Portland State University Top Questions

Growing up I attended an elementary school with fewer than 20 students in the entire school. Going from this environment to one where there are twice as many students in the classroom and 10,000 times as many students in the school has been incredible. Every class I take I have been able to interact with different people and through this I have realized my interest in other cultures. My college experience has shown me that there are so many opportunities out there and that there are so many things I want to do with my life.

I was skeptical to apply to PSU at first, because everyone in Oregon knows that Portland is filled with all kinds of peculiar people. I figured I would be going to school with a bunch of weirdos, and I would have a difficult time making friends. After being in school now for three months, I laugh at my silly pre-college fears I had. It is almost impossible to not make friends here. There are a ton of porgrams, clubs, and other activities, both academic and recreational, that anyone can get involved in. The diverse population on campus has allowed me to learn things that cannot be taught in a classroom. I have already created bonds with people that I know will last a lifetime, and I look forward to the great things the rest of my college career has to offer for the furture.

My college experience thus far has taught me that an education is only as valuable as you make it to yourself. College is so special because we CHOOSE to go there, not because we are required to. I have learned the difference between going to school and actually learning, and how it feels to WANT to learn and be there. It has helped me learn the importance of actually wanting to improve yourself.

When I attended my first college, everything seemed very weird: people, campus, and the social life at school. I first attended Portland Community College. It was a small-sized campus, yet somewhat diverse. I came to love it because the social life and getting around was very simple. I was loved by all of my professors and was surrounded by friendly classmates. Everyone was very willing to help me around. I never wanted to leave this school as I also have never experienced any trouble there. However, it was not a really active campus. Also, I always had poor grades there since I was never told about the advantages I could have. Afterwards, I transferred to PSU. The campus was very huge and much more diverse. PSU has raised my hopes in my education as well as my career goals. With all the help I can get, I have been an outstanding student with high GPAs throughout the years. It was something that I couldn't get much of from PCC. I had countless wonderful experiences just by being an observant student. It has been valuable to attend because you will always feel valued and special as a student there.

I was initially quite scared to attend college. As the youngest of four kids, I watched all three of my brothers pass up college, and pursue other interests. I enrolled at the community college, and half-heartedly got through my first two years. During the summer of 2010, I applied, and trasnferred, to PSU. Figuring out how to be financially stable while attending college was my biggest hurdle. At the community college, I worked 60 hour weeks, and came out a near-zombie. With the help of my some friends, I was situated with student loans, and a game plan. Being able to get myself into college without the cushy support of my parents has been my main motivating factor. I push myself to do the best that I can, on everything I do. I cannot settle knowing that I could of done better. College has shaped my character, and made me a stronger person. It has also given me the self-esteem to recognize that, just because one person did not think I would be able to do it, did not mean that I could not.

College is such a stepping stone in life. It's going out there and carrying on with your life. My parents can't take care of me forever and it's my time to go out there and live. So far it's been a huge adjustment, I moved away from home, and had to take on a whole new lifestyle. At first it was a difficult adjustment because everything changed in one night. All the sudden I was on my own. I was living in a different place without my family with all new people. It's been valuble to attend though, I've already learned so much. It teaches you a lot of responsibility and time management. It takes responsibility because no one is there to tell you to do your work or study, it's all up to you and if you don't take the time to study you'll pay for it, literally. I've met so many new amazing people and am living in a beautiful city. College is hard, but if you work for it, you will make it.

I have attained so much knowledge about myself, others, and the way we all manage money while attending college that I would never regret this experience. I have been able to explore what motivates me , at what point I crack under pressure, how I should and shouldn't manage my time and money, and how I affect others under stress. With a couple years left there is still much to learn, but college creates this unique environment of pressure and support that will inevitably cause growth.

Continuing my education has baited me. It gave me a taste for meat and made me hungry for the rest of that big world out there. I love learning all that I can. It has helped me to realize the big and great things that are out there. I really can do great things and I have been blessed to have the tools to get there. It's going to be long and it is going to be tough at times, but just because it is not going to be easy does not mean that it's not going to be worth it! I have tasted success and independence in small fractions, I can only imagine what the future holds. Just thinking about the beauty I can contribute to the world humbles me to no end. College can take me straight there. It can all be possible; I just need to reach out and grab it! I'm going to grab everything I love by the hand and run headfirst into the rest of my life. I cannot wait!

In my first term in Portland State University, I learned how valuable time is. Timing was the biggest obstacle on my way this previous term. At the beginning of the term, I spent much time wondering around the campus and making friendships than doing my homework. However, my advisor suggested attending procrastination workshops. There where I learned how to manage it by planning the time to finish school work allowed to mange my life as a college student and an adult. Using a planner and a calendar helped me keeping a track of my school work. Having fun with friend is not a terrible thing, but finishing the important things in school comes before spending time socializing and making friendships. Planning school time is the best way to succeed in school, and still have much time for life outside the school.

