First Day at Anoka Ramsey Community College

Truthfully, I never (technically) had a first day at Anoka Ramsey Community College. I'm only taking this class and another journalism class online. I was going to take a class in the classroom but after I found it takes two and a half hours by Metro Transit (3 buses - 2 transfers), I decided against the classroom class. I have the same problem at Inver Hills but it is an hour and 45 minute trip (two buses - one transfer). Time goes by much, much quicker since I talk to the drivers on routes 68 or 71.

Anyways, since I'm not a regular student of ARCC, I'm going to talk about my first days at the University of Minnesota in 2003. I went there for technically 2 semesters (I'll tell you why technically in a bit). I thought at that time it was a very good idea. Big school meant plenty of opportunities to meet new people and take interesting classes. I was was right, except I wasn't prepared for the big classes. I was very overwhelmed by the amount of people and the workload the classes presented. I knew college was going to be stressful and it involved hard work but wow. I was in for a shock. Obviously for big classes, chances are the professor won't even know you exist, even if you talked to him/her before or after class or during office hours. I'm one of those types of people who want to get noticed, especially by the professor. Even as I take online classes here at ARCC and Inver Hills, I want to meet my professors. Let them know I'm more than a "person" who post something on a discussion board.

Outside of class was the funnest (what else is new right). I joined a group called Commuter Connection. Basically, it was a group for people who traveled to campus by car, bus, bike or walk (weather depending of course). The requirement of the group is you couldn't live on in the dorms. It was extreamly fun time. It would be the place to go before or after class. We all became friends quite quickly. Free tickets to Gopher football games, ultimate frisbee when the weather was nice, playing cards, watching movies, free pizza lunches bi-weekly, free breakfast at the beginning of the semester or during finals.

Anyways, there were many more road blocks as I continued my U of M career. During the second semester there (spring 2004), Metro Transit decided it would be fun to go out on strike for 44 days and leave all their customers to fend for themselves (the technicality I talked about at the beginning). On the very first day of the strike, I took buses that were runned by private organizations and it took me almost three hours to get there. Normally it would take me about 70 minutes to get there by Metro Transit. I ended up calling my dad that morning when I arrived on campus and he picked me up at the St. Paul campus. During the length of the strike, that is what I did: had my dad drive me to the St. Paul campus and pick me up there. By the way, the campus buses were still running since they are not operated by Metro Transit. I ended up dropping that semester and dropping out of the U of M. I determined I wasn't ready for college, especially in a big environment like that. By the way, I was a happy camper when the Metropolitan Council and Metro Transit reached an agreement on a contract.

From 2004-2007, I attended college on and off. I took a year off, then attended Inver Hills, then another semester off, then Minneapolis Community and Technical College, then Century College and back at Inver Hills, and never left again. I took a Introduction to Mass Communications course last semester at MCTC and now two journalism classes at ARCC. I get to switch schools again at the end of this current semester because I'm graduating!!!!

It turns out that smaller colleges and classrooms is what I needed. I don't feel as overwhelmed. The campus is in the middle of nowhere (in Inver Grove Heights), fewer students, classes are easier to find and professors actually know I'm alive. Was I nervious. Not really since I've already been through that "first day" experience. I went in there with high hopes.

Since I have the issue with taking public transportation, I attempt to take all my classes online. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Unfortunately I got stuck taking an 8:00a.m. Introduction to Digital Photography class at Inver Hills, which means I have to wake up at 5:00a.m. and on the bus at 6:25a.m. Gross huh?

Authors Note: I probably should have named this blog "First Day at the University of Minnesota and Others." : )