At Cal Poly SLO
Many incoming college students feel lost when they first come to college. This seems to be the case even more so for out of state college students. Moving across the country to complete your college education can be stressful and challenging.
Not only do out of state students have to adjust to their new school just like everyone else, but they also have to adjust to the new place they are living in. The environment around them may be completely different. For example, if a student moves from Minnesota to California, the weather in both of these places is not the same. During winter in Minnesota, the temperature can drop as low as -60 degrees with massive amounts of snow, while California winters never contain snow but only sometimes include wind or rain.
The weather would definitely take time to get used to but California tends to be one of the states with the best weather, so out of state students oftentimes find themselves falling in love with this aspect of California.
Also, being so close to the beach makes California such a desirable place to attend college. California is right along the coast so it is home to many beautiful beaches, whereas states that are gridlocked don’t have this advantage.
I had the opportunity to interview Katelyn Wagner, a first year student, who was able to discuss her experience as an out of state student. Katelyn is an excellent example of a student who has adapted well to the environment at Cal Poly SLO even after moving almost 2,000 miles away from home. She feels that exploring a new place is important in growing as an individual. It also helps you step out of your comfort zone as you meet new people and open up to others who come from different backgrounds and cultures than your own.
About the interviewee:
Name: Katelyn Wagner
Year: Freshman
Major: Environmental Management and Protection
From: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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