SUNY Cortland Top Questions

From my college I have learned to be open-minded, I have learned to get rid of my biases and accept everyone for who they are and not for who I want them to be. I have leaned not to reject anyone because of their background especially their race, I used to favor black people, but going to a predominantly white school has taught me a lot about white people and not to discriminate against them. I have learned to come out of my comfort zone to be able to meet people and enjoy my life. I no longer have prejudices or anything like that. I have learned so many things, but the most important one is that I have learned not to doubt my self. I used to be insecure about whatever I do, especially since I have only been in America for 4 years and I'm still learning english. The fact that I have been excelling in school has showed me that I do not need to speak English as well as the native, I just have to work hard and be persistent and I will make it through anything.

My college experince is not the traditional way of how most students attend a university. For my freshmas year I attended a different university 3000 miles from my home. While my experiences at my first school, University of San Diego, were ones that I truely treasure, it was not the right fit for my desires and my budget. Deciding to transfer to SUNY Cortland is a decision that i feel i will not regret in the long run. Even with transfering and having to readjust to new environments, my college experience is one that I would not change for anything. I have made life long friends and gained knowledge about the world and myself that I otherwise would have never know. Throughout my year and a half at college thus far, I have learned who I really am as an individual and become proud of that person. College has given me an unmeasurable amount of confidence in my self and my capabilities that I plan to carry with me throughout the rest of my education and my life.

Overall, I would descirbe my college experiance as being a very dynamic hands-on learning journey that I could not picture the women I have come to be without. There are many reasons why my college experience has been valuable to my life. The most important, not to mention the reason I enrolled in college, the fact that I feel prepared to enter graduate studies. I feel as though I have recieved a great education and have met great people in the social sciences along the way (even if it was not neccesarily at SUNY Cortland). Another thing I treasure that I would not have had the chance to be grateful for without my college experiance is the family I have made while attending. I have met wonderful individuals that I know will be life-long friends. The professors I have gotten the chance to get to know on a personal level is also another aspect of college I value. My college experience has given me exaclty what it was sopposed to; courage, determination, and confidence to go out into the world knowing who I am and what I want to accomplish.

Hi, I am 27 years old; I grew up in Truckee CA I moved to Reno NV after I graduated in 2001. I came here thinking I knew everything to be living on my own. Little did I know what the world had in store for me. I got mixed up with the wrong people and made bad decisions. I ended up in some legal troubles and was put into a drug court program. After a long road and some soul searching I made a life changing choice to come to college and stopped being the person I hated. I graduated the program, cleaned up my past and began my future. Today I am proud to tell you I am an ambassador at Truckee Meadows Community College. I am studying criminal justice, currently I am a sophomore. I believe my past has fueled my future. My experience as a student has shaped me to be a well rounded educated person. I enjoy seeing myself do positive things while learning. I plan to continue my studies at a university after getting my associates degree. The most valuable aspect of college for me is giving back to the community and encouraging others.

I am just starting college after a 10 year absence. I am very excited about the program I am going to be doing! I have been a stay at home mom for the past 4 years and my husband is a self-employed General Contractor. My goal is to complete an Interior Architecture & design program to help my family. I will be able to offer services to my husband?s company and also be able to feel a sense of accomplishment in being able to provide for my family. I know that my going back to college will set a wonderful example to my 2 small children. I am really looking forward to the knowledge that I will gain from this experience and then be able to apply it in the real world.

I am part of APAC (Aids Prevention and Awareness Committee), part of the Planning Committee for SUNY Cortland's First Annual Conference for Diversity and Social Justice this year; a member of Spectrum, the Gay-Straight Alliance at Cortland, and was a model in 2 fashion shows that raised money for Haitian Relief and an all girls school in Africa. All of these things and more have helped me in getting the most out of my college career. These organizations all help others, which is something I strongly believe in. I don't think anyone can be a productive member of society without having an urge to help others ? which is why I want to teach. It has been valuable for me to attend Cortland because it's a very close knit community, and if it was a bigger school, I don't think I would have gotten as involved, because I wouldn't have known where anything was or when meetings were. Cortland is also the best school in the SUNY system, and the Northeast, for teaching, therefore giving me a great advantage over other teachers because when someone sees Cortland on a transcript, they automatically thing teaching.

From SUNY Cortland I have really been able to put myself in situations and among people I never would have had the opportunity to before. I have pushed myself to do things such as try certain clubs or intramural activities. Cortland invites everyone to try anything they would like. Normally SUNY Cortland is known for it's athletics and physical education majors, however, I am a community health major and I fit right in. Many of my friends are in majors such as Criminology, Math education, sports training, and even in graduate program for medical. The campus is close to downtown and beautiful, insight of mountians and green hills. I have made great friends at Cortland, ones that will outlast my school years and I have learned many valuble lessons and I am only a freshman. I cannot wait to see what else I try, who else I meet, and what else is there for me to learn.

Be social, get involved. There are scholarships that depend on it and it really helps to have friends to see you through. It's OK to try different things and to go to college not sure of what you want to be. It's OK to be a kid for another 4 years.

I would of told myself to work harder in school and receive better grades. I think sometimes i did not work as hard as i could of. But other than that i wouldnt tell myself anything else. I like new things and new experiences and i adjust to new things well.

I would tell myself to make many friends from all cultures, but make sure that you balance your social life with your academic life. For example, do not forget about the readings that your professor assigns. You have to read to succeed in school, because if you do not you will be behind and it will be very hard to catch up with the rest of the class. I would also tell myself to get more involved in on campus activities. You can make many life long friends on campus and have a great time. This also helps pass the time on the weekend, as it is a way to have fun without alcohol. Dont go to school looking to party. Instead, go to school looking for friends, a new outlook on life, and direction towards your future. With this information, you can get the most out of your college experience and make your life long goals a reality.