The University of Colorado - Boulder

Date: Feb 15 2015
Major: Political Science (This Major's Salary over time)
I should have worked with REAL career counselors and taken some of the available tools like the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator to get a feel for who I really was and what I should focus on. To be honest, I just turned 50 and i still don't know what i want to be "when i grow up!" - LOL

I did try to explore schools and career options when I was a kid in the 1980's but many of the careers that exist now did not exist then, and my high school "guidance counselors" were a joke. Even so, I probably would have chosen a different major, and possibly a different school. The political science department was too far to the Left, as is much of Boulder. There was simply not enough balance. In fact the one professor who made the wildest predictions that came true- the end of the Soviet Union, the rise of Islamic extremists, the domination of countries like China- was the lone Republican on staff, oft ridiculed but ultimately the one with the correct vision.

That being said- I will say this: I loved going to college to Boulder in the 1980's! It totally rocked my sheltered little world. It transformed me from a shy Northeasterner to a completely different person, opened up my worldview, and I will always thank my experiences at Boulder for that. They were the best years of my life, and although things weren't always a cakewalk, I always smile thinking about them. Things are different now, of course, just as they will be in another 10 or 20 years, but I think the basic flavor is still there.

What has disappointed me most was that recognition for my degree has been minimal. This may be just a general statement about the way the economy works now, but I feel that having a degree from Boulder is a box someone would check off in HR. Perhaps it led to me being offered a slightly higher salary, but since finding out that information is tough in the business world, I really have no idea. Perhaps the biggest gain I got from such a big school so far from home was the joy of learning to deal with other people from all over America and the world. Parents were not as involved back then, and if you had a problem with a grade or a professor, you dealt with it yourself.

Another reviewer mentioned something key- about rich kids with few ambitions and just wanting to party their faces off. Well that happens at a lot of schools, but it seemed almost a pandemic at Boulder. I saw several kids self-destruct from too much of a good time. So here is my best advice: Your college experience is only as a good as what YOU make of it. Whether you go to city college or the Ivy League does not matter if you don't take advantage of the opportunities presented. Spend time finding out what you REALLY want to do with your life- or at least think you do- and then find a school known for that program. Boulder is a big state school with tremendous resources; take advantage of everything you can. And have a little fun along the way…