled up the coast to visit UC Santa Barbara. Connor signed up for a tour so we had a student guide who showed us all the important features, buildings, and points of interest on campus.
She was also able to answer any questions we had about student life at UCSB. Santa Barbara might be one of the most beautiful college campuses we've ever seen especially since it's right on the beach. Connor
said he really liked the wide open spaces here, and didn't feel as if things were too spread apart. This tour opened his eyes to the differences between CSU's and UC's.
Storke Tower.
Connor's last campus tour was at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Before we headed onto campus we stopped in downtown SLO to have lunch. We opted for the Firestone Grill that came highly recommended and,
surprisingly, where we had lunch 7 years prior when Jordyn toured. We were also very fortunate to have former MVBT YBA President and good
friend Evan Tsukahara give us an insider's tour. He was able to share with Connor where everything is and what he personally thought was really cool. Evan also talked about some of his adventures as a college
student and some of the things that are ahead for Connor if he chooses to take advantage of them.
Firestone Grill for lunch before the tour. |
In the parking lot before meeting Evan. |
Evan and Connor. |
Showing Connor the layout. |