The University of Montana Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Lorena

If i was able to go back in time and and give myself advice i would make sure i told myself not to waste any time. It has taken me four years to complete what should have only taken me two years. Working as a youth leader in a High School,i often find myself telling my community college bound students that it is important that they complete theyre GE classes as soon as possible and to really focus and give it their best.One day all their time and effort will pay off!

Antranik

Get on getting your NCAA stuff done, take as many Advanced Placement classes as possible because gen ed's are not very fun, and enjoy how easy highschool is because as soon as you're out real life starts and at some points it will be overwhelming but really you're capable and you have it in you to strive to do what you want. Oh, and always, ALWAYS double, triple check the information you're given by anyone see things with your own eyes and then come to educated people with questions that pertain to what you have researched. And do more scholarships, debt sucks!

Jessica

I would tell myself to work harder in class to prepare for college. I would definitely tell myself to look way harder into where I want to go to school and what I want from life. I would say to apply for more scholarships and find a way to pay for where I really want to be. I would also tell myself that no matter what I decide, it always works out, so take a deep breath and relax once in a while.

Brooke

I would tell myself to not slack off in my senior year, to work very hard in my classes and to join every club/organization that I possibly could. Also to join outside clubs and organizations that your hometown didColleges like that you are active in your school and that you participated in every organization that your school/town offered. I would also tell myself to apply for every scholarship that you can find because college is very expensive. You can't just rely on finding a job on/off campus because its alot more difficult than you think.

Janyssa

Being a college student means many things. It means freedom, hard work, discovery, decisions, and change. For many people, college is a time where they find themselves and become who they really are. Since attending the University of Montana, I have considered several different majors, including environmental studies, wildlife biology, elementary education, psychology and pre-physical therapy. Now I can say that I am happily sticking with the last two on the list. Becoming a physical therapist was always something I had been interested in and in the back of my mind I knew I would choose that career, but I felt that before I made that commitment I needed to explore all the other sides of myself and my other interests. Discovering which direction I wanted to go in my life has been a bumpy ride, but also very valuable. If I could give myself advice as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not be afraid of growing. I would say that allowing yourself to explore, change and make mistakes are all part of the process, and that everything will fall into place. I would also remind myself, however, that the journey is far from over.

LeeAnna

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing all that I do now, I would say, "LeeAnna, there is no need to stress so much! Yes, college is a big decision, but you have to allow yourself to get excited about this or college is going to turn into a shadow of the experience it could have been. You need to Explore! Explore different colleges in different parts of the country! Do not be afraid to grow up and leave your friends and family! Your family will always be there for you and your friends are growing up too. Explore different classes and subjects. Taking every science class you can is great for your future college major, but you are young and you might change your mind about what career you want to pursue. Explore languages, drawing techniques, culinary arts, business classes, or anything else you might want to try. High school is about exploring! And if you do not change your mind, then you can apply to schools more oriented towards sciences. Do not ever give up! You have a long journey ahead, but your hard work, determination and self-motivation will help you succeed!"

Aleena

I would tell myself that I need to be a lot more active in the school and extra cirricular activities, that it helps tremedously in getting scholarships and grants. I would explain that education is the most important thing, working two jobs senior year might help to pay the bills, because I had to live on my own, but if it is making your GPA drop THEN QUIT ONE JOB AND GET YOUR CLASS WORK DONE! I took a few years off to work after high school, most likely the dumbest thing that anyone could ever do. I am now a very determined and focused and I wish that high school me could see just how much it takes to go back to school after you take a break, and how not doing all of the extra cirricular activities is making my life now so much harder.

Rachel

When I was starting high school college was never on my mind. It seemed like it would never come, I would be in high school forever. As senior year came around all sorts of questions began to plague my mind, where to go, how to pay for it, but most of all what would happen. Everything began with ‘what if’. What if I made no friends? What if my roommate was crazy? What if everything went wrong? These questions haunted me up to the very moment I stepped foot on my campus. I was afraid I would never leave my room. Now if I could go back I would tell myself not to worry about it. Where to go and money are always the big questions that need answers but everything else was fear of the unknown. So I would tell myself to stop stressing over everything, that although there are downs there are also ups. I would tell myself not to be afraid to branch out, to try new things: say hello to people, take any class you want, just don’t be afraid. I would say stop worrying about the ‘what ifs’ and live life to the fullest.

