Overall, the University of Colorado at Boulder, CO is a great platform for anyone who is willing to fully engage him/herself within an environment that offers its students an/the opportunity to apply course materials to real world situations. While some courses are designed to teach students the basic(s) of certain theories and/or models depending on the curriculum, other courses afford the opportunities for students to explore beyond the classroom environment(s).
From a student perspective, one thing I would like to see changed is the parking. For instance, I pay approximately $130 per semester for parking. However, the location of my alloted space is on the other end of campus from where the majority of my classes are. I understand that the campus is divided between departments and can only afford to have so many lots for visitors, staff, and students. So this is not necessarily a major complaint, just an observation to consider. Another thing I have noticed throughout my tenure at CU is that the library, Norlin library, definitely is not using its space efficiently nor does it have enough resources available. For instance, there are not enough computers available, not enough study rooms, and not enough wall outlets for students to utilize. Some areas (i.e., the "stacks") where shelves of books are stored take up a great amount of space, where students could otherwise use as study and research platforms.
When I tell others of/about CU, their reactions are usually two-sided; some admire the fact that I attend a prestigious university, while others hold to their own assumptions (e.g., a school full of trust fund 'hippies'). While on campus, I usually spend most of my time either at the University Memorial Center (UMC) or Norlin library. The campus itself is relatively small in my opinion, and does not offer too many alternatives that are geared for students' study habits. If the UMC and/or Norlin are too crowded, I usually have to walk to various buidlings and hope to find a quiet hallway or vacant classroom with a wall outlet to use. For some, this may be acceptable, but for others like myself, this is an inconvenience.
I only have limited knowledge of CU's administration. In the past, I have experienced issues with certain departments. For instance, because I am a student veteran (non-traditional student), I make every effort to keep open lines of communication available between myself and the Student Veterans Affairs Office (SVAO). What I have noticed, however, is that other offices (located in the same building) do not always maintain similar levels of contact with the SVAO. For instance, during the start of one semester, I visited the Bursar's Office, and was informed that I could apply for what is known as the College Opportunity Fund (COF) as an in-state statused resident due to my status as a student veteran. When I took my semester bill downstairs to the SVAO, a senior representative from the office informed me that I was not entitled to receive COF funds, which he was correct about. Frustrated, I was told that eventually, the funds (approximately $800 in value) would have to be returned on my account. Luckily, student veterans now are entitled to receive COF funds, so this matter no longer poses as an example of misinformation between offices and students/recipients.
Overall, however, the administration has been and remains to be a great resource for me, especially the Student Veteran Affairs Office.
Recently, there have many a number of student government protests on campus about the Occupy Wallstreet movement. Here is an articles that was written posted on the DailyCamera's website (Boulder news source) on December 9, 2011:
Occupy CU-Boulder will be holding a "teach-in" this afternoon and evening to talk about economic inequality and the development of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
A series of speakers, including economists, historians and sociologists, will be in the Glen Miller Ballroom in the University Memorial Center, starting at 3:15 p.m.
Barry Clark, an economist, will talk about the causes of the Great Recession. Geography Professor Elizabeth Dunn will talk about Solidarity and what Occupy Wall Street can learn from the movements that brought down communism. Joseph Bryan, also a geography professor, will discuss the importance of occupying public space as a tactic for social change. Sociologist Colleen Hackett will talk about the role of state repression in radicalizing protest movements.
The students at the University of Colorado at Boulder, CO are very demonstrative with varying levels of student pride. As such, it is rare to not see students wearing CU apparel on campus (e.g., sweaters, hats, sweatpants, etc.) The CU bookstore inside the UMC has a full stock at relatively affordable prices of clothing for all genders. Football games held on CU's campus represent another form of student pride, as many will arrive with family and friends for pre-game festivities wearing CU apparel. So it should be evident by now that student pride is one thing that CU is not short of.
I think it is a little unusal that nearly all the buildings at CU are made of Lyons sandstone, which makes visits for newcomers rather challenging without a tour guide. Other than that, I am not aware of anything else that presents itself as being unusual.
One experience I will always remember will be the acceptance letter I received from the University of Colorado at Boulder, CO. Due to my eight year break from school as I was an active member of the United States Army at the time, CU was concerned whether I still had the academic drive to continue. Therefore, I had to enroll in a few course at a different institution to provide evidence for CU that I was indeed serious about my education. Prior to being accepted to CU, I was attending Colorado Technical University Online (CTU), and held a 4.0 GPA. Although my attendance at CTU was a little cumbersome, I will never forget that it proved to CU as well as me, that education was still something to be valued.