My possible move to Colorado (Denver, Colorado Springs: fit in, 2013, student loans)

[ambermich]

Hi guys, I'm Amber. New to the forums and I hope to be new to Colorado soon
I would like to go to college in Colorado. After living in the Detroit Area(horrible)
my entire life, I want to change. And I want that change to be Colorado! I would
like to live in a state that is very outdoorsy and I've decided your lovely state would
be the best fit for me. Even though I have not decided what university I'd like to attend,
I'd like to know a little more about Colorado. Is it easy to make friends there? Are the
people friendly, or does it take a while for them to accept you?

I choose Colorado because I want a place where people are proud of the outdoors,
not scared of it. I want a place where I can relax at night and have a bonfire outside,
and actually be able to see the stars, not traffic lights everywhere. I want to breathe
in the fresh, crisp air. I want to learn how to ski and go snowmobiling Do you think
I would fit in?

Guys, I'm just so excited about Colorado. Even though it'll be a couple years until
I will be able to move, I want to start learning more about this state. I hope I can
plan a little vacation there one day. (Okay, I'll just come out and say it. I'm jealous!)

[Mike from back east]

You're gonna love Colorado.

Explore our threads via the search tool and you'll find advice for students.

One key thing I recall from reading all the threads is that tuition for out of state students is a good deal higher.

People are friendly here; you'll have no trouble making friends, especially if you go to Denver, aka Menver.

Lots of colleges here of all types.

[Colorado Rambler]

Originally Posted by ambermich

Hi guys, I'm Amber. New to the forums and I hope to be new to Colorado soon
I would like to go to college in Colorado. After living in the Detroit Area(horrible)
my entire life, I want to change. And I want that change to be Colorado! I would
like to live in a state that is very outdoorsy and I've decided your lovely state would
be the best fit for me. Even though I have not decided what university I'd like to attend,
I'd like to know a little more about Colorado. Is it easy to make friends there? Are the
people friendly, or does it take a while for them to accept you?

I choose Colorado because I want a place where people are proud of the outdoors,
not scared of it. I want a place where I can relax at night and have a bonfire outside,
and actually be able to see the stars, not traffic lights everywhere. I want to breathe
in the fresh, crisp air. I want to learn how to ski and go snowmobiling Do you think
I would fit in?

Guys, I'm just so excited about Colorado. Even though it'll be a couple years until
I will be able to move, I want to start learning more about this state. I hope I can
plan a little vacation there one day. (Okay, I'll just come out and say it. I'm jealous!)

You sound like a gal after my own heart. With an attitude like that, you'll have more friends than you can count in Colorado as soon as you cross the state line! Get yourself a good 4wd - maybe a jeep or a Toyota truck (my ride of choice), and head out here for the mountains. Carpe diem! Start out in one of the small towns outside of Boulder like Longmont or or possibly Lyons (haven't been to Lyons recently but I lived there for a while a few years back and it was pretty nice). Boulder is expensive for housing, but I think you'd fit right in with the University of Colorado crowd.

Get your degree and head west across the continental divide. You sound like you ultimately belong on the Western Slope to me. You'll know right away as soon as you crest the top of Wolf Creek Pass if Western Colorado is the place you need to be.

I threw my mountaineering ski's (Swiss army issue circa 1945-50), camping gear, and books in the back of my truck 30 years ago, drove over Wolf Creek and never looked back. Bet you will too!

PS I'm a single woman myself, BTW. People sometimes assume I'm a guy since I'm such a hellion in my posts. But why should men be the only ones who take off on adventures? Hah!

[ambermich]

Glad to hear that Mike! Your post was very encouraging. I'm taking your advice, I'm going to start looking some other threads. And yup, I figured the tuition cost would be high. That is most colleges nowadays though - it's the reason I will have to wait a couple years until I move - gotta start saving up. It will be worth it though, I'm sure.

I'm not very popular here in Michigan, probably because I want to do more than shop at malls and go to downtown Detroit LOL. People here think going outside means tanning in the backyard, but only for 10 minutes before running inside the first time a bee buzzes past them. So yes,in Colorado I think I will actually fit in. Imagine that.

Rambler, your post just made me even more excited for this future move. It mentions camping, creeks, books, and mountains. Now we're talking! Woohoo! And agreed, women should also be adventure hellions.

What kind of wildlife is a common sight in Colorado? Besides the usual critters like squirrels and such. I love animals and nature.

[Mike from back east]

But if you first moved here to work and save up your money your tuition will be cheaper, eh.

[ambermich]

That's true but... I gotta work up the nerve to leave my family behind. That's the hardest part.

[delta07]

I went to school in Fort Collins at Colorado State U. many years ago. It is an excellent school at the town in great too! Lots of outdoor activities & people that love them. I often think about moving back there actually!

I also attended a post baccalaureate program at Mesa State, now Mesa University (or something close to that), about 7 years ago in Grand Junction on the Western Slope. While I like the outdoors in that part of the state, I found the town to be a bit boring, especially if you are young. But, I imagine that it is changing a bit with the university status, so it might be worth a look.

It's hard to make the choice to move away from home, family & everything you know, but it's much easier when you are young. My husband moved from PA to CO when he was 18 & has never looked back! Go for it if it's your dream. We are still paying off our student loans but I wouldn't change a thing because it was the best time in our lives! Good luck!

[davidv]

Colorado, by far, has the greatest number of colleges and universities in the Rocky Mountain region, however, the biggest universities are in the Denver area (CU-Denver, Colo. School of Mines, Colorado Christian, U of Denver, Metro St Univ., Regis Univ.) or larger towns on the I-25 corridor. These cities and towns are not in the mountains, they are on the edge of the mountains. You are not going to get to have a bonfire in Boulder (CU), Ft. Collins (CSU), Grand Junction (Colorado Mesa Univ. - not on the Front Range), or Colorado Springs (UCCS, Colorado College), but you will be able to travel to the mountains easily, sometimes within a few minutes.

There are actually very few colleges in the mountains themselves, but you can be in the mountains if you go to Western State College (Gunnison), or Ft. Lewis College (Durango).

Don't forget that there are other states with universities that might fit what you want including:

Montana: Montana St. University (Bozeman) and University of Montana (Missoula)
Wyoming: University of Wyoming
New Mexico: University of New Mexico
Utah: University of Utah, Brigham Young, Utah St. University.
Arizona: U of Northern Arizona

[davidv]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

But if you first moved here to work and save up your money your tuition will be cheaper, eh.

You could also move here and attend a two-year college first and then transfer to a four-year college. A two-year college is much cheaper, it would allow you to establish residency and a two-year degree will guarantee you admission to a four-year college.

[otterprods]

Originally Posted by ambermich

I want a place where people are proud of the outdoors,
not scared of it. I want a place where I can relax at night and have a bonfire outside,
and actually be able to see the stars, not traffic lights everywhere. I want to breathe
in the fresh, crisp air. I want to learn how to ski and go snowmobiling. Do you think
I would fit in?

Yes.

But Colorado is a big place and its zeitgeist varies by locale. Places like Denver and Boulder are nice, but they tend to be more like CITIES and less like mountain towns. And many places that call themselves 'mountain towns' are really more like a high end disneyland for adults than what you may be picturing. You'll find that all out when you get here, but the point is that anyone who truly prefers the great outdoors over shopping and urbanity will fit in pretty well in most places.