Evan

If i could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior i would tell my self to truly look inside myself and figure out what my true passions are and to follow them in college. When you are trying to decide on your major for college it is easy to go for the one that you think can get you the most money, or will get you a degree the easiest, or to go in completely undecided and hopefully find out later. Honestly though, non of those ideas make the transition to college easy on a young person. If you follow your true passions through a college degree program you will end up taking classes that you truly enjoy and believe in, and that is over half the transition process to college. When you enjoy what you are doing you will have a hunger to study and succeed in your classes and everything else in college will become easy and fall into place. Passion is the key to success, and success in college is key to a good future in a field that you truly enjoy.

Jordan

I would tell myself to study alot harder than I did when I was a senior in high school. I would also tell myself to ask for help when I didn't understand whatever the teacher was going over, it's ok to ask for help when you need help cause once you understand how to do it, it will be a huge help for college. I would tell myself to not listen to classmates that get mad or laugh at you for making good grades instead of actually getting bad grades so they don't get mad or laugh at you is really stupid cause you know you can do ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO DOING. Promise me that you will always do your best and that when you don't understand it that you will ask for help.

Audra

If I could go back in time, I would bombard myself with so much advice I would probably get sick of myself. The utmost important thing I would stress would be to save money; I would tell myself anychance I got along with putting sticky notes everywhere as reminders. Money has been the most important factor thus far, and I wish I had saved it. I would also tell myself not to spend the refund money I received on comic books and various other pointelss things I could do without. I would also make a point of telling myself to throw out more stuff and bring less with me. I have no where to put anything, and I don't use half of it anyway. The last thing I would tell myself, aside from saving money and to stop being a pack rat, would be to be more outgoing and social. It would not kill me to talk a little bit more to my fellow Wildlife Biology classmates.

Latrecia

I would tell myself, Latrecia even though it seems like you have it hard, life only gets harder without education. Take advantage of everything available to you, and the things that are not, try, try, try, and those things to will be available. Latrecia remember in life you cant fail or succeed without attempting something. Don't let fear keep you from being the best and all you can be.

Addie

If I could go back and talk to my high school senior self, I might have told myself to apply for more scholarships and study all summer. My first semester of college classes was much harder than I expected and I did not do as well as I should have. I might have told myself to join the track team in the fall instead of early winter. Maybe I would have told myself to keep in touch with high school teachers and friends; because you never know when you might need a letter of recommendation or someone to talk about your new life with. Perhaps I would have told my high school self to go out and join groups and meet new people and be open to new things. Overall my experience has been great at the University of Montana. The mistakes I've made have helped me grow as a person so in the end I would only tell my ignorant high school self to and enjoy college as much as possible and be spontaneous.

Daniel

Life is going to be hard but don't let it get to you. Keep your head up. Keep moving forward and don't look back. Learn from your mistakes. It doesn't matter what others think about you its what you think of yourself. Listen to what your family says but stay true to yourself.

Sarah

As a senior in high school, I was very afraid of making the transition to University. Not knowing how well I would make friends, and being fearful of the difficulties of my classes. Having made this transtion to University, I would tell myself as a high school senior to calm down! The transition was nothing I was expecting. Everyone I met was very open and inviting, and just like me, they were looking for new friends too. As for class difficulty and homework, I would tell myself to keep time for studying and projects. I have found that by doing assignments and class work early, the amount of my stress was drastically decreased. This works out well not only for stress and grade levels, but it allows time to hang out and enjoy new friends. Really the transition is much easier than expected. New students are experiencing the same difficulties that you are and there is a lot of support from Resident Assistants and family as well. Going to University is a great experience, one that you will not soon forget.

