Sophomore Connor 

I am a sophomore Health and Exercise Science student from Pennsylvania. Coming to Colorado State was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I am enjoy every aspect of college, ups and downs.

I'm still very pleased with where I am in my life at CSU in my second year. Things are getting a little busy, as they always do right before winter break. Last year around this time, I really wanted to go home to Philly to see all my friends and family for fall break, but this year I decided to stay in Colorado with my roommates (my best friends) and going up to the mountains all break. This is mostly because I don't feel like paying $300-400 for fall break, and then pay another $300-400 bucks 2 weeks later for winter break. I know a lot of people don't like how close the breaks are together. 

Academically, it would appear that all my grades are right on the borderline between A and B. This is how it always seems to work out towards the end of the semester. Meaning, I really have to be on my game in the 4th quarter of the semester, which is fine, just a little stressful. The break helps with the workload, though. I just have to spend more time in the library and less time in the gym. As we've been progressing through the holidays, starting with Halloween a couple weeks ago, my house has been getting kind of cold, but we're all a little hesitant to turn up the thermostat because that means the gas bill will go up a lot, and I think we'd all rather just deal with it. That's one of the major differences between living in the halls and living in a house. Every comfort that you gain in a house, comes out of your pocket: longer showers, more heat, more light, and more food all cost more money. Socially I've been meeting a lot of new people because of the fraternity I'm joining. It's hard finding time for all the friends I made last year, but it makes it easier to weed out the real friends from just the acquaintances.

I'm starting to play Intramural sports like dodgeball and basketball at the gym. It's a good way to stay active and competitive now that I'm not playing organized sports. I'm also planning on making a lot of trips up to the mountains this winter to snowboard, so I have to put time aside for that. On a scale of 1-10, I'd have to rate my second year experience right now an 8. Maybe it’s just because I'm writing this right after fall break but I feel good, a little stressed with all these grades coming down to the wire, but at least I had a chance to relax this past week.

    
Sophomore Courtney

I am a sophomore Sociology and Social Work double major from Michigan. I love Colorado State and my favorite part of Campus is the Oval, especially in the Fall. Along with being involved on campus, I enjoy spending time outdoors and hiking the mountains!


      Happy Halloween everyone! And happy beginning of November! May the countdown begin for Thanksgiving break, after this week we only have two more weeks of class to go! I hope all of you are having a great middle of the semester and are starting to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel for break. 

     As I walk across campus I have not been able to ignore all of the posters that are currently up promoting becoming an Orientation Leader or an Orientation Office Assistant with the OTP office on campus (sometimes covered in snow, sometimes glistening in the sun…figure it out, Colorado Weather!). Upon further research, I discovered that the office is currently hiring for leadership positions for next year. This got me thinking about my orientation experience. As an out of state student, I opted to come for a session the week before classes began to make my move-in as convenient as possible. I remember being welcomed to the university by a group of leaders who I truly looked up to as students who knew CSU like the back of their hands, and who were truly interested in sharing their experience with me. I remember aspiring to be a person like that simply because I could then feel pride in my university through and through. 

      I then began to think of the thousands of other leadership opportunities available on campus. CSU is one of those truly unique places in the amount of prospects it provides to its students who are looking to get involved. No matter what your fit or what level of involvement you are looking for, you can find it here. I think that many people forget that simply attending one of our football games or theatre performances counts as being involved on campus. You do not have to devote large portions of your time in order to show off some Ram Pride. 

     It was not until I became involved in the campus organizations that I am that I truly felt like I found my fit on campus. I was a bit lost my first year here because the extent of my college experience stretched from attending class and visiting the rec center for a work out every so often. I then decided to really push myself to get more involved in my experience and have since become involved with several campus organizations. Coming from me: that was the best decision I have ever made. We are all here to attend a great university and graduate with a degree. However, the college experience includes the learning that goes on outside of class as well. Campus organizations provided me with the leadership experience and self-growth that I will always look back on with fond memories of what college provided for me. 

      So, moral of this story: get involved! It doesn’t matter which way you do it, you can choose to stretch yourself and work with the Orientation office on campus if that sounds up your ally, join a club involved with your major, sign yourself up for an intramural team at the rec, or even just go and support some Ram athletics at one of our sporting events! Anyway, do whatever sounds like the right fit for you, but try to push yourself outside of your comfort level at the same time. I can guarantee you will not be disappointed and will have lasting memories because of it!