Sometimes, graduating from college provides 20/20 vision. Lila Rosenman ’16 looks back on her four years at CC and shares advice with the incoming Class of 2020.
1. Befriend a staff member. Our dedicated college staff is the heartbeat of our campus. They’ll certainly support you professionally, but take the time to build a friendship.
2. Spend a Block Break on campus. Underrated and exquisite, there are times when Netflix, frozen dinners, and your bed will be in order. Don’t hesitate to spend your four days relaxing in Colorado Springs. Check out the Ivywild School to hear live music, Peak Bowl for $1 games on Sundays, or Kawa Coffee for the best breakfast sandwiches (shhh! that’s my best kept secret).
3. Ride into the full moon. The student-run Bike Co-op leads a Full Moon Cruiser around Colorado Springs every month, complete with speakers blasting tunes. Don’t forget to howl!
4. Stop by Jill’s office hours. President Jill Tiefenthaler holds office hours every block in the Worner Campus Center. Stop by and share a thought, tell her about your class, or chat about a change you’d like to make in our community. The availability of such dialogue and community engagement should not be taken for granted, so go say hi!
5. Tell your story. Whether you share a story at the blockly Story Slam, give a TedTalk to peers, or informally share at a hall get-together, tell the community what makes you unique. There are few things as powerful as a story — find a forum outside of your comfort zone to share.
6. Share a laugh during fourth week. The Theatre Workshop Improv Group (TWIT) puts on a show every fourth Monday. Take a break from your final studying to relax and share a laugh with 200 peers.
7. Take a sociology course. Ok, ok, I’m a biased sociology major. I can promise you, however, that magical things are happening in the east side of Palmer Hall. Take a Soc course. You will not regret it!
8. Use student resources (!!!) Your time at CC is sure to hold self-exploration and growth, stress and uncertainty, exhilaration and bouts of apprehension. Keeping yourself mentally healthy is paramount, and there are dedicated staff members who can help. Every student is entitled to six free counseling sessions at Boettcher Health Center per academic year. Our Chaplains’ Office, along with Heather Horton at the Wellness Resource Center, also are wonderful resources (and overall delightful people!)
9. Take a class in the field. Whether you take Intro to Geology and wake up during third week at Colorado National Monument, teach in a community classroom during an education course, take a class in Hollywood or one abroad, get yourself into a field-heavy course. Your academic immersion will reflect just how incredible the Block Plan is.
10. Breathe, and take it all in. CC moves fast, and it’s your job to take it in. Schedule a weekly dose of quiet and reflection. I like to sit at the kidney bean table behind McGregor Hall and take in the beauty of Pikes Peak.
Rosenman (a sociology major*) is a Public Interest Fellowship Program fellow with a year-long internship with Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition in Denver.
