Hello down there!

Frosty-J · 02-25-05, 10:50 PM

How's it going? I know you guys are being heavily rained upon but that sure beats having to shovel snow in -13C temperatures

.

Well, I'm a prospective Cal Poly-er. So if you're interested, here's a bit about me...

- I live in Mississauga, Canada (Suburb of Toronto)
- I'm a senior in high school
- I'm a straight-A student (4.0 on a 4pt scale)
- I hate the cold (that's why I wanna relocate to Sunny California

)
- I applied to both CPP and SLO, but will probably stick with CPP since the earliest SLO can take me is for winter '06
- I plan to major in Urban and Regional Planning and minor in Real Estate (if that's possible)
- I have family in West Covina, so if I'm admitted then I'd likely be staying with them

I have registered to take the ELM/EPT in March so I'm looking forward to flying down there for March Break. Speaking of which, how does one prepare themself for these tests?

Also, I'm actually kinda worried right now 'cause I'm not sure if CPP received my transcripts on time (Canada Post sux

). I sent them on Feb.2 but when I checked BroncoDirect it said it was still missing.

Anyways, if there's anything else you'd like to know about me feel free to ask.

Keng · 02-25-05, 11:55 PM

Southern California can't be better.

SuperMegStar · 02-25-05, 11:58 PM

I got my degree in Urban and Regional Planning. I LOVED the program. What attracted you to that field? Not many know of the program while they are in high school, I am impressed!

PLEASE let me know if you have any URP specific questions! I am still around the CPP campus for my Masters, so I am happy to help!

GOOD LUCK WITH THOSE TESTS! Dont stress, they arent worth it.

Frosty-J · 02-26-05, 08:46 AM

Hmm...why wouldn't Southern California be better? It's got the beaches, better amusement park, great shopping, great food, palm trees, bigger city (LA), larger Filipino community (I'm half Filipino), vibrant atmosphere, WARMER CLIMATE!!! It's my "third home" and I've enjoyed it there every time I've visited.

This is great! Finally someone I can talk to who's also interested in URP. You're right, not many people even know of the program, much less be interested in taking it. It's encouraging to hear that you loved the program. My interest in URP actually began with my fascination with cities. Everywhere I've travelled I'd be the odd one in my family to be captured by the urban surroundings, staring at the skyline, trying to get the "feel" for the city. I love cities and I want to take part in their development as either a city planner, or a private real estate developer. Actually, I would never have even considered CPP if it weren't for my visit there last summer. I was with my cousin as she was surfing the web for universities, and she showed the list of Cal States and told me to check them out and see if I'm interested. So of course, I speculated that it'd be too expensive, but then she showed me the cost for international students and it was still less than if I were to attend the University of Waterloo (which I've already been accepted too). So I browsed only the two universities that were close to my cousin's place, Fullerton and CPP. That's when I found out CPP had an URP program and that I may have the option to minor in Real Estate. I thought that this was a sign from God. The ideal university was just in front me. It had the program I wanted, the only one in all of LA, with an option to minor in Real Estate, which would help me in pursuing my career goal to become a real estate developer...they're "learning by doing" philosophy was attractive, their campus is FAR nicer than any university I've seen in the Greater Toronto Area, their tuition is affordable, they have a co-op option where I can gain valuable work experience (and get paid

), greater chance for future job prospects in LA area. All around it seemed like the 'perfect' opportunity (oh, and they serve sushi and have a DDR machine...lol).

Some things I'm curious about...does the URP program require a lot of ecological and environmental study? Because the Waterloo one requires a lot of that and it seems like they'd be training us to become professional tree huggers, not so much development planners. Also, based on your experience with the program, how much of it do you think relates to Real estate development? Also, what are the courses, teachers, classrooms, classmates like? How much time do you actually spend in class? What are schedules like? What is the General Education Requirement, and does that mean that we don't learn anything field related in the first year? Do they take field trips to other cities? Are there any other Canadians at CPP? In the URP program?

Okay, so I've bombarded you with some of my questions...looking forward to hearing the responses.

***Admin*** · 02-26-05, 02:24 PM

First off, welcome to the Cal Poly forums Frosty-J!
If you're a 4.0 GPA student, you should really not worry about the ELM/EPT exams. They are quite easy. Check out FAQ page for more info.

I never knew about the Urban and Regional Planning here at Cal Poly.

It is listed under the College of Environmental Design. Ah very cool.

Talon · 02-26-05, 10:23 PM

Hi Frosty-J,

Welcome to the fourm. I'm not a URP major, but here is a site that might be quite helpful. This site lists the classes and units that are required to graduate from CPP for each major. Here is the website: http://www.csupomona.edu/%7Eacademic/sheets/. Also, here is the degree requirement evaluation sheet for URP:http://www.csupomona.edu/%7Eacademic...06040%2004.pdf.

