Colorado School of Mines Top Questions

I've found that college has made me so much more dedicated to the things I know I should do, as well as the things that I love to do. By working so hard academically, I've found I've built up the stamina to work hard in other areas of my life as well. Its truely a great benefit to the people that rely on me to fulfill my duties.

My college experience has been very eye opening. It is vital to my success but it is also supposed to be one of the best times of my life, and due to this I am making it that way. I have found a lot of different hobbies since I've started attending school and they are starting to shape me. I have grown as a person in so many ways, including a new value system. Mines has an awesome way of accepting freshman and helping through there first and very tough semester. It has been valuable as I have learned an absolute ton about myself and my area of study. One of my proffessors described the first semester at Mines as an initiation ritual, in which they throw everything they can think of at you, and if you succeed you may just belong there. I think this describes my experience thus far.

College can be a life changing experience. By attending college, I have grown up, to sum it up. I have become more independent, I have learned to take responsibility for my actions and how to deal with adverse conditions. It's a good transition to adulthood. I've become more confident in my choices, and I've made friends with people I probably wouldn't've talked to in high school. I have learned a lot of different ways to save money, because everybody knows college kids don't have any money. In college I've learned that lack of communication skills is not an option. You've got to talk to your teachers, your teammates, your advisors, etc. Everyone who can should try to go to college. I learned so much in my first semester alone. College is an introduction to life outside high school and your parent's house. Most of the time its a wake up call, a time to ask yourself who you really want to be in life. Going to college has been a very valuable experience for me.

As my first semester of college comes to a close, I have attained a greater understanding of the importance of staying in college and obtaining a degree. When I talk to adults, I am congratulated on my acceptance to a selective institution, however the praise usually stops there. Adults understand that being accepted into a college is just the first step, and that continuing in college until graduation is the real challenge, with a degree the goal. This understainding was also come about by talking to older students, who have been where I am and have valuable advice. The concensus is, although the classes will only get more difficult the longer you stay, and your GPA is only prone to suffer rather than improve, do not give up, because once those four years are up, a life with a degree in hand is much more favorable than the alternative.

As I have just complete my 4th month of college I can truly say that it is beyond what I expected. It has made me realize that students who strive for advanced education obtain a wide range of personal, social, financial and other lifelong benefits that improve quality of life and overall well-being of our community. Passing on the importance of advanced education in each family and culture only helps future generations by giving them the skills necessary to achieve at a higher level. My college experience will help me build on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier years. I look forward to engaging in organized volunteer work and civic participation so that I can give back to theicommunity that I live in. It is my goal to complete my college education and acquire the tools to learn to be open to differing views of others, better health and greater opportunities. In my opinion advanced education contributions to both the equity and the efficiency of our society and I look forward to giving back to my community. Education is a process that changes us and makes us better.

I have learned a great deal in my college experience. I have learned that even though sometimes the odds get stacked up against you, you should never quit. Also, you are in college for a reason, to better yourself and to learn. Always try to take something away from a class no matter how boring or uninterested you may be in the subject. Never sweat the small things and just keep plowing forward.

I have gotten the chance to grow up. I am now relying on myself to make myself go to class, do my own laundry, cook my own food and basically fend for myself. I am getting the college wrestling experience along with the difficulty of college classes. I have became more of an adult by being on my own. I can't rely on anyone else because I am nine hours away from home. It has been valuable for me to attend this school because it is teaching me the ways of life. High school was easy, college is a whole new world. I have realized that they do not give any slack or help you if you do not ask. If you need/want something you have to do it or get help. I'm learning to askfor help when needed instead of just trying to spend hour and still not learn the material. Knowing that when I graduate I will have a job, only incourages me more. In this case I will strive for everything I want to pursue and earn everything I get. There are no free lunches.

I have learned how to solve life problems on my own. I have found that you don't have to know everything, you just need to know where to find the answers. Persevering is an everyday occurrencing in engineering. Knowledge is a good part of life but patience with one's self is a struggle. This school shows me what it will be like against all of the great mines in the world and it prepares me for any challenges in the future. If I can compete at this school, I should have no problems competing in the world. I just need to find the money to stay focused on my studies.

Growing up to become a high school senior was exhausting, so my senior year was not the year I tried my hardest. That was the first mistake. If I could give myself advice before I went to college, it would be that college is not a playground. College is not senior year. You'll have to build yourself back up to the top if you start to slack off, so why make your life that much harder? College is fun, and it's a great experience but you have to work in order to be content with the lifestyle. If you become lazy, your grades will reflect it and no one will be there to keep pushing you, to motivate you to do better. So keep a good constant work ethic during high school so that going to college is not so much of a shock to you as it would be if you start to procrastinate and be lazy during senior year.