Myriah

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would start by explaining why she should go to college and not let her fears keep her from pursuing her dreams. Then I would talk about how to be successful at college. To begin with I would tell her that most people are nervous about college, no one is perfect, and education is beneficial even without having any particular goal in mind at first. I would emphasize that life is a work in progress, there’s no absolute path to follow. I would tell her she could travel in the summers, if she needed a fresh perspective and inspiration. Next I would tell her that life isn’t about having things go well all the time; it’s about dealing well with how things are going. I would encourage her to seek out all different kinds of resources when she needed to solve a problem (big or small, academically, mentally, or physically). Sometimes it’s necessary to search long and hard before an answer is discovered—never give up. Finally, I would tell her that the challenges of going to college far outweigh the benefits in every manner.

Ashleigh

Never quit. Always study and work to the best of your ability untill the end. Also don't forget to have fun and enjoy the time you have with your friends and family.

Suzanne

Go exactly where you're heading: you're on the right track. Although it would have helped to start some paperwork a little earlier to get more financially stable when college started. Otherwise don't falter now, this is a good road to follow.

Fiona

I would tell myself to not stress. I spent so much time in my junior and senior years stressing about what schools to apply to. I constantly filled my brain with "what ifs?" and worrysome thoughts about college. I would tell myself to relax. In the end, I got into my dream school, with an amazing program, but I'm sure I could have said that about any of the schools I could have attended. High school students need to remember that everything WILL work out in the end when it comes to college. The next advice I'd give myself is to not be afraid of what people think of you. I'll be honest, the first few weeks of college are awkward until everyone has made real friends, so just be yourself, and eventually you will find a solid group of people to hang out with. I'd urge myself to attend any club meetings I could at the beginning of the year because they are a great way to meet people with the same intrests as me. I'd then remind myself to breath and to not stress, because college is a blast no matter what!

Andrea

My college experience so far has taught me that hard work pays off. The type of college experience and life that I will lead will be a direct result of the time and effort that I put into it. Even as a first year student I have learned a lot that relates directly to my field of study which is Education. I work after school at a daycare and I have been able to apply the things I have learned in classes to my job and working with the children there. I am so thankful to have a job where I can put the things I learn into practice immediately and see firsthand the value of the things I am learning. I have determined that the major I have chosen is definately the path I want to pursue. I have discovered a pssion for learning and for education and for this reason it has been very valuable to attend North Greenville University!

Katie

Since beginning school in August of 2010, I have had countless invaluable experiences. From the challenge of living on my own for the first time, to experiencing the wonders of Montana's nature, I've found college to be extremely valuable. College has allowed me to continue my quest for knowledge which I developed in high school. The availability of professors and the closeness of my classmates has allowed me to learn more than ever, as well as enjoy the process of learning, which is often difficult to do. In addition to learning, I've become an independent woman since entering college. I've had to balance my own check book and hold myself accountable for completing schoolwork and staying fit. I've also found myself as a child of God which is a realization that will never leave me. Finally, as a result of countless camping trips, day hikes, and fun winter activities I have grown to love nature and Montana. All of these experiences have continued to shape me as I've grown into a woman. Without these experiences I would not be who I am today. I've developed a love for nature and Montana

luz

During my second year at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce I have experienced why it is important to attend and how this can influence me in my life. Attending to the university the most important valuable thing I have experience is the values of how to treat each person. This can help to be a better person not only with myself but with others. Out of my collage experience I have experience responsibility. Responsibility has teach me to be more willing and to do things better for my own good. Attending to the university is valuable because everything I learn is beneficial for my future and I can also use all that I learn in my daily life. Out of my collage experience I have known a lot of different personalities and have known to decide to choose between right and wrong. The collage experience has created a more professional person with expectations for the future. Inspiration has created in me the journey to keep continuing my dreams and my career. The most important thing that I have learn is to not give up my dream and that with a little enthusiasms I can achieve anything.

Riley

I have gotten a lot out of my college experience. The University of Montana has provided endless opportunities to help me become the best teacher that I can be. The education program explores a diverse group of learners. I have been able to teach students of all ages in many settings. Some of the opportunities, including tutoring teens that have not learned to read have to be passed by due to my financial status. If I had a financial cushion, I would not have to work to pay my tuition. I would then be able to spend every friday furthering my teaching experience.

