Appalachian State University Top Questions

I love the program I'm in - I feel like I'm learning what I'm meant to do. I'm having fun and living my life in an environment unlike any other I've ever been in.

My college experience has been a very good one . I have made many friends and continue making more everyday. The best thing about my experience so far is the people around me. The professors even embody this idea and urge students to attend their office hours if they have any questions or if extra help is needed. In addition to being surrounded by great people, ASU is located in Boone. This in its self makes the school a better place to attend. The asthetic beauty of the mountains is always a welcome outlet during stressful homweowork or exam times. Also, the last and probably most valuable asset that this school offers is the fact that they are one of the only schools in the area that has implemented an Appropriate Technology program. While it may be slightly underdeveloped for the amount of students that are rapidly enrolling, I hope to become one of the devoted graduates that helped build the program into something truly great.

I am not a person who believes what the entertainment industry shows us about college, but even so, I could not even fathom what it could have been like when I was younger. While in college, I have seen my family in a financial bind and I have seen what I do not want to do, but I know where I want to be and how to get there. This has made me more aware of what I need to do in order to be successful. What I've also gotten out of the college experience and why it has been valuable to me is the realization that I cannot model my life after anyone else's. This fact is very difficult to live with at times, but I feel that it will ultimately make life fulfilling in my eyes.

Since attending college I've matured in my work as an artist. I am now willing to dedicate the time necessary to give my work that extra bit of professional polish. I've also managed to maintain a strict level of discipline in my personal life, whether it is completing homework, showing up on time, maintaining an orderly lifestyle or training for my first ultramarathon. Continuing my education as well as working up to 30 hours a week has made me understand the maturity and responsibility necessary for a succesful college career. I plan to attend College for Creative Studies in the fall for advertising design, and am very excited to see what I can do when given the proper tools.

It's no secret that my college experience has been bumpy, to say the least. I've changed majors three times. I've completely flunked out of two semesters, a fact that I'm terribly not proud of. Has it been worth it? I can say without a doubt it has. I started college at the age of 19, in my opinion too young and immature to grasp what I was getting myself into. Out of the now two years of time spent in college, I've learned a few things. The one concept that stands above all, though, is responsibility. When I began my college career, I thought nothing of skipping assignments and classes, just hoping on some level I could scrape by "somehow". The principles of cause and effect were lost on me. Recently, before this last semester, I realized I don't want my life to continue this way, so I changed. I now feel pride in my accomplishments and want to get the most out of my education. I don't just want to scrape by anymore. I now want to be a master of my field, the expert of any class I take. Thanks college!

As a child, I never really imagined what college would be like, nor did I especially care about my future. Now that I'm a freshman here at Appalachian State University, my mind has been opened to so many great opportunities and learning experiences. I have been enriched in a diverse, friendly, open-minded, and unique environment, with plenty of friends to make and sights to see. A variety of classes balance well with the atmosphere of this college campus and surrounding town. Classes have taught me new ideas, as well as expanded on old ideas I learned from high school. The town has plenty of shopping areas, great restaurants, and beautiful hiking trails, including Hebron Rock Colony, the Parkway, and Boone Fork. Whether you need to camp out in the library to study for an exam or just go out around town to relax, being in college has been an exciting and valuable experience in my life. The memories I make here will last with me forever.

Throughout my college experience, I have dedicated myself to furthuring my education, staying involved, and seeking strong relationships. For me, college has not only been an experience, but an experience of a lifetime. It has taught me the skills to become a better friend, student, mentor, professional, and individual. I have gained countless friendships and formed relationships with people whom I will remain close to for the entirety of my life. By working to become Chaplain of my sorority and Associate Editor-in-Chief of my school newspaper, I have also developed helpful leadership skills and the opportunity to assist others who need it. I am a communication (electronic media/broadcasting) and elementary education double major. Working to receive two degrees and an English minor is the one thing I am most proud of, and in the future, I aspire to become an information technology or media literacy teacher. Until then, I will continue my education and my involvement in various on-campus clubs and organizations and, when I look back, I will be able to remember how I was able to get where I'm going: my time at Appalachian State University.

College is much more than receiving an education, it is a time when one can find themself and start the process of figuring out who they want to be. I have gone back and forth between majors and now that I have taken the core courses for both majors I have realized the major I want to be in. I was trying to decide between Veterinary Medicine and Psychology. I have a deep passion for both but I knew I had to pick between the two. When I looked more into it, I found that I can incorporate both into a career. I have the dream of becoming a marriage and family therapist with the assitance of using animals. Without the chance to go to college, I wouldn't have known what I wanted to be. College is helping me with the struggle of identifying who I want to be and who I will be. With the help of college professors, who have been more than supportive, I feel that I can accomplish anything. I don't think that someone can put a price on the value of going to college. It is the key to my future.

I am just starting college to better my self.

It is almost laughable to think of what type of person I may have become if not for an unexpected chain of events that ushered me into the crisp mountain air of Boone, NC in the fall of 2005. Make no mistake: Appalachian State University was not my first choice. However, despite my attempts to ignore them, I had growing suspicions that the other institutions I considered seemed to lack sincerity behind their words of welcome. My critical first impression of Appalachian remained true until graduation day; no other college town on earth boasts such a true sense of community. Throughout high school I believed college would lead me to a particular career, but with the options offerred by ASU, it did not take long for my original intentions to evolve into even bigger aspirations for myself. Doors continued to open and opportunities were abundant , including financial assistance, extracurricular activities, service-learning, and even travel abroad. While acquiring practical skills necessary for further education, I also gained a worldview that was no longer theoretical. At Appalachian State University I discovered my true self-- along with everything really important in life. After all, isn't that what college is really about?