University of Northern Colorado Top Questions

I absolutely loved all of the one-on-one interaction I had with my professors, and it is what I've missed the most about school since my graduation a year ago. In my time out of school (and in the work force), I have increasingly found myself wishing to return to school, and so I am hoping to begin graduate studies in the next semester or two, depending on how quickly I can pay off my loans. The opportunity to submit my paper (and have it accepted)to be presented at a professional academic conference a few months after my graduation was a thrilling experience, which has remained unmatched in the joy I found in sharing my research with people I hope to one day call my peers. By continuing my studies at the graduate level, I look forward both to continued interaction with new professors and the chance to grow in my research, writing and communication skills, in addition to passing along my love for learning to the future generations of students who will follow me. In the meantime, I continue to use my communication degree on a daily basis as I interact with a variety of people.

A voracious reader since the age of four, I have always loved learning! I dreamed of going to college, and planned to become a teacher someday. At nineteen I met my husband, and all those plans were put on hold. Over the next 30+ years, I married, raised a family, taught art as a school volunteer, and worked with community organizations using my artistic talents; eventually starting my own business as a muralist and decorative artist. After nearly 20 years, though, I came to the conclusion that I didn't want to spend the next 20 years on a ladder. My vision was wider than that, and the dream of a college education began to resurface. So, with butterflies in my stomach, I headed back to the classroom in the fall of 2009. I became a full-time student, earning a 3.95 GPA, volunteered as a writer for the campus newspaper, worked as an Anthropology tutor, and as an editor for the annual campus literary magazine- which included two of my own essays! I am also VP of Scholarship for Phi Theta Kappa this school year. Returning to college has been everything I hoped- and so much more!

College is very "black and white," the student has every ability to do well, or lacks the motivation to do anything with excellence. I have watched several of my friends fall behind in their studies upon realization that they aren't forced to attend classes. I firmly believe that doing well in college is designed to give you two things: the first being priorities. If the individual does not set specific time out of his or her day for studying and understanding the material given in class or in text books, the student can easily fall behind in the classes, which leads most students to drop out. The other lesson college gives its students is time management. Students are to learn useful material, but fail to do assignments. These two "life lessons" implemented by college is something I have realized early in the semester, and have seen its evident excellence after completely the semester. College is designed to give students intellectual information (classroom instruction, text book learning, etc.), however the personal benefits of completing assignments on time and manifesting time into a task is the real "jewel" college allows students to take for their benefit.

College has welcomed me with open arms. Coming from a military family, I have always yearned to find a place that I can settle down, without the constant fear of being reassigned. The University of Northern Colorado has provided me with that safe haven, while broadening my horizions of the vast amount of diversity within a college campus. I have made connections that will last a lifetime and am recieving an amazing education, one that my own parents were unable to take advantage of. Because I have immersed myself in the Honors program, the Presiential Leadership Program, and a variety of community service projects, I have developed the tools for leadership and success. My college experience has opened my eyes to amazing new things and encouraged me to change the world with my education. I have deteremined I will become a Speech Language Pathologist with a focus in pediatrics. College has provided me with a steady path that I can follow in the future. The invaluable things I learn here will forever be in my heart and mind, pushing me to follow my dreams.

I have found out that you do not have to be the smartest or the richest person to go to college. I came into college thinking that it would be so hard. The way my high school taught us prepared us so much for college that it's not as bad or the work is not as hard as I originally thought. I have experienced traditional classes and online classes. They are very different. I am at a community college now and I am hoping to attend a university in the fall. So far I have gained so much more respect for college students because those extra years are very time consuming. The fact that I can go and work towards the degree in my choosing is motivation that keeps me going everyday. The value I put on college is the set up for my future. I think it will make my job search a lot easier and my money a lot longer. It helps me appreciate things more because I worked for them myself and college was the foundation.

What i have gotten out of my college experience is that I have created a lot more friends and I have become a lot more self reliant. I am able to depend on myself more and not lean on my parents as much. It has been valuable to attend because I have learnt a lot about myself that I would have never learnt if I had stayed at home.

Even though I have only been in college for one semester, I have learned so much. In the past 15 weeks, I have learned what it is like to be truly broke; to have only 15 dollars to your name. I have learned how to manage my time more efficently and cut down on the time I spend mindnumbingly sitting on Facebook. I've learned that you have to take responsibility for your actions now, that mommy and daddy cannot call your professor to complain about your grade. You have to be the adult, and take the initiative for what you want; to go out into the world and get what you want. Nothing is going to be handed to you on a silver platter. It requires time and lots of hard work, but in the end, it will all be valuable. It is your future, afterall.

Before I came to UNC I was a person that did not believe in myself, had no self esteem, always kept my opinion to myself and didn't really have any friends. For the last 3 years I have grown into a person that is not afraid to share my opinion, say hello to strangers, ask teachers for help, or just be myself without any worry of others judging me. I am a Supervisor at our Subway on campus, CO. V.P. of Projection for the Internetional Film series and a social accet to multiple departments on campus. This school has taught me to embrace who I am and using my strengths to become the person I want to be while giving me the knowledge that will make me successful and happy within my life and career. I would not have any other college. Thank you for considering me. Sincerely, Amber Hahn

I have been able to experience life as a college student and value my education more and more as I attend class. I am the first in my family to even have the chance to attend college and I am trying to make the best of it. I have been able to learn new things that I will carry on with my education and hope to further it.

College has a very difficult transition for me. My finacial disadvantage caused me to lose out on going to my dream and end up settling for community college for this year. Academically, college has not been to difficult. I took AP courses that helped me transitition to the level of difficulty and work load. I have really enjoyed that freedom that come with college. I have the creavtive option to choose when I go to school and how many classes I get to take. I love the fact that I can have an interesting conversation with whom ever I meet! College, to me, will mean a lifetime of not having to struggle to find a job or settle for anything that comes my way. Having a education will get me further than I can describe. Overall winning this scholarship will give me the motavation to transfer back to my dream college and relieve me of finacial stress and worry that my educatoin has put on my mother and sisters.