SuperMegStar · 02-27-05, 10:51 PM

Sounds like you are getting into URP for the right reasons! I too wanted to be a developer when I started. I was not necessarily interested in tree hugging. Yes, there is a lot of that in the program, but currently there are at least two professors who come from developer backgrounds (and they are two of my favorite ones) so I think you will be fine. Oh, and one is from Waterloo area, so you might want to chat with him. LEt me know if you want his contact info. Or just check out www.csupomona.edu/~urp, and look for the faculty page...

I too love going to new places and analyzing how they work. Never thought I could major and get a degree in this idea until I couldnt make it as an architect (high school GPA too low, grrr). Turned out to be the biggest blessing ever. Like you said, sign from God. I cannot think of a URP class I had that did not require field work, aka field trips! Especially as a newcomer to LA, I think you will really enjoy getting an educated perspective on this amzingly diverse and unique region. We spent a lot of time in Downtown LA, Orange County (around Disneyland), and Pasadena (Rose Parade area).

Whats great is if you wanted to stay in So Cal or even just get an internship here, chances are your boss would be a CPP graduate.

We have a really active club that can help you connect to these opportunities!

I am really excited for you! URPers are a special breed of people, so it is always exciting meeting someone so passionate about the environment around them. For all of you who have not heard of the treasure called URP, take a walk or shuttle ride up to Bldg 7 and take a look around! PRetty interesting stuff! Who knows, your very own neighborhood could be a URP case study!

Talk to you soon!

**zoedragon** · 03-01-05, 08:00 AM

Hey welcome! It'll be awesome to have someone come to L.A. because they love big cities. We need more people who love the city instead of constantly complaining about it.

I actually have heard of the URP major, but only because I worked in the Alumni Affairs office while I was a student and was exposed to all the majors available, present and past. Anyway, I don't know much about it, but I can understand all the environmental classes. Especially in environmentally conscious states like California, city planners need to do environmental impact studies all the time to make sure their projects won't be causing any harm to nature. They also need to make sure that the ground and surroundings they build on is structurally sound, and how they might be impacted by earthquakes, floods and mudslides. As much as we'd like the city to be a self-contained unit, the fact remains that everything we build affects the environment, and those structures may in turn be affected by the environment.

An interesting little story I heard recently... in Long Beach there's a big bridge (I think it crosses the bay). They decided to string up some lights to make it pretty at night. A few environmental studies later they found out that it was negatively impacting the migratory pattern of some birds in that area. They tried switching to blue lights instead and that fixed the problem. I found it fascinating that something as simple as decorative lighting on a bridge could impact the environment in some way.

Frosty-J · 03-02-05, 08:08 PM

Yeah, I found it interesting that the department head is from the University of Waterloo. Maybe if he found out that I'd received early acceptance from Waterloo, he could put in a good word for me at CPP

).

BTW...So what happened to your wanting to become a real estate developer? Are you still going for it? Would you recommend a minor in real estate if I wanted to be a real estate developer, or is a major in URP sufficient?

OH...and also...I found out that CPP has a co-op program. Is anyone here involved in it? If so, how does it work? What's the difference between co-op and an internship?

Anyways, if I'm accepted, I'm excited to hear that there is a lot of field trips in and around metro LA. I like the idea of taking outdoor field trips without having to wear a winter jacket. I also wonder if trips are taken outside of LA, i.e. SD, SF, LV, Tijuana, etc.).

That story about lights and the migration patterns of the birds reminded me of a story up here (I'm pretty sure this happens almost anywhere else). Compared to years ago, TO's nighttime skyline is dim because skyscrapers have to turn off most of their lights. The migrating birds have the tendency to head "towards the light", so many of them ended up smashing into the skyscrapers and the result is sidewalks filled with dead birds. I thought I'd just share this.

Well, it's nice to hear from you guys and I'm glad to know there are people rooting for me on the other end.

BTW...If you're at CPP on March 16 or 19, then watch out - you never know who you might bump into

SuperMegStar · 03-14-05, 08:09 PM

I heard you were on campus today... is that true? My friends work in the Visitor Center, and said there was a URP major from Canada... I only know one

How'd it go? Did you like it here?

Frosty-J · 03-15-05, 10:11 AM

Yes...I did go to the campus yesterday and I did drop by the visitor centre. My visit went well. The campus is much nicer than the ones in the GTA. It was the only campus I've visited thus far where I was able to wear shorts and a t-shirt. I love Southern California

. I'm pretty sure this is where I wanna be, but I guess that's all up to the admissions office now.

