More Than a Degree

Only one thing is guaranteed if you graduate Mines. It’s not a job or an above average starting salary, as the current economy indicates. It’s not the opportunity to be a leader of industry; for every famous Mines alum, thousands will never have their story told by the Alumni Association. It’s not happiness, money or success. No, the only thing guaranteed by graduating Mines is a piece of paper metal from Mines. The same can be said of any degree, from any school. College is an investment of time and money (or a gamble, depending on your mindset). But you don’t need to wait until commencement to collect some dividends. Everyday you spend in college and everything you engage your time in should be rewarding. In fact, if there’s anything you want from college, it’s more than a degree.



While you may have memories of miraculously passing that impossible midterm or answering a difficult question correctly during a lecture, it is certain that the majority of your college memories will be formed outside the classroom walls. And believe me, I’m not just talking about that party last night. I have learned more about myself in the last four years than I ever though possible and I didn’t need seminar to instill the lessons. It was the extracurricular activities that made the difference for me.

Mines offers way too many clubs and organizations to join, so I’ll just list the groups I gave my time to: Badminton Club, Sigma Nu fraternity, Mines Internet Radio, Order of Omega, Tau Beta Pi, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Order of the Engineer, Undergrad Research and the Alumni Association. Through these groups, I was involved in activities that the classroom never offered. I meet and interacted with more people than I saw in my chemical engineering classes everyday. I have raked leaves pine needles in Evergreen, answered a caller’s question on air, delivered two tons of food to a food bank in Lakewood, got served by a former Malaysian badminton pro, learned to not overdraft my checking, hung Christmas lights for the City of Golden, synthesized bone material and painted houses in the seedier parts of Denver. Most importantly, I felt connected to the community of Golden and Mines. I could see that my community service really helped and I experienced activities around campus and the city that I would have never heard about sitting in class. Each organization added something unique to my college experience and I am grateful for becoming involved in each and every one.

Now, I am extremely proud of my degree and what I accomplished academically (Magna Cum Laude). But I am equally proud of my community service and the fun I had outside of class (leading the march for Golden’s Sesquicentennial). So do well in college, but do well outside of college too. Join as many groups as you can handle. Additionally, try your hand out being the leader of a group or two. Be active in the community. Make friends from different majors and different clubs. Do these things and I guarantee you will have a great time at Mines, even without a good girl to guy ratio.

The more experiences you gather under your belt, the more you learn about yourself. You will start to get an idea at what you want to do when you graduate. You’ll have truly interesting stories, great friends and maybe even find that special someone. People always say that when you go from high school to college, you can reinvent yourself. I argue that you never become yourself, a unique individual, until college or the army or some other major leap from mom and dad. Involvement in extracurricular activities can really make the difference.

Yes, you eventually need to finalize your degree decision and graduate in four, five years or maybe more But you don’t need me to tell you that you don’t go to college to get just a degree.