Mesa State College (Fort Collins, Boulder, Grand Junction: transferring to, movies, schools)

[Danjor]

So I'm originally from Wyoming and I moved to St George Utah for college and lets just say I'm not enjoying the change.

Where i was from people were a lot more social and a lot less click-y. There isn't much to do except go to the movies, or play in the caves. Both things you can only do so many times. Other things that you could do would probably get you a ticket, for example being in the park after dark is against the law there. It doesn't help my case any that I'm not Mormon either.

Now I'm contemplating transferring to Mesa State College in Grand Junction Colorado.

I would like to hear what it is like there, what all there is to do, if there are lots of people to hang out with, and the ratio of LDS people to non LDS (please don't get me wrong, LDS people are fine, my very best friend growing up was mormon and so are most of my family members it's just that you can understand what it is like to date someone of another faith? It's a whole big can of worms no one wants to open.)

I'm in to everything so any suggestion is fine.

[jazzlover]

Mesa State is an OK school, but since you are from Wyoming, my recommendation would be the University of Wyoming. I did not go to UW, but I worked with a lot of "U-Dub" graduates. I think it is a darned good small university and a degree from there might carry more weight than a degree from Mesa--especially if you plan to stay in the Rocky Mountain region. Colorado also, thanks to the TABOR revenue limitation amendment to the State Constitution, is having real problems in adequately funding higher education. I think that does not bode well for the quality of educational opportunities in Colorado over the long-term, which I find reprehensible. Wyoming, on the other hand, has made a continuing strong funding commitment to UW. I was very happy with the education that I got at a small Colorado liberal arts college, and it has served me quite well, but the funding environment and state commitment to excellence to those schools in Colorado has changed significantly since my college days. Go to U-Dub. Go Pokes.

[eofelis]

I'm at Mesa State College right this moment. I'm a very-non-trad student, 41. I graduate this May with a BS in geology and a minor in GIS.

From a student's point of view, MSC may not be the best, but I'm fairly satisfied with my education here. I really don't have any other school to compare it to, either.

I have talked to other geology student from places like Western State College (Gunnison) and Fort Lewis College (Durango) and it seems like MSC's geology program may be quite weak. The geology profs here don't work together much, but they all seem to be quite field oriented. Most of the geology classes spend a lot of time in the field locally.

The GIS program here is weak also, but I'm glad I have a useful job skill to graduate with.

The general ed classes are probably ok. I do like the small class sizes. Most of the profs are very accessible for help, and in some cases I was in their offices a couple times a week getting help with homework.

Tuition is also cheap at MSC, a big deal for me. I've been very-low-income and I've gotten scholarships and grants to pay all of my tuition and much of my (spartan) living expenses. I'll graduate debt free.

MSC doesn't usually groom students to go on to grad school, but some students do go on. A gal I'm graduating with is going to CU Boulder for grad school. Yeah, a degree from MSC probably doesn't carry as much weight as a degree from UW, but the opportunity for me to go to college had been slim and I'm grateful that I have been able to make MSC work for me.

[delta07]

If you are looking for more of the college "experience," I wouldn't recommend MSC. Both my husband and I went to Mesa State for a second degree (husband nursing, education for me), which served us well, but we got our bachelor's degrees from Colorado State. I think Mesa is great for the non-traditional student, but it really doesn't provide an authentic college experience, which I sense is what you are looking for. I would also agree, in terms of education, that a degree from a university will serve you better. There really are not many things to do in GJ for college students, IMO. I lived in GJ for almost 6 years, and honestly I never really liked much about the town.

If you are looking for things to do, people to meet, and experiences to have, I would suggest a university setting. U of W was suggested and I think that would be a great place to go to school. My cousin just started his schooling there, and he is really liking it. I also think CSU is a great school, and Fort Collins is one of my all time favorite cities.

Mesa is cheap in terms of higher education, but I don't know if the quality of education is the best. It depends on what you are going to school for. My husband received a great education there, but he also already had a bachelor's degree from CSU, so it's difficult to attribute all his knowledge about nursing to Mesa. I would continue looking if I were you.