02-25-05, 10:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
Frosty-J Newcomer Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Metro TO, Canada Posts: 4	Hello down there! How's it going? I know you guys are being heavily rained upon but that sure beats having to shovel snow in -13C temperatures . Well, I'm a prospective Cal Poly-er. So if you're interested, here's a bit about me... - I live in Mississauga, Canada (Suburb of Toronto) - I'm a senior in high school - I'm a straight-A student (4.0 on a 4pt scale) - I hate the cold (that's why I wanna relocate to Sunny California ) - I applied to both CPP and SLO, but will probably stick with CPP since the earliest SLO can take me is for winter '06 - I plan to major in Urban and Regional Planning and minor in Real Estate (if that's possible) - I have family in West Covina, so if I'm admitted then I'd likely be staying with them I have registered to take the ELM/EPT in March so I'm looking forward to flying down there for March Break. Speaking of which, how does one prepare themself for these tests? Also, I'm actually kinda worried right now 'cause I'm not sure if CPP received my transcripts on time (Canada Post sux ). I sent them on Feb.2 but when I checked BroncoDirect it said it was still missing. Anyways, if there's anything else you'd like to know about me feel free to ask.

03-01-05, 08:00 AM	#8 (permalink)
zoedragon Fire-breather Joined: Mar 2004 Location: Inglewood, CA Posts: 668	Hey welcome! It'll be awesome to have someone come to L.A. because they love big cities. We need more people who love the city instead of constantly complaining about it. I actually have heard of the URP major, but only because I worked in the Alumni Affairs office while I was a student and was exposed to all the majors available, present and past. Anyway, I don't know much about it, but I can understand all the environmental classes. Especially in environmentally conscious states like California, city planners need to do environmental impact studies all the time to make sure their projects won't be causing any harm to nature. They also need to make sure that the ground and surroundings they build on is structurally sound, and how they might be impacted by earthquakes, floods and mudslides. As much as we'd like the city to be a self-contained unit, the fact remains that everything we build affects the environment, and those structures may in turn be affected by the environment. An interesting little story I heard recently... in Long Beach there's a big bridge (I think it crosses the bay). They decided to string up some lights to make it pretty at night. A few environmental studies later they found out that it was negatively impacting the migratory pattern of some birds in that area. They tried switching to blue lights instead and that fixed the problem. I found it fascinating that something as simple as decorative lighting on a bridge could impact the environment in some way. __________________ - Affordable website design found here -

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

02-25-05, 11:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
Keng Guru Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 595	Southern California can't be better.

02-25-05, 11:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
SuperMegStar Active Member Joined: Dec 2004 Posts: 130	I got my degree in Urban and Regional Planning. I LOVED the program. What attracted you to that field? Not many know of the program while they are in high school, I am impressed! PLEASE let me know if you have any URP specific questions! I am still around the CPP campus for my Masters, so I am happy to help! GOOD LUCK WITH THOSE TESTS! Dont stress, they arent worth it.

02-26-05, 08:46 AM	#4 (permalink)
Frosty-J Newcomer Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Metro TO, Canada Posts: 4	Hmm...why wouldn't Southern California be better? It's got the beaches, better amusement park, great shopping, great food, palm trees, bigger city (LA), larger Filipino community (I'm half Filipino), vibrant atmosphere, WARMER CLIMATE!!! It's my "third home" and I've enjoyed it there every time I've visited. This is great! Finally someone I can talk to who's also interested in URP. You're right, not many people even know of the program, much less be interested in taking it. It's encouraging to hear that you loved the program. My interest in URP actually began with my fascination with cities. Everywhere I've travelled I'd be the odd one in my family to be captured by the urban surroundings, staring at the skyline, trying to get the "feel" for the city. I love cities and I want to take part in their development as either a city planner, or a private real estate developer. Actually, I would never have even considered CPP if it weren't for my visit there last summer. I was with my cousin as she was surfing the web for universities, and she showed the list of Cal States and told me to check them out and see if I'm interested. So of course, I speculated that it'd be too expensive, but then she showed me the cost for international students and it was still less than if I were to attend the University of Waterloo (which I've already been accepted too). So I browsed only the two universities that were close to my cousin's place, Fullerton and CPP. That's when I found out CPP had an URP program and that I may have the option to minor in Real Estate. I thought that this was a sign from God. The ideal university was just in front me. It had the program I wanted, the only one in all of LA, with an option to minor in Real Estate, which would help me in pursuing my career goal to become a real estate developer...they're "learning by doing" philosophy was attractive, their campus is FAR nicer than any university I've seen in the Greater Toronto Area, their tuition is affordable, they have a co-op option where I can gain valuable work experience (and get paid ), greater chance for future job prospects in LA area. All around it seemed like the 'perfect' opportunity (oh, and they serve sushi and have a DDR machine...lol). Some things I'm curious about...does the URP program require a lot of ecological and environmental study? Because the Waterloo one requires a lot of that and it seems like they'd be training us to become professional tree huggers, not so much development planners. Also, based on your experience with the program, how much of it do you think relates to Real estate development? Also, what are the courses, teachers, classrooms, classmates like? How much time do you actually spend in class? What are schedules like? What is the General Education Requirement, and does that mean that we don't learn anything field related in the first year? Do they take field trips to other cities? Are there any other Canadians at CPP? In the URP program? Okay, so I've bombarded you with some of my questions...looking forward to hearing the responses.

