Colorado Mesa University Top Questions

My college is located in the same city as my elementary, my middle, and my high school. It took me longer to apply for colleges than most of my peers so, as a default, I registered for Mesa State College as a Music Education major. I'm three years down the road and am now a Biological Sciences Major/Teacher Certification with two music minors in tow, one for violin and one for voice. Above all else, my collegiate experience thus far has taught me what my skill set is. I am good at biology without even trying and I love it! Music is a close second but I didn't want to lose the joy of it by performing myself to death. Because I grew up here, I never had the "dorm experience"; no shared bathrooms or roommates from out of town. I've lived off campus and grown up as a different flavor of college student. I have on my "grown up" boots already. I pay for things that I need and want. I have taken responsibility for my own education. For that, I am exceptionally grateful to Mesa State College.

Upon entering college, eight hours from home, with no family or friends nearby, I knew I would go through some dramatic changes. I really feel entering college has made me an overall more responsible person. College has been an exciting, sometimes demanding experience. I have learned to manage my time a lot better since entering college. This is simply because a working college student does not have enough hours in the day. College taught me that it is necessary to have a precise schedule of when to do activities like homework, working out, and even relaxing. I am excited to see what college holds for me in the future. I hope to become even more responsible while enjoying new experiences.

I have meet more intresting people than i thought i would. The social events and experencies are great. The classes aren't even that bad.

I am just starting out at this college, but I'm sure I will learn a lot.

Even though I am just now entering the college of my choice, I have already had quite a lot of experiences with it. Without this college I would have been floundering in the paper work and complications that are "offered" by other colleges. They have been making the transfer from high school to college very smooth, and I am very grateful. I have also discovered much about myself and how I react to responsiblity, both fiscal and proprietary. I am eternally grateful to this small city school.

I believe the most important aspect of college doesn't have to do with the end result, but the journey we took along the way. After all, it was Sir Edmund Hillary who once said "it?s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves." Could I have learned the information needed for my degree without attending school? Absolutely. However, that's only one small percentage of the value we can gain at university. It's the people we meet along the way who inspire us, encourage us, and mold us into productive and responsible citizens, who become lifelong learners. We learn how to think critically, and achieve higher cognitive abilities. We are able to see the world through a different perspective, and hopefully improve on it for the next generation of citizens. The value of college is remembering those few professors who enlightened you along the way, made you a better person, and opened up your eyes to your surroundings. The value of college is much more than a diploma; it?s the inner journey we take along the way.

So far, in my first two terms in college, I have completed a business concepts course and am currently enrolled in a music fundementals class. In my business class I learned how to use all computer applications in windows 2007, I also learned how to manage a business correctly and appropriatetly. Along with learning the basic computer applications I also learned to use the basic skills of network structures. I've also learned the differences between the types of computers and components including types of storage devices. During my current music class I have learned the basics to intro music. I have learned how to read music and minor and major scales. I still lots about music to learn. My educational experience has been valuable to me because it has opened my eyes to a whole new world of being smart. It has helped me to relize that I can do so much more with my life than the basic day to day drive. It has helped me relize that I can make a difference in my family and be the first to graduate with a college degree.

College has taught me that effort and hard work truly do pay off. I'll be honest, my first semester of college I didn't do so well, school has always come easy to me so I figured it'd be the breeze that high school was, but I was very quickly proven wrong. You really have to work at your classes, keep up with the reading and put a lot of effort into the few assignments you're given. You have to constantly study so you're ready for the tests that make up your entire grade, meaning falling behind can have a bad effect on your academics. It's taught me time management and how to prioritize, I realized that sometimes you need to give up a night out to finish your school work so you can do well and succeed. It'd been an extremely valuable experience, having to keep up with my classes so effeciently has made me more interested and attentive in my classes, actually understanding a subject makes it that much more intriguing. It's only my first year and I've learned so much, it's been challenging but every bit worth it.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would give myself some pretty simple advice. Take it all one day at a time, don't stress, and enjoy yourself. Although I've only been going to college for almost two semesters, I have found that the slower you take things and the more you try and enjoy yourself, the easier it is. My college experience so far has been great. I wouldn't change a thing about it. As a high school senior I would have enjoyed the knowledge I have now about all the little things I'd encounter, but all in all just giving it my all and going slowly has gotten me quite far.

I would warn myselft about overworking and time management. I would tell myself about my freshmen year experience and how it has changed me. I would advise myself to not take 18 credit hours and work two jobs, although it seemed manageable, over time stress and fatigue began to set in. By the time my first semester ended I was exhausted both mentaly and physicaly. That is something I wish i didn't do but now I have learned from my mistake and have taken on an easier load so I don't overwork myself. Also I wish I could have told myself to manage the time I spent studying and time spend relaxing/playing. With the load of work increasing I found it more and more easier to put it off due to exhaustion and putting it off led to poor time management. I would spend more time playing games and sleeping than I would studying and in the end it would affect me. I didnt fail but I know I could have done better. If I could have told my high school self about what was to come that is what i would talk about.