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Archive for the ‘ University Life ’ Category

 

Hamsters – The Perfect College Pet

April 25th, 2023
selective focus photography of brown hamste

For animal lovers, college can be a difficult time. Going to university likely means devoting the majority of one’s life to studying, tests, and essay writing. This has several implications; one of which being that a student might not have time for a dog or a cat. For me, this has been the reality of my schooling situation. Yet, I cannot even recall a time when there was not a dog in my home. As a friend once told me; a household is not complete without a dog. I imagine that many cat-people will say the same when it comes to cats. So, what can animal-loving, but very busy, college students... Read More

On Making the Leap: Tips for Being a New Student in Boulder  

August 19th, 2022
new student tips for CU Boulder

The transition into college can be difficult to negotiate, especially coming from Springfield, Missouri to Boulder, Colorado. It would be difficult to imagine two places so opposite to each other. While Boulder may not seem like a big place to everyone; especially when one considers that my hometown of Springfield contains a larger population than Boulder, it was a significant change of pace. As a new student, coming to Boulder was challenging. The city may be only moderately sized and quite dense in its geography, but the liveliness and brightness of it cannot be ignored. That, coupled with the... Read More

Take a Trip to Gurkhas On the Hill

March 3rd, 2022

Despite the fact that I have been a student at CU Boulder for a couple of years now, I have always had an aversion to the Hill. My dislike for the Hill is due to a number of reasons, and I feel that those reasons are somewhat reasonable. I have had a few bad experiences while in that area, and those experiences have absolutely turned me off of being around the Hill. However, I am beginning to understand that many of my unfortunate incidences are perhaps more isolated than I had previously believed. Despite this, I would also caution everyone against going to the Hill after dark and would tell them... Read More

Inexpensive Ways to Reduce Stress at CU Boulder

January 31st, 2022
woman sitting on bed with flying books

It is that time in the semester when stress spreads like a rampant plague through the ranks of the students at universities. We are right about halfway through the semester, and every week my workload seems to grow heavier and heavier. When I was a freshman in my first semester at college, I had no idea how to cope with this stress. I wish I’d known about some of the options available for students to reduce this anxiety. What I have come to learn is that there are a wide variety of resources available for college students, many of which are quite reasonably priced. Yoga I know how this must... Read More

Hidden Gems in Boulder: Tsing Tao Restaurant

January 18th, 2022

Boulder has a wide variety of hidden gems throughout the city sprinkled within corners which might be difficult to discover unless one has been living in Boulder for some time. As a Missouri native who only moved to Boulder a couple of years ago, it seems as though I am constantly discovering fabulous places in the city to enjoy. As a student, perhaps the most pressing issue on my mind is how to save money while still living my life as a Boulder citizen. I am always on the hunt for wonderful places in Boulder while staying within my budget. Another consideration I must make for myself when I go... Read More

Three Places to Visit on the CU Boulder Campus

January 10th, 2022
Places to Visit on the CU Boulder Campus

It would be nearly impossible to deny the immense size of CU Boulder. The university, which boasts a student population of just over 33,000, can be overwhelming for a new student. It will inevitably take a new student a few days to become truly acquainted with the campus. Yet the daunting nature of CU Boulder is not limited to new students alone. Becoming disorientated with the campus is something that even experienced students can face. As someone who is entering her second year at the campus, there are places and buildings on the campus that even I have not set foot in. For this upcoming fall... Read More

My Experience as an English major at CU Boulder

December 31st, 2021
grayscale photo of person reading book

My experience as an English major at CU Boulder has undoubtedly been a mixed bag. Every week my opinion varies when it comes to college. Some days I rejoice in my existence as a university student, other days I feel as though I am counting down the days until I am finally released from the bonds of school. My journey to attending CU Boulder has been quite the process, as I bounced around between a couple of schools before finally settling upon CU. When I first entered college, I was a psychology major in Kansas City at UMKC (the University of Missouri at Kansas City). I quickly became dissatisfied... Read More

In Defense of the Millennial

February 5th, 2021
grayscale photography of man

It has become a sort of joke to make fun of young people, especially Millennials; which tends to mean myself. Technically though, I was born just after the ‘cut-off’ date to be considered a Millennial, although the date changes consistently. As such, I am a member of Generation Z, iGen, or the Postmillennial Generation. Despite this, I have grown up and come of age with the concept of the Millennial Generation being lazy, disrespectful, and destroying the world with their magical smartphones. Because of the slightly muddy definition of which age-ranges are grouped into which generation,... Read More

Take a Visit to Fiske Planetarium

January 3rd, 2021
low angle photo of starry night

While the holidays are an enjoyable time for many, the same cannot necessarily be said for students. This time of year, for many a student, is filled to the brim with the stress of finals. However, as finals season comes to a close, there are a variety of ways for students to become immersed in the life at CU Boulder again. For those students who may be staying around the college after finals, there are a variety of activities to participate in. A favorite place of mine on campus is the Fiske Planetarium. Fiske is so fabulous that some people who have never been to the CU Boulder campus will come... Read More

The Reality of Alcohol Use in College Students

November 6th, 2020
Two women talking while holding drinking glasses

Of the many stigmatized issues that young people face, a significant one is the use and abuse of substances; which includes alcohol and other recreational drugs. As a full-time college student myself, I see how these issues plague my peers. I also see how these problems are not properly addressed in a university setting. As I watch my friends consistently struggle with the abuse of substances, I find myself becoming more and more frustrated. Many of my fellow students, a significant number of whom are not even twenty-one yet, have become dependent on alcohol. Nevertheless, we pretend as though... Read More

