Take advantage of great opportunities

This archived article was written by: Austin Palmer

I think we have all probably looked back on times in our lives when we have made terrible decisions. Even if this isn’t the case, we possibly wished that we could go back and do something different. Some opportunities only come along once in a lifetime and if we don’t recognize them for what they really are, they pass us by. Attending CEU can be one of those times. If you take the time and take advantage of your time at CEU, it can make a big difference.
All of my siblings who have attended CEU and then gone on to finish their educations at other universities have mentioned the tremendous benefits of having attended the College of Eastern Utah. Some of the more obvious reasons have to do with the cost of living but those benefits pale in comparison to many aspects that you may be taking for granted or under utilizing.
After moving on to a large university, the chances of being able to meet with professors on a one-on-one basis is pretty slim. In classes of 50 to 100 students you, aren’t much more than a body that fills a chair. If you aren’t in class they won’t notice, if you fall behind, they probably won’t care and if you need help it is probably going to be pretty hard to find.
One of the things I appreciate about CEU is the way that most professors are willing to help a student. I haven’t had the chance to take classes from every professor but the ones I have had are more than willing to take time out of their schedules to put my needs first. As a non-traditional student, I work full time and go to school full time, but that isn’t the hard part. Finding time to meet with tutors or go to study groups is impossible. Professors never have office hours when I am available. When you get behind and can’t catch up it gets discouraging. I have had professors on several occasions come back on campus after 8 pm just to meet with me and answer questions. That is going above and beyond. In all of the years of schooling, I have only encountered this once or twice. It has happened more times than that this semester. Many of the professors I am taking classes from this semester have not only given their office numbers but also home and cell phone numbers to all of the students so they can be reached.
I have heard students say that the education you get at a junior college is below average. The sooner a person learns to take responsibility for their own failures, the better. At universities, many classes you take will be taught by graduate students. They may have only taken a couple more classes than you have and they aren’t even going to college to become professors. They don’t have the knowledge and experience that you will find from a more experienced professor who has made teaching a career. It is hard to learn something from someone who doesn’t know the subject inside and out.
In closing, I want to remind everyone who reads this that may be having a crappy semester, that just because you get a bad grade in a class it doesn’t mean you have to keep a bad grade. If you work as hard as you can and still get your butt kicked, you can meet with many of the professors and work something out. Keep things in perspective. A bad semester doesn’t spell doom and gloom for the rest of your life. Don’t let temporary failures stop you from reaching your goals.