Arizona State University-Downtown Phoenix Top Questions

My complete college experience has been the single most valuable experience outside of learning the basics of life as a child from my parents. Going to college has helped me understand how to view my world. The people around me, the opportunities abroad. My introduction to the scientific method and the answers science has provided me with have changed me forever. Understanding who I am, what I am, why I'm here, is essential to being able to answere where I want to go. My college education had done that for me.

College is a very rewarding experience. As a freshman in college, I am open to many opportunities. Every day I have the opportunity to meet someone new. I have made friends that I will carry on throughout life. College is teaching me important time management skills that I use and know will be helpful in life. I have also learned to open up as an individual through meeting my peers. I was a very shy person but I have learned that I cannot get anywhere in life if I stay secluded from others. I am aware that college will prepare me to attain a job in the near future. College is very challenging and stressful at times, but I have learned to overcome these obstacles and continue on. Not giving up has made me a better, more confident individual. College will prepare me for the real world and will also better me as an individual.

I haven't been here long, but so far I love it! I am enjoying meeting new people which I didn't expect after leaving all of my friends. I also like how it is a fun environment with lots of activities going on, but can also serve as a quiet and focused place to study. Everyone has been very open which makes it much easier to adjust to the change and get involved in school. I have people who support me and a school that is there for all of my academic needs at any time. What more could I ask for?

My college experience so far has been a wild ride for me. My freshman year I started drinking, going to parties, and spending more time with my boyfriend than on my homework. I got caught up in the peer pressure and challenges that college brings. But I also learned a lot from my experiences. I learned that going to church on Sunday is much more important than staying out until 4 a.m. at a party the previous night. I also learned just how important college is, and that you only have one chance so you have to do it right the first time. Finally, I learned that if I want something in life I have to go after it and not wait for it to come to me. It has been valuable to attend college because I am learning so many important skills that will help me to obtain a great job in the future. In addition, I have learned how to deal with certain situations and how to speak up to get what I want. Even when tough times arise, I truly enjoy this entire college experience.

I have learned many things during my college experience. One of the most important things is all my new friends from all walks of life that I have met. I've been able to share unique experiences with new people that add a new persepective to situations that I may not have had. In addition to learning, this has been one of the greatest experiences that I've been able to experience.

Potential. This word has always been hard for me grasp. Something you know you have and could have, but the action to get there always seems unreachable. In the past two years I have spent at Southwestern Community College, I have really come full circle with the understanding and THE POWER of this word. Totally dedicating my mind and spirit 15 hours a day for two years straight wouldn't have sounded worth it to me two years ago, but now as I look at what I have achieved as a musician in just a short period of time, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Two years ago I could barely read the notes on the staff paper, now I can play Beethoven's "Fur Elise" with ease and accompany myself as I sing Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin" on my final project at SWCC. I can now critically listen and anaylse music to further my understanding of it. And most importantly, I can write and create my own music, putting my fingerprint on the world as we know it. College has been quite an eyeopener for me, seeing my potential turn into a reality.

The most valuable experience I have recieved from my freshman year college experience has been personal growth. As a young adult, finding my own identity is truly a complex process of making mistakes, taking risks, and figuring what I like and dislike. Learning to live on my own gave me indepedence, while learning to live in a 4x6 with a stranger gave me patience , understanding, and acceptance. I have learned so much about my personal identity, and am able to make decisions, whether good or bad, on my own. More than just learning who I am, I have learned who I want to be. Therefore, I am able to learn the things I like about myself, and the things I am now able to dissassociate from the person I have become. I know that I would grow in college, but I never imagined myself changing the way I have. I believe before I was somewhat afraid of change, but now I am able to stare it in the face and say bring it on because Im ready to become the person I know I can be and want to be.

One major thing that I have gotten from my two years in college is the desire to help others. Since I want to be in the healthcare field, obviously I have that ambition to help others physically, but ASU's Downtown Campus has taught me to want to help others succeed in every aspect of their life whether it be to pass a final, or even help on a simple class project. I've found that I get much satisfaction from watching others reaching their goals and succeeding at something that they've been focused on for a while. I would have always wanted to help others, medically to be exact, but without ASU, I would never have learned what the satisfaction of other's successes felt like.

I have learned probably more outside of the classroom than I have inside. i have learned how to handle others, professionally and personally. I've had to deal with many conflicts, whether it be with teachers or friends in my dorm. College has allowed me to gain insight on what it means to become an adult. I'm truly growing and learning as a person. If it were not for college, I would probably still be an immature person with no goals or abitions. College not only has shown me what is out there for me to achieve , but is allowing to earn the tools to go out and grab it - grab each opportunity that is waiting for me, personally. One day, I will reach my full capabilty and I will achieve, and without my college expeience, I wouldn't be able to say any of this.

During my senior year, I grew extremely close to my family, friends, school, my girlfriend, and even my hometown of Albuquerque, NM in general. I knew that leaving home would be a dificult transition but that it was necessary because if I was to attend one of the best journalism schools in the country to better myself for the future, I had to do so. I enjoyed my summer with all the people I loved and had a great time, but as school began to creep closer, I became anxious about what was looming in front of me. I was excited about going here, learning a new city, being independent and making new friends but I did not know if I could bear to say goodbye. When the day for leaving came, I was not emotionally ready. For the first month here I was not as happy or fulfilled as I could have been, and I would tell myself to focus on the future and be outgoing because I missed out on some great opportunities because I was stuck in the past. I regret it, and once I learned what I needed to do, college life blossomed into something beautiful.