A Word of Advice From CSU Seniors

Walking onto a college campus can be scary, learning to become an adult can be hard but mastering the ability to embrace the uncomfortable and cherish the experiences could be the most difficult but most rewarding.

70% of students at Colorado State University graduate in six years or less, which means

that students were able to push through the difficulties that college and college life bring. They were able to experience all the rewards of hard work and perseverance.

Year after year, seniors at CSU have paved the way for current and new students to succeed and have a little fun along the way. They didn’t have it figured out all the time but they learned a few things along the way that helped them.

Jessica Sherwood senior studying Biomedical Sciences and honors student said “I wish I knew that to have friends you need to be a friend. You need to reciprocate. Be the friend first.”

A place can feel like home with the people you surround yourself with. Friends aren’t always the easiest to make especially in college but like Sherwood realized and learned, it takes both sides.

Making friends is the first crucial step to conquering college and Emily Baller senior at the university, majoring in Business Administration, said “the different people I got to meet changed how I think and see the world.”

Community seems to be one of the major highlights that this year’s senior class values the most. After having the middle of their college experience interrupted by covid, a lot of seniors emphasized how important community is to success and surviving college.

College isn’t just a time to learn about something you’re passionate about. The next four, three, or even one more years of college are a time for you to grow and become a better version of yourself. It’s a time to have fun and explore. Seniors Scott Maclean, Sydney Ritschard, Ashley Butler, Baller and Sherwood listed their top favorite activities and events for students to do at Colorado State to experience during their time here.

• Lighting ceremony in Old Town

• Watch a sunrise/sunset at Horsetooth

• Tour de Corgi

• Kazy Karls Pizza

• Sports on the Intramural Fields

• Studying in the Lory Student Center

• Study Abroad

• Try as many coffee shops and restaurants as you can.

• Learn the Fight Song

“I was told to try three clubs/activities in the first week. This was incredibly helpful advice because it gave me a sense of the things I could plug into and where I could find friends,” Butler a Social Work major said, “I did not end up sticking with two of the things I tried, but I had one place to connect in the first few weeks.”

Being present and willing to try new things is important. “Even if it’s uncomfortable,” said Ritschard, senior studying Business Administration.

These seniors didn’t stop when it got hard they embraced all that college and CSU had to offer them. They had ups and downs throughout the way but they are only a few months shy of finishing college and ending this chapter in their lives. The advice given supports the life they lived here at CSU and the emphasis on friends and community seems to be an important way to help students embrace the uncomfortable and difficult task of adulting.

“Everyone else is trying to figure it out. No know knows it all.” Scott Maclean, Chemical & Biological Engineering senior at Colorado State University.

One of the many sunrises one can see when they take a trip up to Horsetooth. This photo was taken by Aja Hogan.