My college experience has been valuable because I have been exposed to people and opportunities that are not available elsewhere. There is limited room for advancement in the workforce without an education, and employees are often treated as disposable and replaced often. The university environment has been structured to ensure fairness and idealism, which is a novel experience after struggling in the 'real world' for so many years. Also, within my department, there is a sense of unity and kinship that I believe is rare in most fields. The experience asssociated with being around people with similar interests and aspirations, people who just 'get it', has been reinvigorating. I feel I learn from the other students often, and we collectively have a great deal of support from the faculty. I have enjoyed the college experience so much that I plan to attend graduate school and pursue a masters degree. The education I have been, and will continue to recieve, both in and out of the classroom, will hopefully prove itself invaluable in the formation of my future and pursuance of a higher quality of life.

College has taught me how important the learning experience is, in order to move forward in life as an individual and as a society we have to learn from our mistakes and look at the whole picture. College allows you to learn about what inspires you from different prespectives so that maybe one day you can take that knowledge a step further in order to create a better life. You meet so many different people that it allows your mind to be more open so that you can be a better person. It is valuable to go through this exsperience because college helps you grow intellectually and as a person in general; it is a learning experience that you cannot not achieve anywhere else and allows our community's to grow.

The most valuable thing I have gained so far from my college experience is that everyone is different, and that everyone has got an oppinion on everything. Therefore I believe that what I have gained thus far is wisdom, I now have the patience to not just hear, but actually listen and appreciate the oppinions of others around me. Beyond the fact that college is place for people to gain knowledge, I think it has been valuable for me to attend college because I believe that this is the place where I've grown the most, and gained a good sense of self.

I've only been in college for a month, but I think the most valuable thing I've learned is how to manage my time on my own. There is so much more freedom, and I'm responsible for making sure all the things I need to do get done without anyone halping or reminding me. It's a little scary, but very liberating.

What I have been gotten out of my experience is how independent I have become. I used to depend on a lot of people like teachers or my parents but with this university that is not the case. It was a big leap and a tough transition but it is vital because in a few years I will be on my own. It helps you for the road ahead.

I haven't attended my college for very long....but what little I've seen and done around campus has definitely awakened my interest. The students and faculty all have a deep desire to learn, to create, to explore. There's no end to the available classes and activites at Portland State, and there is always something new and different to try. I love the easy-going spirit of the place, it keeps me relaxed in high-stress situations, and I love the helpful attitude of everyone who works or attends PSU. So far in my limited college experience I have discovered a love of learning, something I didn't have in years past, and has not only made my experience more entertaining, but has shown me the over-all value of learning. Portland State has inspired me to explore, to question, to persevere, and most importantly, to enjoy all life has to offer.

As a returning student (I didn't start till I was 38) I had no idea what school would do for me. I only knew it was a goal I wanted for myself. Having an education has changed the way I look at the world, interact with people, operate in my daily life, and has given me the opportunity to provide options for others to see their way out of the box of ignorance. I can not say enough about the benefits of having an education. I still continue friendships, and opportunitites developed during my years of education.

I have learned so much about my field of study it blows my mind, also through hard courses that demand a lot of work I have become a stronger person who isn't afraid of deadlines. I know I can do it and do it well. I thought I would be in school forever but through their programs I will be able to finish sooner then I thought with the tools I need to be very sucessful in life and a strong chance of being hired and desired by employers.

Out of my college experience I have gotten a higher degree of education and a greater respect for learning and of those pursuing their goals, not only through mental development but thorough personality and character development as well. It is an honor and a value to attend college because in doing so, dreams of the future are increasingly attainable. With education comes knowledge, ideas, enlightenment and hope which could very well change the way we exist.

My college experience as a whole has been very unique to the average college student. I have attended 3 Universities. The first of which was Dillard University in New Orleans, LA. My first year at Dillard was fantastic! I met all types of people from all walks of life and I knew that if that was just the beginning, the future was going to be amazing. Little did I know what the future held for me. August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit and I was forced to evacuate. Everything that I had worked so hard for in high school was taken away. I can't even explain the devastation. Several of my peers died in the hurricane, I lost everything, had no money, no place to go. You may be wondering why this is valuable to my college experience? I learned to not take college for granted. I learned to enjoy every step of the way, enjoy each experience and the friends you make because it can be taken away so easily. College is so valuable and it is important to live the college experience to its full potential.

With only a 10th grade education and a G.E.D. I knew there was not much for me to do out there. It was not until I started to work at a treatment center for juveniles that I decided what I really wanted to do with my life. Getting to know those kids and hear their stories made me want to do more with my life. I want to show them that you can do better for yourself even if you had a difficult childhood. I am now 24 and have enrolled in ITT Technical Institute. I am going to get an Associate?s Degree in Criminal Justice, then a Bachelor?s degree in Criminal Justice. My dream is to become a juvenile probation officer. The main question they ask you is ?Why do you deserve a scholarship??. For me that is a hard question to answer. There are many students who did well in high school that may ?deserve? a scholarship. I do not believe that because I decided to take a different route to graduation that it should be harder for me to get an education