Katie

Before attending the University of Montana, I knew absolutely no one in Montana. I was taking a risk by moving to what seemed like an entirely different world. I am originally from Maui, HI and so coming the continental United States to go to school was something completely new and scary. I was afraid I was not going to make friends, that I would not connect with anyone, and that I would be extremely homesick and lonely. However, I was wrong. People here welcomed me with open arms and brought me into their community. I have learned that taking a chance can lead to some pretty awesome results. I have a wonderful, supportive group of friends, a great employer and coworkers, professors who love teaching, and classmates who actually want to learn. This is something that cannot necessarily be taught in a classroom. I am creating relationships here with people that I hope will last a lifetime. So yes, while I have learned and studied interesting subjects in the classroom, the most beneficial thing that I have learned while at the University of Montana is that good relationships are the foundation of a strong, positive, and supportive community.

Emily

College for me is an opportunity for adventure. I needed something more than the systemic, status quo preparation for a career. While getting ready for the world of jobs may suit some people, I belief that a career should be a body of work one looks back on, something that is defined by one's life not the other way around. .I've always loved adventures, the sense of wonder and curiosity from childhood never quite left me, and heading off to college has proved to be the most adventurous thus far. I knew that the best way for me to grow was to step outside of my comfort zone and that's precisely what the purpose of an education should be: pushing and getting to know oneself. I see no greater opportunity to take control of my path than through education. By holding myself accountable for the knowledge I gain, accountable for filling in the grey areas on the maps of my self-awareness, I ultimately take responsibility for the person I become.

harleigh

For me I have seen many doors open for me that would have never opened. Without attending i would have never known my love for school and how needed it is in the world today. without college id never be able to go any higher in the world than i am right now.

Andrea

College takes a big toll on my life. I attend school at night, while I work in the day, but on top of that I have to work 44 hours at an outside site every term. But, on top of THAT, I an getting my general education coursework done online. It's starting to get easier to juggle everything now, but it took some getting used to. The work that I'm doing in class is completely worth the load I have to balance. The animals I work with may be the sweetest ever or won't cooperate at all, but I know what I'm doing is aiding in their well-being. I'm learning to become a Veterinary Technician, and it's a very accelerated, hands-on course. The knowledge I'm gaining from my school is something that will constantly be with me throughout my career...my life. I don't have any extra time, and I'm always drained and zombied, but I think when it comes down to doing something I really want to do it'll all be worth it in the end.

Tanner

Since I have been attending Ozarks Technical Community College in Lebanon Missouri the biggest thing I've noticed is how close the teachers and students are to each other. I like being able to still have one on one time with a teacher if i have a problem or need help with something I don't quite understand. Rather than being at one of the big universities where the only reason the teachers go to the classroom is to get paid. The OTC campus's are also really tough on attendence. If you are gone more than 6 times and you haven't cleared it with your teacher, they have the option of dropping you from their class.

Erik

i have found that the university has given me a strong sense of place in the natural world. i have learned valuable skills in protecting and understanding the natural world. this set of skills will help me immensely later in life when i go on to work in one of a variety of government agencies involved in protecting the environment in crucial times such as these. i have Particularly enjoyed learning for the pourpose of understanding as much as i can in the natural world. i am currently majoring in forest ecology and i am fascinated by the knowledge i have gained at this institution. Every day I learn something new I am overjoyed with the thought of someday applying my knowledge in the field to set an example and continue learning through my own success. i also look forward to teaching others with similar interests to my own and enjoying their success as they enjoy the natural world with the same enthusiasm i have.

Jordann

There are several reasons to go to College of Southern Nevada and some of them are it's affordability, relaxed environment, and the feeling of a more personal education. I am a good student but I sometimes fall into a rut and procrastinate. In the college world procrastination could devistate you financially. This is why I prefers CSN over other colleges in the area. At CSN if you mess up once or twice it will not bankrupt you. All the teachers at CSN know just how much work you can and cannot handle making it feel a little more relaxed than the University setting. Another reason I like CSN is the lower population of students. The smaller population also allows for a more personal approach to teaching so I can talk to my teachers without having to compete for their attention. Overall CSN is a little community that just feels more comfortable if you like the quiet life.