02-26-05, 02:24 PM	#5 (permalink)
*Admin* Think About It Joined: Sep 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 4,945	First off, welcome to the Cal Poly forums Frosty-J! If you're a 4.0 GPA student, you should really not worry about the ELM/EPT exams. They are quite easy. Check out FAQ page for more info. I never knew about the Urban and Regional Planning here at Cal Poly. It is listed under the College of Environmental Design. Ah very cool.

02-26-05, 10:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
Talon Enthusiast Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 184	Hi Frosty-J, Welcome to the fourm. I'm not a URP major, but here is a site that might be quite helpful. This site lists the classes and units that are required to graduate from CPP for each major. Here is the website: http://www.csupomona.edu/%7Eacademic/sheets/. Also, here is the degree requirement evaluation sheet for URP:http://www.csupomona.edu/%7Eacademic...06040%2004.pdf.

02-27-05, 10:51 PM	#7 (permalink)
SuperMegStar Active Member Joined: Dec 2004 Posts: 130	Sounds like you are getting into URP for the right reasons! I too wanted to be a developer when I started. I was not necessarily interested in tree hugging. Yes, there is a lot of that in the program, but currently there are at least two professors who come from developer backgrounds (and they are two of my favorite ones) so I think you will be fine. Oh, and one is from Waterloo area, so you might want to chat with him. LEt me know if you want his contact info. Or just check out www.csupomona.edu/~urp, and look for the faculty page... I too love going to new places and analyzing how they work. Never thought I could major and get a degree in this idea until I couldnt make it as an architect (high school GPA too low, grrr). Turned out to be the biggest blessing ever. Like you said, sign from God. I cannot think of a URP class I had that did not require field work, aka field trips! Especially as a newcomer to LA, I think you will really enjoy getting an educated perspective on this amzingly diverse and unique region. We spent a lot of time in Downtown LA, Orange County (around Disneyland), and Pasadena (Rose Parade area). Whats great is if you wanted to stay in So Cal or even just get an internship here, chances are your boss would be a CPP graduate. We have a really active club that can help you connect to these opportunities! I am really excited for you! URPers are a special breed of people, so it is always exciting meeting someone so passionate about the environment around them. For all of you who have not heard of the treasure called URP, take a walk or shuttle ride up to Bldg 7 and take a look around! PRetty interesting stuff! Who knows, your very own neighborhood could be a URP case study! Talk to you soon!

03-02-05, 08:08 PM	#9 (permalink)
Frosty-J Newcomer Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Metro TO, Canada Posts: 4	Yeah, I found it interesting that the department head is from the University of Waterloo. Maybe if he found out that I'd received early acceptance from Waterloo, he could put in a good word for me at CPP ). BTW...So what happened to your wanting to become a real estate developer? Are you still going for it? Would you recommend a minor in real estate if I wanted to be a real estate developer, or is a major in URP sufficient? OH...and also...I found out that CPP has a co-op program. Is anyone here involved in it? If so, how does it work? What's the difference between co-op and an internship? Anyways, if I'm accepted, I'm excited to hear that there is a lot of field trips in and around metro LA. I like the idea of taking outdoor field trips without having to wear a winter jacket. I also wonder if trips are taken outside of LA, i.e. SD, SF, LV, Tijuana, etc.). That story about lights and the migration patterns of the birds reminded me of a story up here (I'm pretty sure this happens almost anywhere else). Compared to years ago, TO's nighttime skyline is dim because skyscrapers have to turn off most of their lights. The migrating birds have the tendency to head "towards the light", so many of them ended up smashing into the skyscrapers and the result is sidewalks filled with dead birds. I thought I'd just share this. Well, it's nice to hear from you guys and I'm glad to know there are people rooting for me on the other end. BTW...If you're at CPP on March 16 or 19, then watch out - you never know who you might bump into

03-14-05, 08:09 PM	#10 (permalink)
SuperMegStar Active Member Joined: Dec 2004 Posts: 130	I heard you were on campus today... is that true? My friends work in the Visitor Center, and said there was a URP major from Canada... I only know one How'd it go? Did you like it here?

03-15-05, 10:11 AM	#11 (permalink)
Frosty-J Newcomer Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Metro TO, Canada Posts: 4	Yes...I did go to the campus yesterday and I did drop by the visitor centre. My visit went well. The campus is much nicer than the ones in the GTA. It was the only campus I've visited thus far where I was able to wear shorts and a t-shirt. I love Southern California . I'm pretty sure this is where I wanna be, but I guess that's all up to the admissions office now.