Letter 6: ...Cal Poly at Sea is one of the most wonderful and unique experiences you could ever hope for. For instance, who goes to school on a ship floating around in the middle of the ocean? Who gets to do homework while tanning on the equator with all your friends/ classmates/ fellow adventurers? Who gets to see a whole different southern hemisphere sky and all the stars and constellations with no obstructions? And not only that, but have your astronomy professor himself point everything out and help you learn it right there!...We got to experience the trade winds we just learned about in class, learn about the waves we saw when we went outside, have quizzes on the stars we looked at every night, and so much more. It was so much fun to see land for the first time in a while, or a huge pod of dolphins dancing by...With so many experiences to offer, going on this trip is just asking for an amazing life-changing adventure...

Letter 7: ...The trip in itself is absolutely one of a kind. If you're looking for adventure and an experience very few people in the world get to obtain . . . this is the trip for you...The best was at Brisbane where we actually drove to Fraser Island 3 hours away and met a native Aborigine who took us around the island for a day out of his own generosity...

Letter 8: ...Some of the most fun times of my life have been spent on this cruise while in port. There were moments in these countries where we would all stop and ask ourselves if we were really here and this was all actually happening to us - it all seemed too good to be true the majority of the time...The trip pushes you as a person, and I feel like I have never grown so much in my life while having an amazing time. GO ON CRUISE . . . NO ONE REGRETS IT!!!!...

Letter 9: ...If you are considering applying for and going to sea with the CMA through the Cal Poly at Sea program, I have 2 words for you . . . DO IT!...Now that I know what I have missed in SLO and what I have experienced at sea, I have absolutely no regrets. I have realized that nothing at school could even possibly compare to this experience. Cal Poly, clubs and all, will be there when I return and I am so glad I did not miss this chance because I was afraid to leave my comfort zone.....

Letter 10: ...If you end up going I can promise you two things: you won't regret it, and it will change your life forever...

Letter 11: ...How many times in your life do you get to visit places that only a few people live on like Palmyra, or get mooned by Australians at the Sydney Opera House? This trip will be the most amazing and memorable experience of your life...

Letter 12: ...There is no other experience like it in the world . . . literally. The word "amazing" describes pretty much any aspect of the quarter you spend on the open sea, in foreign countries, and with new faces...

Letter 13: ...The TSGB cruise experience is definitely one you will never forget. If you have the smallest inclination to go, do it!...I wouldn't say there are bad things on the ship, there are just some things you will have to get used to...

Letter 14: ...more fun to be had than anyone should have in a college quarter. In other words, just go, you won't regret it at all...

Letter 15: ...seeing a clear sky full of stars with the Milky Way in full view, getting splashed by high swells over the bow, getting soaked in a sudden squall, being rocked to sleep by the motions of the boat, and seeing bioluminescence in the waters late at night are moments that I most likely will never experience again...This trip is the highlight of my college experience so far, so I hope that you choose to be adventurous and not worry about missing a couple of units and take this fabulous opportunity...

Letter 16: ...Be prepared for an experience that will change your life...I don't know what it is, but the combination of traveling, living, eating, studying, and experiencing new cultures with the same people seems to bring them together in a very special way. There are times when I cannot imagine my life back in San Luis Obispo without these people in it, the same people I met for the first time in my life two months ago...This is not an experience you will discover again in your life, so have a blast!...

Letter 17: ...My advice is to go out on a limb and do this even if you are worried about staying on a class schedule, being away from normal life, or anything else...

Letter 18: ...Port time felt like a crazy spring break I never had half the time, and then the other half where I was able to go off and explore, get to know the culture and feel a sense for what I wanted to take away...This trip will change the rest of your life, and you won't want to give it up for anything in the world. Enjoy!...

Letter 19: ...I trolled lures across the entire Pacific, literally...We caught tons of fish including a couple of 50+ lb. wahoo. Booya!...There is so much to do on this ship. I would participate in this program even if we did not get to stop in the ports which, by the way, were AMAZING!...Go on the Golden Bear, it will change your life...

Letter 20: ...The cruise on the TS Golden Bear is an amazing experience, and one that you will never forget...I was going to go on this trip because my best friend was and I thought it would be fun to go together...but when the class list came out she decided not to go because nothing counted for her...now that I went alone, I am so happy that we did not come together because almost everyone comes alone and you meet so many awesome people on your own...