Jessica

My college experience taught me so much about life, and I am still learning incredible lessons. One of the most valuable lessons I learned is how to manage my time and keep myself motivated. In college it is usually not a requirement to read textbooks and my professors most often did not remind students of due dates for assignments. In order to keep up with the material being dissussed I learned to schedule time to study, write down any upcoming assignments and regularly check the course syllabus in order to make sure I did not forget any required assignments. When studying becomes hard and boring I keep myself motivated by setting small goals and rewarding myself when I reach them. For example when I finish reading a chapter in a text book I give myself a break and eat a snack or watch a half hour of televsion. Attending college has also taught me countless lessons about being independent from my parents. I have learned to keep a budget and actively seek answers to questions. Before going to college I would depend on my parents to pay for everything and do things like make doctors appointments for me.

Sarajane

My father lost his job right before I committed to DePaul University in 2009. Although I was devastated, I understood the importance of going to college. I enrolled in Joliet Junior College to receive an Associates Degree with plans of transferring to DePaul in 2011. So far, my college experience has been great! I was awarded membership in three honor societies due to my outstanding GPA: Phi Theta Kappa (National Academic Honor Society), Sigma Delta Mu (National Spanish Honor Society), and Alpha Mu Gamma (National Foreign Language Society); I have made many friends through these societies too! I think it is extremely valuable to attend any type of college because it will provide experiences and challenges that will help form a student’s character; it has helped form mine! The teachers and resources in college are extremely rewarding; there is never a day I do not utilize what my school offers me. I enjoy and seek the challenges presented to me which have shaped who I have become today. Honestly, I am happy I attended a community college first because it has prepared me to succeed at DePaul this fall and in whatever I choose to do in the future.

Payton

College has taught me many things, from mathmatics and coding to learning how to properly throw a frisbee. I have learned more about myself and my profession than I thought possible. I have realized that life can be hard, and sometimes if you want something bad enough you have to suffer for it. There have been weeks where I had to make it on the bare essentials and times where I was living the high life (for a college student) but I don't think I would ever trade my experiences or what I've learned for anything. College truly transformed me into a mature, responsible, respectful person. I could definitely say that I've learned all these things: computers, history, math, science, language, and more about theatre than I can put in words. But I think that these things are truly insignifigant in comparison to what I learned about human nature and myself. Thank you, Payton Jessup

Grace

My college experience has shown me my strong personality points and working skills, thus giving me a direction I wish to go in my life. I have been, and continue to be, provided many volunteer oppertunties to give back to my community and to improve my own career skills. Between attending classes with my peers and these vounteer oppertunties I have built good social ties that may help me aquire a stable career after graduation. I have been exposed to different people of different backgrounds which, I believe, has helped me grow as a person, allowing me to be more tolerant and excepting of all people. Without these, and may other influences, during my college life I don't believe I would be the person I am today. I woudn't have the motivation, the open-mindedness, the experience or the maturity to go forth into the professional world and be the competent person that I am capable of being. I hope in the time to come that my college years will continue to encourage me to grow both personally and professionally.

Karissa

While attending college I have had the pleasure of making new friends and exploring new places all while furthering my education. College is a great time of young people's lives and they should enjoy it, I certainly have. College has taught me life long skills and brought me into new friendships that will last me a lifetime.

Regina

My college experience is no where near complete. I have just began this life changing experience. So far this experience has challenged me to seperate my social life and classwork. This has become the biggest challenge in the year and a half I have been at The University of Montana. The University itself and Missoula, the town U of M is in offer so many activities outside of school it is almost challenging to complete any sort of classwork. Having to discover this on my own, it has taught me how to succeed at both good grades and an active social life. I have a group of four best friends and many close acquaintances, and attend two Honor Societies and multiple clubs. It has been valuable for me to attend college, because statistically speaking a college graduate gets better paid than a non-college graduate. I have learned to balance multiple disciplines in my life, have met my very best friends, and have experienced more opportunities I ever would have if I would not have attended The University of Montana. College changes a person in many ways, and I would never replace my choice to apply for this experience.

Brian

Learning is incredible I am so thankful for my opportunity to pursue my education. I have learned so much just about ways of thinking. I am excited to learn even more as I continue. The sharing of knowledge is a wonderful experince, it allows you to see and experince the world in a whole new way. Seeing things from anothers side, looking at problems and solutions from many views is the best way to go about getting anything done in life. It helps to make a better future for us all.