3 Places to Visit on “The Hill”

September 23rd, 2020
woman holding white ceramic teacup

Almost every student at CU Boulder has an opinion about “The Hill,” a very popular section of Boulder with shops and restaurant within walking distance from the university. Many students, including myself, will head over to “The Hill” between classes for a quick bite to eat or to grab a cup of coffee. However, “The Hill” is also infamous for having a wild party scene and being possibly dangerous after dark. Because of this, I cannot responsibly recommend going to ‘The Hill’ at night, especially if you are alone. However, I have been to ‘The Hill’ a number of... Read More

Help to Find Mikhal “Misha” Solok

April 10th, 2019

The community at CU Boulder has always prided itself on being connected and coming together in periods of trouble. In truth, I cannot think of a time more critical for the CU Boulder community to come together than for the case of Mikhal “Misha” Solok, who went missing in March and has not been heard of from his friend or family since then. Despite a number of tips which have been given to the police, none of the tips have led to authorities locating Solok. CU Boulder is a relatively large campus, with approximately 33,000 to 35,000 students attending from year to year. Being enrolled... Read More

View the International Film Series at CU Boulder

March 27th, 2019

A favorite event of mine which takes place at CU Boulder is the International Film Series, an event which features a widely diverse schedule. One of the most significant mistakes that one can make is to ignore the IFS while involved at the campus. It is vital that the International Film Series at CU Boulder is supported. It indeed is one of those programs that thrives off of student involvement; as such, keeping up to date on the schedule and what is being shown is very important. Here are some shows which are coming up at IFS that I believe one should mark on their calendar. The Man Who Fell to... Read More

Three Things to Do at CU Boulder Before Finals

March 20th, 2019

For some of us students, spring break is not a time for travel. Spring break may instead serve as a time of rest before the busy time of finals season begins. There are a variety of options when it comes to activities to participate in for anyone who may be staying around the CU Boulder area for spring break. Despite the fact that classes will stop for a few days, the campus itself continues. There are a few things one can do if they are not leaving the college for the break, and this extends beyond spring break and into that in-between time of post-spring break and pre-finals. Here are three things... Read More

4 Upcoming Activities at CU Boulder

March 6th, 2019

Spring break is looming on the horizon for CU Boulder. For the students who find themselves waiting in near desperation for the beginning portion of the semester to end and spring break to begin, my only true piece of advice would be to try and enjoy the time spent on the campus before we all find ourselves too busy with finals or too distracted by spring break to do so. A personal favorite way of doing this is by participating in the activities at the college, especially those activities that one might forget about during the busy semester. As such, I have compiled four events which a student... Read More

A Missouri Girl in a Colorado Snowstorm

February 6th, 2019

I feel that I should preface this by saying that once, while in high school, our superintendent canceled school for approximately a month because of some light ice and a few flurries of snow. When I say a month, I mean a month. We were off for so long that we had maxed-out our makeup days for the summer; this is a sharp contrast from the ice storm which left my entire town without power for approximately two weeks. That 2007 ice storm was so severe that a significant portion of our trees’ branches snapped from the weight of the ice after they were frozen over. It was a devastating experience... Read More

John Carpenter and the Beauty of Horror at CU Boulder

January 30th, 2019
group of people staring at monitor inside room

One of my favorite aspects of CU Boulder is IFS; the International Film Series which takes place each year with a fresh round of movies to be viewed on a professionally sized screening theatre. There is indeed something to be said for watching movies on ‘the big-screen’ as opposed to viewing them privately on individually sized devices such as a phone or computer. The collective experience of seeing a film can prove far more important than one would ever imagine. As a personal example, I imagine that, throughout my lifetime, I have viewed the film ‘Psycho’ by Alfred Hitchcock... Read More

How the Shutdown Affects Students

January 23rd, 2019
man leaning on rail

The reality of how the government shutdown is affecting the county as a whole is continuing to sink in. When the shutdown will actually come to an end is very much open to interpretation. President Donald Trump has even stated that the shutdown might continue for months, or even years, if he does not receive funding for the border wall. While this is unlikely, this government shutdown may prove to be the longest in U.S. history. As the shutdown continues, questions will inevitably arise. As a student entering a new semester at CU Boulder, I have found myself wondering if the government shutdown... Read More

Three Tips for Getting Back in the Swing of Things

January 16th, 2019
woman wearing backpack carrying books

School is starting up again for CU students. Coming from someone with experience, the transition from a nearly month-long vacation back into the realities of college can be disorienting. Tests, essays, and Chicago-Style papers complete with annotated bibliographies are about to consume the lives of the students at CU Boulder yet again. I find that even my grades suffer from the transition. As such, I believe that the best remedy for this is to get right back into the university lifestyle. In my experience, the first two weeks or so of a new semester bring a kind of calm with them. Getting back... Read More

There’s No Place Like Home

January 9th, 2019
Statue of Liberty, New York

As a CU Boulder student currently on vacation in New York, I have been considering what it means to be away from Boulder. What do I miss? What am I happy to get a break from? It will not be long before I must return to Boulder, yet my more melodramatic side feels the need to examine the differences between the two cities. Perhaps the best thing about being a student at CU Boulder is the town surrounding it. The ‘hipster’ vibe which has earned Boulder the nickname of the ‘Boulder Bubble’ is something I do not receive in New York. The vibrant green grass of the city, the trees,... Read More