Give College The Ol’ College Try

Day 97


My college experience extends to two different colleges: Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado; and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS).

A nice variety of classes: Humanities, Speech and...Bowling III?!

(sounds like a movie, huh?)

Growing up I had it stuck in my head that I would go to either BYU or Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho). After graduating from high school I had a completely different plan, as I did not apply for any scholarships and I had only a small amount saved away for college. I went to Aims, after considering that in-state tuition is less expensive than out-of-state tuition, that the Aims campus was not very far from home , and that my grade point average and ACT score qualified me for Aims.

I’m sure there are varied opinions about community colleges, but for me it was a great scholastic experience. I was fortunate that I could afford to pay for my tuition and books for my duration (although my parents did pay for one quarter, as a Christmas gift!) You would think that because I paid for my education I was a dedicated student…and you’d be right…sort of. I worked hard and earned good grades, even making the Dean’s List a few times. But I also ditched classes on occasion, enjoying the freedom of being able to pick and choose and not face expulsion or detention (like what would have happened in high school).

I graduated from Aims with an Associates Degree in Psychology, and when I moved to Colorado Springs I planned on earning my Bachelors Degree in Psychology by enrolling at UCCS. I began attending in 1997, taking classes in the evening because I worked from 9 to 5 at USRA. Working full time and then having classes in the evening soon took a toll on me. I don’t know how others do it, and to them I say “way to go!” I admire their dedication and determination. But I just got burned out with the experience. Taking classes at night did not fit with me, because I would struggle to stay alert during lectures. I’d feel like a zombie, going directly from work to school, coming home late, studying and doing homework, and then facing work in the morning. I’d have classes every other day, so there was some recovery time, but otherwise it was draining to me.

Now that's the face of an enthusiastic college student.

What was I majoring in? MUG SHOTS?!

Also, I took some fascinating Psychology classes at Aims and a few at UCCS before I started taking more mandatory classes related to my major, such as Introduction to Statistics (a math class--oh noooooo!!) I thought I could avoid math by majoring in Psychology, but apparently math is like the common cold: you can’t run away from it or avoid it. I got a ‘B’ in this class, though, and so I thought the worst was behind me…but instead there were other undesirable classes in store for me. And at the same time I was finding myself burned out on Psychology. I didn’t enjoy learning all facets in this field because I really just wanted to focus on the counseling side; I wasn’t interested in research or aptitude tests.

Suffice it to say, I eventually dropped out. A part of me always regrets not finishing what I started, especially when other family members have. Josh earned his Bachelors Degree in Communication at UCCS (and he did this while working full time AND helping to raise a family of many kids) and my brother-in-law Daniel earned his Masters in Business, also at UCCS (and he did this while working full time AND helping to raise a family). My dad earned his Bachelors Degree in Business at Utah State University (he graduated in 1972). I'm so proud of them for their accomplishments! And then there’s me--what’s my deal?

What I can say is that I did give it the ol’ college try (as the saying goes) and while I didn’t go as far as others in my family did, I managed to gain an education, gain some experience, and I can keep that with me always.