Letter 21: ...Just do it! This is a once in a lifetime experience that no one should pass up. You get to see a vast part of the world, you make scores of new friends, you create lifelong memories, and you have the time of your life...The food is great most nights and good on the others. They fix a wide variety of dishes. The desert is to die for...If you live in lower berthing you form a very close knit group of friends that you will spend a lot of your time with. You form a lower berthing gang...

Letter 22: ...I remember at one of my Cal Poly at Sea meetings someone said that you will be traveling the world with hundreds of your best friends. You truly are. Everybody gets really close and has an amazing time...don't think twice about it, just do it. I guarantee it will be unlike any other experience you will have for the rest of your life...

Letter 23: ...As far as I know, every person on my cruise agreed that nothing about his or her choice to participate in Cal Poly at Sea was regrettable...We had a lot of fun in nightclubs, but just make sure to experience everything you can before you waste too much time in one. Often a large group of cadets would all go to the same bar and CMA and Cal Poly students would be the only people there. I made an effort to spend time meeting people of the country because I wanted to have the full experience...

Letter 24: ...Every room has at least someone else in it, so don't expect to really be able to "get away". The hot, starry nights are amazing and sometimes really late at night you can be by yourself out there...If you have a significant other, break up and leave your conscience behind. Everyone hooks up on this ship whether you have a boy/girl friend or not - it just happens...The ports are unbelievable. You get to experience many whole new worlds. Soak in every minute of it and, no matter how tired you are, just keep going...If there is any doubt in your mind, STOP, fill out the form, write your essay, get that letter of recommendation and GO! You won't regret it...

Letter 25: ...Time aboard this ship is like an alternate reality...I had no problems with any of my roommates and I was sharing a room with 9 other girls. I'm sure you're thinking, "wow, 10 girls in one room and no drama?" Yes it was amazing - I wouldn't have believed it myself if it weren't for the fact that I just lived it...opportunities like this, though they only come few and far between, are defining moments in our lives...

Letter 26: ...CC duty (kitchen) and clean sweep down were not fun, but they were not a big deal...I would bring several tops to go out at night in as well as comfortable hiking clothes for the day. Bring a variety because you will do a wide range of activities. Ladies should also bring a skirt or two. I went to a ballet and a symphony, to museums and art galleries, hiking, snorkeling, sight seeing...I am a first year student and I joined not knowing anyone, so do not let that prevent you from going...

Letter 27: ...First and foremost, you must take this great opportunity to travel the world on the Golden Bear. This has been such a great experience that I am going to remember forever...I originally signed up for a state room, but when I arrived on the ship I was put in lower berthing because the state rooms were overbooked. My first thought of living with 15 other people made me uneasy, but now, after two months of it, I am so glad I lived down there...They say that there is not that much room for clothes, but I found it the opposite and I wished that I had brought more clothes...Some of my favorite times aboard the Golden Bear were the sunsets. You cannot get better sunsets than in the middle of the ocean. Practically every night students would go to the top deck and watch the sunset. It is such a relaxing time of the day...One thing that I want to warn you about is the classes. I originally thought the classes were going to be a cake walk and an easy A. To my surprise, you really have to spend time studying to earn good grades...Now I cannot wait for fall quarter to come to hang out with the great people I met on the ship...

Letter 28: ...So you are wondering if you should go on this adventure; well, I say do it...Being on the ocean days on end without sight of land is an adventure. For myself, I love being on the open ocean; you get to see all kinds of wildlife, pods of dolphin swimming off the bow of the ship or all around it, whales off the bow and then having to steer around them, and birds of all sorts. Fishing off the fantail consumed most of my free time; well, it's more like hanging out with friends, getting a tan, and once in a while catching a fish brings some real excitement. There is nothing like fresh sashimi...So you are worried that only one or two of the classes offered are going to count for your degree, well none of the classes I took count toward my degree and I have no regrets...be sure that you go to the meetings and get all of your questions answered before going on the cruise...

Letter 29: ...But honestly, life aboard the TSGB was amazing and this cruise was the best experience of my life!!! From the moment you arrive at CMA for training you can feel the excitement building...go up and watch the sunset (don't miss the sunsets!). After sunset we hung out on the helo deck for a couple hours and watched the stars rise...OK, so life on the ship is great, but the real fun happens in port! When you come into a new country everyone is so excited we can hardly wait to set foot on land and explore!...This trip was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can't imagine not going! I will always remember life on the ship and the fun times we had in port, but I'm most excited about all the friendships I made. Life back in SLO will never be the same because I now have so many friends who have shared this experience with me!...

