Northern Arizona University Top Questions

College (noun)- an institution of learning at the highest level (dictionary.com). This is the true definition of college; a place where you learn in order to succeed in a future career. However, for me, college has been so much more than an institution of learning. In only one semester at Northern Arizona University, I have experienced more than I imagined possible. I started the year off with classes that will be a positive attribute to the rest of my college experience. I had teachers that offered valuable input and lessons that will be meaningful in shaping the rest of my time here. Not only have I been in classes that were enjoyable and important, I have become a part of Greek life. I participated in sorority recruitment and pledged to be in Pi Beta Phi. Joining a sorority has helped to make college an incredible experience. I have met girls I can forever be friends with and these “sisters” will always be there to support me, whether it be in life or school. Making these positive decisions have helped me to begin a new chapter in my life and I know these college experiences will guide me forever.

Throughout my first year as a college student, I have realized that I am dedicated to my work, whatever that work may be. I might not always like what I have to do, but I know that I have to get it done. I've also gotten a sense of who I truely am and what really matters to me. I have realized that I am a very family oriented person who likes to solve problems and be in a city environment where there is always something to do. My personal relationships and my professional relationship (as in school) have really stood out to me this year. I have close friends who I love spending time with and I enjoy meeting people who have the same interests as me. I find it easier to work with people who I get along with, and college has exposed me to many types of people. Being a college student has opened up the real world where I understand that it is up to me to either fail or succeed.

I am a mother of four and I work fulltime at the local hospital. I am sometimes overwhelmed by all my responsibilities. I have found that if I apply myself, I can accomplish anything! Northern Arizona University feels like a big extended family to me. My classmates and my professors are an incredible resource of support and encouragement! I have learned to appreciate my beautiful surroundings, manage my time, expand my horizons, question my preconceived ideas, believe in myself, and create lasting relationships. Out of all these incredible life experiences, the most important thing that college has instilled in me is a love of learning. The value of these experiences are priceless! I can not begin to fathom how far reaching their effects will be for me. I am more confident in my personal and professional life. My future can be whatever I want it to be! I hope that my desire for constant growth and learning will be infectious to all those around me.

There are a few things that I most value about my undergrad experience. First, education is a bit like traveling; it makes you realize that the world is exponentially wider than your own personal experience and perspective. I think this is a crucial realization to have to become right -sized and to understand that there will always be alternate view points to your own. Second, education helps you find your place in this world and helps you to see how you can contribute to it. My undergad work helped me to understand and embrace the idea that I could do good work for my fellows. Finally, I met professors who really cared about their fields (education, history, humanities, and others) and wanted to share their passion with the next generation of scholars. Ultimately, my undergraduate experience motivated me to grow up and jump into a life focused, at least in part, on helping others.

I have learned a lot about Zoology which is nice. But the best thing is that I have been allowed to find myself and what I want to do and who I want to be. It took awhile, but it was all worth it. And without NAU I wouldnt be the person that I am today.

I met some of my closest friends in Flagstaff, and I met my husband while working on campus. I was given many opportunities to learn more about myself and other cultures. I learned to be an adult while I was in college. I had to learn how to drive in the pouring rain and in snow storms, I learned to manage my money, and I was successfully transitioned from living on campus to an apartment in town without negatively impacting my GPA. NAU was a place I liked to be, and I still visit. It is a very comforting place, I think because it is smaller and feels safe. The campus is so beautiful and the locals are very friendly- my husband and I have talked many times about making a permanent move to Flagstaff. I definitely believe that I became my best self while I was in college.

When I first started high school, college seemed like something I could only dream about. For me, it didn't seem obtainable. That is, until I received my first acceptance to the school I am currently attending- Northern Arizona University. Having lived in Los Angeles, California my whole life, I didn’t expect to leave such a familiar environment and transfer to one in Flagstaff, Arizona. But when I arrived there I was in awe of its beauty and the people. From the very first week I had encountered some really great people and made friends fast. My RA is super friendly and is easy to talk to along with my roommates. Each class I had offered something new and different. The courses there challenge me intellectually and the people range from many ethnicities and personal background to likes and interests. The college experience is greatly valued by me because I know it will open up many opportunities in my future, ones I don't want to pass me by. This experience has helped me see that college is something I can do.; it doesn't just have to be a dream, it can be a reality.

Out of my college experience I feel that I have matured and have become more responsible. I have learned to socialise with other people from different places and ethnicity. I feel that its very valuable to me because its something that I can take with me in my future career. It prepairs us to be a more professional person over all.

I’ve attend McHenry County Community College now for the last year and a half and I’ve done really well. I’ve taken basic general education classes to help me transfer to a four-year college. I’ve improved my study skills and my learning skills immensely. I think going to a community college before attending a four-year university was a great idea and has actually benefitted me.

It has reawakened a desire to learn and to share what I have already learned with others. As someone who is working to become a teacher I am also able to evaluate my professors as to what makes a good teacher. What types of things do they do that make it easier to grasp the multitude of new material presented every class. This experience is also helping me work on keeping my life prioritized. This has been a time of interspection and making sure that what I am spending my time on has long term value.