Logan

My college experience has dramatically shifted upon my transfer. I originally attended a community college in Wyoming (Central Wyoming College or CWC). My major of focus being Theatre, my education at CWC was exceptionally good, however, once I transferred to the University of Montana (UM), I felt as if my eyes had finally been opened within the first few weeks of classes. I was exposed to so much new and intellectually stimulating material that I was almost overwhelmed. Over the course of my first semester at UM I soon discovered that I was rapidly advancing in my knowledge of the Theatre, ranging from subjects that I was fairly comfortable with to ones that I had hardly studied at all. One of the most shocking discoveries upon starting my classes was how much about acting that I did not know. I of course took several acting courses at CWC, but the information presented to me during my first acting course at UM almost ecclipsed all that I had previously known. My instructor was invigorating, pushing me harder and farther than I had ever gone at CWC. This has been invaluable to my education, and has me constantly excited about my future.

Maura

It was affordable as I am an instate student. I also enjoyed the skills I learned from both the Media Arts Department and the Dance Department.

Alexsa

So far in my college career I've gained much knowledge and experience in regards to my major. But more importantly that that, I've learned to be self-reliant and self-sufficient! The U of M may not hound its students academically-to gain a 4.0 or be honors students; on the contrary, it is the somewhat hands-off approach that teaches its attendants. Teaches us that in the "real world" (that youth is SO often lectured about) no one is going to be there to send you email notifications or to schedule a mandatory appointment in order to accomplish what you need to be successful in life! You get out of life what you put into it, and your success is no one else's prerogative, or obligation!

Kelley

We go to college expecting to further our education and become more 'book' smart, but really we leave with so much more than that. I'm not all the way through yet, but so far I have discovered myself along with discovering more of the world around me. Before going to college, I lived in a small town and was just concerned with what was going on in my own little life, but going to college really opened up my eyes and changed my stereotypes, opinions and outlook on the entire world.

William

There have been two experiences that I have pulled from my college life that has made it valuable and worthwhile. First, the people I've met have completely opened my mind to different cultures, backgrounds, and ideas. I've never been to open of a person in my life, but when I began attending college here, I've found like-minded people who enjoy the same activities that I do. It's been refreshing getting to to know that there are more people out there than I met where I grew up, and it honestly makes me more hopeful for the future. In addition, the second major experience that I have pulled from attending college at the University of Montana is my newfound drive for education. When I was in high school, I attended classes, did my work, and did not really find an appreciation for what I was learning. However, when I began college, I found a new drive to learn about the different aspects of the world, whether it be science, English, history, or any other field of study that my college offers. All-in-all, college has been one of the best experiences of my life.

Emily

Before I attended college, I felt that my desire to succeed was all I needed, but that is not the case. Once I arrived, I realized for the first time that hard work and motivation to succeed were strong points of mine and helped me become known in the theater department.

Clayton

When I graduate college I want to become a professional actor. I know it sounds cliche, but I've been saying it since second grade and it still sticks with me today. I love the stage and the creation of performance art, and at The University of Montana I have excelled in my field. For financial reasons I wanted to attend school in-state and was fortunate to have a wonderful school and professional theatre's in my own back yard. During two years here I have been cast in three school shows and two professional productions. I also have a job in the technical theatre department as a properties manager and scenery designer. I am so happy I'm living my lifelong dream and I'm pursuing and achieving my goals as a student. I feel at the price that college costs to attend I'm getting the most out of my dollar. I hope to continue attending my education here and to continue achieving my goals as a full time student and a future professional. Thank you for reading!

David

Life is an incredible gift. My life is unique and special. Every breath reminds me not to take this life for granted. An American poet, Mary Oliver, once asked, “ What will you do with your one wild and precious life?” This question merits a response; how we choose to respond our choice. My dream is to begin yet another of life’s many journeys by working toward a Bachelor's Degree in Music. I teach private music lessons full time and have already been able to use the knowledge I have recieved from classes at community college to pass along to my students. If I am able to continue my education, I look forward to meeting other young men and women who have also embarked on this journey. I hope to expand my knowledge, not only of music, but also of culture and other arts. hope that my excitement for life and my perseverance and desire to achieve excellence will be used to encourage fellow students not to settle for the ordinary. My adventure will not end at a university however; my college experience will equip me for even greater adventures in the future and I cannot wait to begin!