Live, Laugh, Love. Three simple words that have been overprinted and commercialized almost to the point of clich?. Yet, a parcel of truth shines through the alliteration and simplicity. It is a reminder of what life should be about, for any college student, adult, or even myself as a high school senior. Life is precious gift that should be enjoyed to its fullest; to what extent it is enjoyed is up to only one person. Fight to make your life what you want, not what others want. Laugh at yourself when you make mistakes, laugh at the world when it tries to bring you down, and laugh with friends to drown your sorrow. The last of the three is possibly the most important: love. Love what you do and follow your passions. Love your friends and family, for it is a lonely existence without them. Love yourself. Be confident in who you are and what you want out of life. Senior year of high school was a time of change, full of stress and worry. These three simple words of advice put the focus on what truly matters in life: live, laugh, and love.

If I could go back, I would let myself know that college isn't anything to be worried about. Everything is amazing and I'd like to let myself know that even though it's an amazing experience, and I'll be making lifelong friends, it still takes hard work to be successful at this school. If I could go back, I would insist that I go to this college and I wouldn't tell myself to do anything different.

I would tell myself to do more things in high school becuase you can't get those back. I would also tell myself not to worry about what people think of you because I don't see those people anymore. I would've told myself to work harder on getting scholarships, becuase college is expensive!! I play division two college softball now so I would tell my high school self to practice hard everyday and work to perfect every aspect of my game because it only got harder and if I had already been used to working this hard. Lastly, when I got to college I had a really hard time because I missed my family. I feel like if I would've gone out more during the summer instead of hanging onto every second I had with them the transition would've been a little bit easier. But everybody misses their family to some degree so I would tell myself not to be ashamed when I do miss them. i

Dear Caitlin, You may be wondering who this is and why I?m writing this letter. Well, I?m you. But I am in college right now. What? You don?t believe me? I guess that means I?ll have to prove it to you. I know that you have that small jewelry box hidden in a drawer waiting for you to send it, but you haven?t had the courage. So now that you know it?s me, I have two important tips to give you based on my experiences. Making the transition between living at home and going to high school to living in the dorms and going to college is a rough one. You really struggle with this but don?t worry; you make it through just fine. As long as you stay strong, be active, and meet new people, everything will go smoothly. Most importantly, open up with Mom and Dad. You don?t have to go through everything alone; they really have great advice on more than just school and money. Open up little by little and you?ll find that they are very helpful. Good luck! You'll do great! Sincerely, The Future You

I would tell myself not to stress out so much about college and the treansition. I'd talk about all the great new friends he'd make when he got here, and how he would do well in his first semseter here. I would advise more study time. but that would be the only big advice I would have to give.

Deffinately take advanced placement classes. The credits may not count but the education is worth it.

Apply to Mines now. Don't worry about the money. Community college will save you money, but life at Mines is better.

Dear High School Senior Mo, Don't worry so much about going to college! It's going to be amazing! You are making the right choice and you should stand behind it. Take your time in this last year of high school, it will be your best one and you will be able to look back on it during rough times in the next four to five years. Your first semester at Mines will be tough, and after dealing with a death in the family, you will be able to come back and make a full recovery, I promise you that. Now, a full recovery doesn't mean mostly A's like you are used to in high school, so don't be afraid of getting a C for after all, "C's get degrees!" as you have been told. Again, worrying gets you nowhere and that will stay true for the rest of your life. Be flexible and open yourself up to new opportunities so you can follow your dream of saving the world one tree at a time. Mines can help it happen. Work hard. Play hard. And say hi to the boys for me. Sincerely, Future Mo

My advice would be to take no class for granted. When I became certain I was attending a strictly engineering school, its seemed all the english and history classes would become unimportant. However, while the focus was definitely on math and science, all the history and english continually tied in. In one class, I relied heavily on my knowledge from human geography, which I had taken mainly for a GPA booster, and my writing skill developed in my english classes. While I did not blow these classes off, I never imagined using them the first semester of school. It was these very skills that I used in order to create a multidimensional project that ended up winning several awards. Overall, the value of being well rounded academically and pushing myself even in those subjects outside of my interest created larger opportunity for success. While classes can be taken strictly for the grade, I would tell my high school senior self that it is learning and integrating the information that will pay off in the long run. If I learn to handle the information and use the information, the grade and the learning will take care of itself.

No matter what you may be feeling push through it. All this work will be entirely worth the experience once you graduate. Be strong when you are unsure and use every resource you can. The time you spend will help you grow and develop into a career oriented person that can do anything in the world.

Traveling back to Arapahoe High School to visit myself as a high school senior is an enlightening experience. I would tell myself college is everything I thought it would be and more. The Colorado School of Mines is the best choice over other schools I applied to because I fit into the atmosphere of this college. I would tell myself not to be afraid to take chances, there are so many things worth taking a chance on in life. I would advise myself not to get so mad at my parents because they only want the best for me and the freedom of college will make everything worth while. I couldn't explain in words how I have matured, I would tell myself that I have the gift of happiness and to not second guess myself so much. I can achieve anything I put my mind to and that was apparent in my first semester of college. I would tell myself to study a little bit more for Chemistry and hang out with the group of Rugby guys more because they are a good group to be around. So spread your wings and fly yourself to your goals and ambitions!