The college life of Dave Adams

This archived article was written by: Dave Adams

My life at the College of Eastern Utah has been short, but eventful and definitely not dull. I’m moving on in my life; just another stepping stone in what will be the life saga of Dave Adams. I might not go down in the history books or even have any movies written about me, but I’m here to tell you that going to CEU has been a major life-turning experience for me.
I call myself an “old dog” but really I’m only 28, and maybe it’s because I’ve lived a pretty eventful life thus far. Started out in the U.S. Army when I was just 17 and married by the time I was 18. By the time I was 26, I had been around the world three times and fought in two different engagements of combat in Iraq. But nothing would prepare me for what I went through last summer and fall 2009.
Being a disabled veteran, I am entitled to benefits that some would say are a blessing for anyone who wants to seek a degree. Don’t get me wrong though, the hell I had to endure was the worst thing I ever experienced in my life. But when it’s all said and done, I have to look back and ask, “was it all worth it?” I might not be able to answer that question now, but can tell you that it is a blessing to have my education paid for each semester.
Going to college was a nerve-racking experience for me; it was something I never experienced before. I felt like a little freshman right out of high school, the guy who doesn’t really fit in but does his best at making friends. I didn’t know anybody and most of all I didn’t know how I could keep up academically. You are looking at a guy who dropped out of high school because he had better things to do, so I thought.
But coming to CEU was a great idea. I was nervous at first, it wasn’t like any military school I had been too. You can actually speak your mind and not be stuck doing pushups for the rest of the class. If you are late, oh well, you’re late, just ask your neighbor to borrow their notes.
At CEU the professors want you to use your minds and develop at a pace that will let you learn. CEU is a place where you find yourself; if you listen to your professors they will teach you how to do that. It was really interesting for me. I never thought in a million years I would be writing stories for a college newspaper, or having an English professor make me laugh so hard because he called me a communist bastard.
If I had any piece of advice that I could leave with any student on campus is, stick with it. There is more to life than the party you will attend next weekend, and when studying gets you down, just remember there are worse things in life that you could be doing. Also, Larry Severeid is by far not the hardest professor on campus, trust me on this one.
In closing I would like to thank the CEU staff and faculty, and especially the students. My time here will stay in my memories forever.