Jacob Durante, ’16, (third from right, in black sunglasses) sits in Alex G. Spanos Stadium during a Cal Poly soccer game. Durante said he attended most of the home games.
Freshman Jacob Durante, ‘16, attends California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. His major is electrical engineering.
Q: Why did you choose Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo?
A: I chose Cal Poly because I love the hands-on learning. I’ve had two labs (each) quarter, and I have already had classes in my major and gotten experience working with equipment that would commonly be found in a lab for electrical engineering.
I also love the area. The weather is really nice, and I can go to the beach and relax and hang out with friends. We go to Avila (Beach) or Pismo (Beach). I normally go to Avila.
Q: What classes are you taking?
A: Right now I’m taking Physics 2, Linear Analysis, Intro to Computer Science, and Basic Circuit Analysis.
Q: What is your favorite class and your least favorite class?
A: My favorite class was IME (Industrial and Manufacturing) 156, which I took last quarter. It is basic electronic manufacturing. I got to learn (how) to solder and actually design a printed circuit board.
My least favorite class was chem. I didn’t have that great of a professor, and I just don’t like chem overall.
Q: How big are your classes?
A: The class size varies. I’ve had small classes with 24 people in them and big lectures with 100-plus people.
Q: Do you live in a dorm?
A: I live in the engineering dorm, so I am surrounded by people that have the same major or are taking the same classes, so we can study together.
Not all the dorms are divided by major. There are also the towers, which aren’t divided by major.
Being in the engineering dorm is nice. I’m surrounded by people that have similar schedules and classes as me.
Q: Do you have any roommates? How do you like them?
A: I have two. We live in a smallish room, so it is cramped.
We get along, but we don’t hang out much. We kind (of) do our own thing. They are both messy while I try to be neat, so that gets annoying. Our schedules don’t match up, so I don’t see them that much.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: This quarter I started working in campus dining to get some money. I just help serve the food and make sandwiches.
When I am not working, studying or going to class, I like to hang out with friends. I’ll hang out with Brad Petchauer (‘16) and the other people I’m going to be living with next year. We are getting an on-campus apartment.
Q: Do you go off campus often?
A: (I’ll) go off campus occasionally. I have my car with me, so it makes it easier to go off campus. You can take the bus, but I found that I had to plan all of my trips around the bus schedule. With my car, if I need to go to the store to get something, I can. I also go to the beach with friends occasionally.
Q: What do you think about the student body?
A: Overall the student body is nice. I haven’t interacted with a huge number because I am mostly around engineers, though.
Q: Is college what you expected?
A: College is great. It’s a lot of work, but it is also fun. It is nice to be around so many new people.
Q: What do you miss about home?
A: I miss eating good food at home and spending time with my family. Campus food is terrible, and I don’t really have a kitchen where I can cook my own.
Q: Any advice for the class of 2018?
A: You don’t have to be best friends with your roommates. But you have to live with them, so you need to at least try to get along.
—By Emma Boersma
