Saint Cloud State University Top Questions

The most important aspect that college has offered me is the responsibility to make my own decisions. I have become more independent by attending college. I have the freedom to make my own choices even if those choices help me prosper or not. I am able to learn from both the positive and negative choices I make and see how those choices affect me. I feel that the best way to learn something is to experience it for oneself. I have been able to set reasonable goals for myself and achieve them. I understand that I can work my way through my undergraduate studies to attend grad school and study what interests me the most. I am interested in gaining valuable experience of how the brain works and what happens when it malfunctions. I am proud of myself to achieve a status that the rest of my family doesn’t have. College has also provided me with a valuable social network. I have the ability to interact with fellow students to enrich my learning experience. Interacting with other students also gives me insight to different points of view and helps me understand both my view and others’ through constructive criticism.

My college experience has been a lot better than I had hoped for. I didn't truly want to come to SCSU at first, but it was cheaper and closer to home in case my mother needed me. However, somehow it has become a great choice. I entered the campus with a force stronger than ever. I started working immediately on campus at the recreation center and signed up to be on the Rowing Team (a sport I had never even heard of before then). My social life and free time center around the two of those now. I have made life time friends, found a passion for a sport and made professional connections that will help me after college. I also have become involved in the multicultural and fitness programs on campus that has led me to an Anthropology minor and a level of fitness I have never reached before.

College has taught me the importance of time management so that I can have fun with friends and still get information from my classes. At first the thought of having to pay thousands of dollars for my education seemed ridiculous, but now I see that it will be worth it later on in life so that I can get a good job. College can bring me the oppurtunities to travel the world, and also meet people from all over the world. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had not gone to college. I would probably still be working at McDonald's.

Through my first semester here at SCSU I'm already really beginning to understand the importance of a good, solid education. I've met many people who are going to be an aid to me in my college career and I'm positive that I have the potential to go above and beyond with the support available. One of the main things I've really taken from being here is knowing that you have to get involved to set yourself apart from other people. Getting involved either in volunteer work or in student clubs and organizations is an excellent way for someone to build a resume and to ensure success after college.

I began my college experience in Fargo, North Dakota at North Dakota State University. It was a nice school, but I just didn't feel like I fit in. I tranferred after my freshman year, back to my roots, in St. Cloud, MN to St. CLoud State University. I grew up in this city and everything I know and love is here. I have a great family and friend support system. Beyond that, I have an amazing school support system. I have several professors with whom I keep in contact with here at SCSU. They are truly concerned with my academic success and are always making sure I am stay on track for graducation. I have made many friends in my classes that have been of much help to me. I have learned so much about becoming a teacher and all aspects of my field. I have grown as a professional and feel ready for whatever life throws my way. I am now an active volunteer in the schools in my community and I want to continue to be more active in my community. College has made me into a more accpeting and mindful person.

I was accepted into the Honors Program at St Cloud State University in the fall of 2010. I have found the experience to be intellectually challenging and personally enriching. The faculty and staff have been very accessible and offer support when needed. The wide variety of classes gives the ability to choose classes that are interesting to me as an individual. Living on campus offers convenience and accessibility to be active in campus life. I have met people from around the world and developed friendships that I will value for years to come. I recently participated in a service project for “Kids Against Hunger”. The project involved me and fellow students assembling care packages that were sent to a third world country to combat hunger. This experience was a very interesting and rewarding. I have many goals and dreams for life. Meeting people, traveling and continuing my education are all important to me. Most of all I would like to make an impact on my community and beyond. I believe my education and experiences at St Cloud State University will help me achieve goals.

My college experience has taught me alot about myself. I've learned tons beyond the classroom about what i really want out of life. Since beginning i have learned that my so called dream job when i was younger isn't really what i would want to be for the rest of my life. I'm now set i want to be in the law enforcement field because i love to help other people. I feel it is valueable to attend because more then just learning the requirements for class you learn to widen you perpective in life and be accepting toward diversity.

So far through college, I have gotten aquainted with how it is different from high school. After completing one semester, I know now that professors are every accomodating. Professors are also every easy to contact and get ahold of to help on assignments. I have also gotten to know the campus through campus activities, such as intermural sports and being apart of community council. Being able to help the campus while I attend it for the next four to five years will only benefit me. I look forward to graduating from St. Cloud State with a quality education and many memories.

My college experience has been a rewarding and trivial time. During these years I have been a full time student, part-time student and working full time and many other combinations. I have found that the balancing school, work and personal life is very challenging but highly attainable. Taking courses in college is very similar to having 4 different jobs a semester. You have to learn to work with your professor and learn their most important values in order to succeed. Each teacher is different as well. These lessons have been valuable to me in my daily life as well as in my academic career. College has taught me patience in communicating my needs with a variety of different people; perseverance in my goals as a whole and in each class; the ability to acclimate myself with others easily.

There are so many wonderful experiences I have gotten from attending college! The most significant is cultural diversity. Growing up in a small town of white, middle class students, I was never exposed to anyone different than myself. Attending college at SCSU has opened my eyes to what the world holds! It has also inspired me to be active in the community. Since I began school I have volunteered in a preschool class and really tried to give back to the community in anyway I can. I love to work with other students, and I think it has been valuable to learn from their experiences. Throughout my life, while I was growing up, my father always told me that getting an education was the most important thing that I would ever do for myself. And now that I am in the middle of my undergraduate degree and beginning to research graduate programs across the country, I am so thankful for that little piece of advice.