Attending Northern Arizona University is possibly one of the best life choices I have ever made. If I had gone to my hometown college it would have set me right back into high school. And who wants that? I sure didn't and I have noticed that by going to school at NAU I have grown up in a way that would never have been possible if I went to any other school. The atmosphere surrounding NAU is just incredible. The campus is safe, every single person I have met has been friendly to me, Flagstaff community and students alike, and the NAU faculty members are the most well rounded and thoughtful people. NAU and Flagstaff have taught me how to spread my wings and fly, allowing me ample opportunities for employment and student activities. If you are thinking about attending NAU, think no more. Just do it. NAU wants you.

I have gained a respect for the students who try hard to earn their grade and actually suceed in school. I've also gained more of a sense of responsibility for my own actions, and an appreciation for money. I never knew everyday items were so expensive and how hard it is to keep yourself out of debt.

College has taught me that education is more than getting a degree and a career. Education is about valuing our own growth and knowledge as individuals. I have become passionate about my own learning experiences and the future learning of my students and my children. I am a mother to two and I want to act as a role model for my children and my future students. I believe that education is our purpose in life because it is clear that none of us are here to stay the same; we are meant to be constantly changing and learning new things every day. College has taught me that education should be on a lifelong scale, not a two or four year one, and we should all be working to grow and expand with every new experience. College will offer me the opportunity to be a better teacher, parent, and person. It has given me the skills I need to make the revolutionary difference I want to make for the world around me. Eventually, I want to open my own school and use this knowledge to radically improve the education of thousands of children.

I have gotten a new sense not only of my own self worth but of the value of and education. As a teenager I spent most of my time worrying about what I was going to do after the school day was over. Now I spend my time worrying about what I am going to do when college is over. I know that although nothing is ever a given, I have a better shot at a good career with a degree under my belt as opposed to walking away right now with only a high school diploma. I have learned to put more value in the effort put on to attempt and less on the number at the top of a paper. I have learned that it takes time and consideration to make a life or career choice. I have been given priceless advice from some excellent professors and the most valuable gift they could have given me is the joy I have gotten from pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education. Were it not for the time I have spent in so many lecture halls and classrooms, I may never have discovered this joy.

Attending college has given me the chance to mature a lot and experience living on my own. Since i have been in college I have had to learn to rely on myself and not my parents.

I have learned more about myself and the person I want to be in my first semester at college than I have in my nineteen years of life. I have seen, heard and even experienced things I had only heard or dreamed about. I learned what it is like to pull an all-nighter, something I hope I never have to repeat. I learned how to deal with people I don't like, even if they are living in the same room as me. I learned how to make healthy choices, avoiding the dreaded freshman fifteen. But, overall I have learned who I am and where I want to be going. For the first time I feel confident about my future, not uncertainty. I take pride in what I do and who I have become. I know that I am going somewhere, and that I am making a difference with my education. I truely cannot wait to continue on my journey of self discovery and pursue never ending dreams.

I chose Northern Arizona University because of its close proximity to my home. Naturally, this college was the choice of many of my companions from highschool. Going into the school year, I expected to cling tightly to my old friends and suffer my way through my first semester of this new education. Since leaving for break, I have had time to reflect on the last few months, and I realized that it was new friends that I had made that helped me through the first seventeen credits. I have gained more understanding from these new friends in 3 months than I have learned in years before. Furthermore as an athlete, I took advantage of Flagstaff's high altitude for my physical training. I didn't have the talent to make the varsity teams on campus, but the intramural sports were open for my benefit. I jumped quickly at the opportunity to play ultimate frisbee, and since joining the club, I have made great friends and I've grown so much both physically and mentally. Before my college experience began I was rather introverted, but being asked what I've gotten out of my college experience, my answer would be confidence.

I have gotten so much out of attending a university. It was very surprising to me to find that the professors at a university really now how to make sure that their students learn the information and take a lot away from the classes. There is so much less emphasis on tests from class to class, it is more about the understanding of the information. Also, the best part is meeting people who are more unique than you could imagine. My best friends at school are unlike anybody that I have ever met before. Meeting people like this really makes a person understand the world better and be less judgemental. People from different areas, with different experiences have different quirks and it makes a person be more understanding towards other people and themselves as well.

I have gotten so much out of the college experience. I have grown up so much and learned so much about living on my own. I have met many great people that have helped me grow as a person and become much stronger. College is such an important thing, it helps people get more comfortable and more adjusted to living on your own and more prepared for the future, as well as preparing for your future dream career. College was the best decision I've ever made and I encourage everyone to attend and grow.

I have made long-term friends and I have also discovered more about myself. My likes, and dislikes. I have applied myself the most I have ever applied myself in the past two years of college. I intend on graduating early and so far, it's coming along well. I am set in my goals and set in my aspirations. I have learned more than I have ever learned so far.