Na'Shea

Since I began my academic career at the University of Montana in the fall of 2009, I have become incredibly efficient in the field of music. I had no idea of the amount of knowledge that would be available to an individual in such a short span of time. The School of Music is like a giant family and I look to my professors as colleagues rather than instructors. There is so much support for each other among the student body as well. Everyone wants to see you succeed in your own way. Each student is looked upon as a unique individual rather than a piece of a larger body. I have also made lifelong friends due to the active social life throughout the entire campus. These friends have helped me maintain a positive outlook on life in order to preserve a high level of academia. I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of education and professionalism at the University of Montana and would recommend this school to anybody desiring affordable, academic excellence.

Jessica

Throughout my years of college, I have been exposed to a completely new environment. At the University of Montana, I have made mistakes, gained lifelong friends, challenged myself, and contemplated my future (more times than one) all in two and a half years. It seems scary to been through that before entering the real world, but I am thankful. I have been able to explore the business discipline with teachers who would do almost anything to help students find success professionally. I have also been able to take classes I would have never considered, including the History of Rock and Roll. These classes exposed me to knowledge I could have cared less about before college. More importantly, the University of Montana has shown me that hard work does in fact pay off. This has made my experience more valuable than I imagined. I have spent several nights studying until the wee hours of the morning but I am able to take exams with confidence. If I ever struggle, I'm never to scared to ask for help. Finally, the jobs I have attained on campus allow me to prepare for the real world before I enter it on my own.

Shy

Before attending college, I would have assumed that the most valuable lessons learned would have been in a classroom. Now, I know those lessons to be valuable, but secondary. The best ideas I have gotten out of college are a sense of independence and individualism. Looking back on my freshman year, it is astonishing how much I matured as I transitioned from high school to college. I became dependent on myself for my academic, financial, and social success. Instead of relying on my mom to push me academically and my dad to be there with an open wallet, I had to rely on myself. It became my responsibility to organize my life, whether that be simply waking up to go to class or applying and maintaining a job. College also meant leaving high school friends behind and I have had to push myself to become more sociable. When I moved away from home, I had to take on the responsibility of my own life. The biggest lesson I learned in college was that I can make it on my own in the world. When push comes to shove, I know I am capable of becoming dependent on myself.

Julie

It is difficult for me to begin to explain what my college experience has done for me. However, my college experience has certainly enriched my understanding of a balanced and engaged life, and broadened my horizons and opportunities. When I was in high school, I wondered why everyone thought college was important, but now that I have attended, I am certain that a college education helps to shape us into better people who in turn can enrich the lives of those around us. I am confident that my university is equipping me with the tools and experience that I need to explore and pursue opportunities that would have been out of my reach with only a high school diploma. Even prior to my graduation, I have had job offers and opportunities that I would have missed if I were not pursuing a degree. A college education proves a student's merit, creates self assurance, and is a valuable experience because it builds a strong foundation for a student's life path. Higher education is essential for building strong and balanced leaders in every field. It teaches us to work together, explore, experiment and apply ourselves for success.

Billie

I have lived in the same town my entire life. I was aprehensive to stay for college, but ultimately did. I don't regret that decision. I have discovered my home town, which I always complained was "too small," in a new light. The University of Montana, though far from perfect, brought me a family of like-minded, motivated friends and incredible educators who continue to guide and collaborate in my education and exploration of the world. My professors are also my friends, mentors and inspiration to see the entire world as a classroom. The University of Montana has a family for everyone. We have a great mix of activist goups, out door clubs, frats and sororities, athletic opportunities, scholastic groups, international students, etc. Everyone could fit in at the U of M. Because the school is located right in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, outdoor exploration is encouraged, and learning environments and opportunities are often designed to include the rivers, lakes, and mountains that make Montana unique. Receiving an education in such a raw and primitive location is a powerful learning tool and world perspective.