In my experence, my attendance in college has shown me that a college education is extremely important. Many individuals of all ages are attending college. Many are unemployed and are needing to make a career change and go back to school. I am in my thirties now and have had a hard time finding well-paid positions that don't require a degree. I am finding they are far and few between. The medical industry is one of the only industries that will never go away, decrease, or go bankrupt. I also love to work with and help people. That is why I have chosen to attend college. The future is uncertain, especially with our economy being in the condition it is. A college education is going to be life-saving in a sink-or-swim environment. I have sacrificed much in order to attend college, and consider it a blessing to have the opportunity to attend. Thank you for your consideration.

The most important thing I have gotten out of my college experience so far is time management. When you manage your time, everything seems to fall into place. When you plan and know what you are doing with your time, your stress melts away. It may sound cheesy to other college kids, but if you asked them, they would probably say the same. Even if you are setting time aside to play video games or going out with your friends, you know the time that you are allowing for yourself before you get down to business and do the best you can on your work for school. St. Cloud State University has some great classes to help students learn time management.

College is the doorway to so many opportunities and experiences that it would be ill advised not to attend. The Life lessons one learns at an institute of higher education is an opportunity to try new things or attempt what they thought impossible. College is the time for a student to decide what they want to be when they grow up or what they may be interested in. It opens so many paths, that were once only open to a select few, and gives a student the tools necessary to strive for their goals and reach them. In college, so far, I have rediscovered myself and found that I am enthusiastic about business and learning the ins and outs of the business world. College is a time of change and a time to learn, when i recieve my 4 year degree... then I will know the true value of my experience.

In the beginning of my college career I did not care to take it seriously. I would skip class, not put in enough time and effort, and I simply wouldn't care to do any of the work. After failing a course because of this and it hitting me that I wouldn't have to be paying for this course again if I cared originally. I took some time off from school and became a Flight Attendant for a while. Soon after I realized that I valued an education and needed to continue on with mine. I finally got serious and focused and have gotten so much out of it. I have learned that professors are very good at helping you succeed and go into the world as someone that they taught to be better. College courses are so valuable to attend not just because of the money that would get wasted if you don't but it's for yourself. Knowledge is power and the more I know the more brain power I have which only betters myself and my future.

On February 20th, 2010 I was involved in a car accident. I was driving back home from a high school state swim meet with three friends in the car. I hit black ice merging onto the highway and crossed into traffic heading in the opposite direction. The two girls in the back seat, Rachel Revolinski and Leah Bolin, were injured and the girl sitting next to me, Natalie Bolin, was killed. I spent a month in the hospital, three weeks of which I cannot remember, and was told that due to my traumatic brain injuries I couldn't finish high school. Despite what the doctors had said, my parents allowed me to return to school. I was able to graduate from high school, but only on a pass/fail basis. Considering that I had been accepted to St. Cloud State and committed to the swim team I made up my mind to give it a try. After the first semester I am proud to say that I have received a 3.51 GPA. If I had not made the decision that I had I would never have recovered my confidence and I have my college experience to thank for that.

So far in school, I've gotten a lot more out of it than one would expect. I've met and befriended some people that I never thought I would be friends with. For example, people from different cultures and backgrounds. I've learned to have more of an open mind and I am teaching others and my family to do the same. College has given me a whole new outlook on life as far as trying to better society. Through volunteering, social issues classes, and real life experiences, I've learned that one person can do a lot in this world. If I've learned this much just in one semester, who knows what I will accomplish in four years! That is, if I can afford it!

I don't think I would be nearly as motivated nor as driven as I am today, had I not left home to attend Saint Cloud State. Living away from home really drove home the point, more than anything else, that I am no longer a child and that I must strike out in the world to carve out a niche of my own if I want to survive. A huge part of my growth as a person here at college was learning exactly what the value of a dollar is. I got my first job here, to help pay for expenses, and the long hours I would sometimes work, combined with the time I would have to squeeze in to get my coursework done as well, really opened my eyes to the seriousness of financial responsibility. This was especially noticeable when I would compare how much work it took to make a minimum wage paycheck with the massive cost of tuition. On a lighter note, my college experience has really helped me open up to other people. Be it work, class, or interacting in the dorm, I have really opened up to people, and embraced my fellow man.

it was good because i had the opertunity to learn more while enroled and will end up with a licensed usable degree that will allow me to get a job in a field that i enjoy.

Over my college career I have learned many important contributions to life. It is very important to have friends and it is also very helpful to be optimistic about your future. Friendship and networking can get you’re a long way in life but it is also important to not rely on those things solely. It is also very important to attend class, and do research on classes and their professors before you register for them.

The average college freshman gains about 20 pounds that first year. My freshman year, I lost that 20 pounds. During my college experience, I have become a more motivated individual. I am motivated to stay in shape but also, be involved. In high school, I got lost in the crowds. I was an average student with no leadership roles. I understand now that I was fighting with depression. But in college, I stood out. I excelled in my classes, in my social life and took on four leadership roles in my second year. My attitude has changed completely. I am a nicer person and more fun to be around then I ever was in high school. My college experience has defined me as a person, and made me a better one. The college experience saved my life. Attending college was the best choice I made in my life. I learned how to deal healthily with my depression, become a leader on campus, be an activist, and be involved in the surrounding community. I will take a lot from college and I hope that my leadership roles follow me throughout life, as well as, staying involved in my community for life.