University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Top Questions

My college experince has giving me the knowlede to excel as the smartest dive instructor on most islands. And now after 5 years away I am ready to go back to school for social work and put my education to good work.

I appreciate my college experience. I have gotten a wonderful education. I have made some close friends, and experienced college life. Mainly, out of my college experience I have learned a lot about diversity. Growing up in the same place and same environment my whole life, I moved to Denver rather close-minded. After meeting people, attending college for 2 years, and working at an off-campus job in downtown Denver, I have opened up to different lifestyles, cultures, enviorments, and views on life politically and socially. I can easily say the best quality I have gotten through my college experience would be how much it has made me grown as a person. It has been valuable to attend this college to teach me these objectives through a variety of courses and through the people I have met. Another reason I feel this college is valuable, is because the classes are no more then 30 students per class, which helps the teachers have more of a hands on relationship with their students. This also helps students feel more comfortable in their learning environment.

My college experience has brought me an understanding of different cultures and communities, along with a unique, non-traditional view of a university education. The University of Colorado at Denver is an accredited university located in the heart of downtown Denver that is home to many students of different ages and backgrounds. As mostly a commuter school, many students, including myself, opt to use public transportation to travel to and from school daily. CU Denver shares a campus with two other Colorado universities, creating a large student base with an incredibly diverse community. Because of this student body, I have gotten to know many people that I may not have encountered elsewhere. This has broadened my views and created a desire in me to interact with all kinds of people. My hopes are that this experience will encourage me to practice an inclusive worldview after college. In my field of education, this will mean involving every student no matter of their background to help them learn all that they can to develop into a future leader of this country, someone who can appreciate a diverse setting the same way that CU has helped me to do.

Dear Danielle, I want you to understand that although you are moving away from home--away from parents and rules--in the middle of a new, exciting city, your number one focus needs to be school. Rather then missing classes your first semester because you are under the ignorant belief that you deserve your "beauty rest," get up and go, classes are only an hour and fifteen minutes long. Going shopping to buy a great new outfit to wear to that party you were invited to or go to class? Not even a question, go to class. The party was not that great and the class you missed brought you a letter grade down. Those text books that you spent over two-hundred dollars on? Use them. Despite what you want to believe, just because you are out of your parent?s house, the conflict has not stopped and your brother and sister still need your support. Rather than neglecting to keep in touch and conveniently forgetting to call your mom, sister and brother back, call them--they need you. No boy, party or shopping trip is more important than school. Love, Danielle

Assume that I can go back in time and talk to myself as a senior, there are 3 things I would tell myself. First of all, take advantage of the challenging course that the school have and take advantage of your time while in high school. For example, I should take AP classes, colleges course if available in school; and know how to manage your time to study, relax, and for my other activities . The second advice would be that involve with the school and the community. Involve here means that join the clubs and participate in school activities, help and tutor my classmates if it possible because I learn while I teach; volunteer in the community to make it a better place to live and I can learn more experience for my life later on. The last but not least advice I would tell myself is that do not wait to the last minute to do the work. I should have in mind the college I want to attend and what career I see myself as in the future. Choose the path for my future wisely from what I best at.

If I could go back in time and give advice to my senior-self, I would tell myself to choose my college more carefully. Right now, I am not happy at the college I am at. It has not provided me with the educational or social experiences I wanted when I came to Denver. Because of that, I am transferring schools in the summer, and I have to take summer courses in order to catch up with the rest of my class at my new college. I looked carefully when I was looking for colleges with the degree program I wanted, but I did not look at the community closely. Now I am going to be majorly set back in my college career, and have to work overtime in order to graduate in four years.

the advice i would give myself would be to choose classes i would know i would enjoy, start early in scholarship and financial aid work, and dont underestimate college because it is nothing like high school.

Assuming I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I know now about college life and the transition, I would have definitely set my priorities better. I would've told myself to not procrastinate as much, as in college, procrastination really ends up in disaster. I would also give myself, the advice of being a more confident person in high school, so I could thus, in college be a more outgoing person and be able to fulfill all the success that I can whether it is in the classes that I'm in or socializing with my classmates that I see everyday. Everything else about college life and the transition, I already knew about from my constant research of the school.

First of all, the International Baccalaureate Program is definitely worth the effort. Make sure to do your research on the colleges that you are applying to so that you can see how many credits you can get from your AP and IB test scores. Oh and I can't emphasize enough that you should apply for as many scholarships as you possibly can. Once you receive your acceptance letters, visit the colleges and make sure you like the atmosphere, programs, places, and people that are there before making your final decision. Before registering for classes first semester, make sure to talk to your advisor(s) so that you can plan out when you will take certain classes to satisfy your major requirements. You really do not want to get behind without realizing it. Make sure to look into how credit hours work and how your GPA is calculated ahead if time, so you know what to expect when setting goals for yourself. Although your world is getting bigger and it may seem intimidating at first, do your best to get to know your teachers and your classmates. Take advantage of the opportunities and tools available to you, and have fun!

I was worried about making money when I was a senior. I would tell myself to take AP classes and take he SAT and ACT for an academic scholaship. Lord knows I had the wits to acomplish it. I would say that working now isn't as important as investing into your future. Once you catch the dream you will be paying out of your pocket to attain it. So, take your talents and use them wisely. Focus on what you want to be. Pick a career that you will love and enjoy. An old saying I use when I mentor youth... "Find a job you love and you will never work another day in your life."