Letter 30: ...It was the most amazing two months of my life. I made lifelong friends. I saw places I would normally never have been able to see. It completely surpassed my expectations and desires - I had a blast and I am sure you will too....You will not notice that you are wearing the same thing every day when you are watching the most amazing sunsets. You will not care that the food isn't gourmet when you are laughing so hard at dinner with all the new friends you have made. You will not care about having to stand in a formation for ten minutes a day when you can look over the side of the ship and see dolphins or off to the horizon and see a rainbow...Bring lots of t-shirts and comfy shoes. Girls should bring going out shoes that have closed toes, because no flip-flops are allowed. Also, bring nicer clothes for nights in ports; other countries have dress expectations for clubs and bars...

Letter 31: ...if you are thinking that you might like the idea of traveling the world and making great friends to do that with, I would definitely sign up for the trip. It is an experience of a lifetime and I know that everyone who gives it a try will say that it has affected their lives in a number of ways...Pack three nice outfits for your nights in port because you want to look fly for all the foreign ladies (or the foreign men)...

Letter 32: ...I will admit that I had a lot of hesitation about coming on this trip. In fact I almost canceled for several reasons, but trust me, no reason is good enough to miss this opportunity...I can still remember when I first sat behind a computer screen reading all the letters from past cadets and thinking to myself; these people are crazy, there's no way all that can happen in just two months. Let me assure you, it not only will happen but more so than any letter could ever explain. If there's any disappointment from this trip, it's because it had to end so fast...The best part of it all is that you'll make friends who will be a part of you forever...Come aboard the Golden Bear for the adventure of a lifetime!...

Letter 33: ...First, whatever you don't expect to happen will happen. No matter what it is or how outlandish it may seem when you first get onto the ship, after two months with the same 300 people, it's happened...but similar to what they say in Vegas...whatever happens on the TSGB stays on the TSGB...on this trip you will make extremely close friends extremely fast. The entire ship is like a family...You basically don't know what is happening in the real world, just in the little fantasy world made up of quarters, meals, and friends...You learn a lot about yourself and others. You get to travel to exciting places and will have stories that you will be talking about for the rest of your life...I definitely encourage everyone to go on this trip...

Letter 34: ...Words can't describe the adventures and fun that I had on that 2 month span of my life, but I will try to convey it to you as well as possible...We sometimes would get huge games like Pictionary or Taboo going with like 20-30 people in the big rooms (boys vs girls is always the best). Fish, play, or listen to all the musicians that there are on the boat, attend the Sunday BBQ, dance at the many organized dances and contests with cool prizes. If looking at nature is your thing, you can go out and look at the sunsets and stars. If you're taking Astronomy or know someone who is you will know all the constellations by the end of the trip...People go shopping, surfing, hiking, on guided tours into the jungles or outback, to waterfalls with rope swings, visit zoos and botanical gardens, or just relax at the beach. There is so much to do and everyone mostly sticks together in big groups and goes out, especially at night...The trip, no matter where you go, will be amazing and you will be extremely thankful that you went...

Letter 35: ...Each port taught me something about the person I want to be and how important it is to travel and learn about the world...In Fiji I was able to drift down the river solely in my lifejacket. As I did so, I experienced the most serene and peaceful moments of my life. More than all these new experiences, I have been taking the time to reflect about my own life...These memories are ones that will dominate my college experience and help to shape the ever changing person that I am becoming. It is a rare opportunity to take two months from your life to develop your mind and spirit and to come away knowing more than you ever thought you could learn...I would highly recommend this experience to anyone...

Letter 36: ...willing to open up my fountain of wisdom to quench the thirst of the uninformed. The structure of my letter will be things to avoid, or at least to be wary of...Attempt to resist the lure of naps. They can consume your day and ruin your nights of sleep. In conjunction, studying on couches is to be avoided if one is to avoid such napage...Mom (the baker on board) is the most wonderful, loving person on the boat; however, her cookies are the work of the devil and will result in copious and massive rolls of blubber around one's middle region...Take the advantage to improvise your way through a foreign city...

Letter 37: ...Let me tell you why you should not even be thinking about going on this trip - you should be packing your bags already! This has been the most amazing experience of my life, hands down. The places you get to go are beautiful, the things you get to do are incredible, and the people you form bonds with are awesome...Going to these tropical places and hanging out with some of your new best friends can only mean having the time of your life. You will not sleep in port! It is just a fact...I did things on this trip that I could not have imagined. I held a Koala, rode a Fun Car all over New Caledonia, snorkeled on beautiful tropical islands, and experienced the culture of different countries...If I could leave you with one bit of advice, it would be to take this risk and go on this trip. You will not regret it!...