This Week’s College: Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado College is an unusual institution of higher education. I like to think of it as compact. It starts with their mission statement which is pretty darn short as mission statements go: “Our goal is to provide the finest liberal arts education in the country. Drawing on the spirit of the Rocky Mountain West, we challenge students, one course at a time, to develop those habits of intellect and and imagination that will prepare them for learning and leadership throughout their lives.” It’s short, sweet, and to the point. Kind of like the school itself.
And if you were paying attention you noticed the major feature that makes CC unlike almost any other place to go to school. That’s the one class at a time part. At most schools you take 4 or 5 classes a semester (3 or 4 on a quarter system). But at CC you do a single class at a time for 3 ½ weeks. And then you do the next class. Basically, you immerse yourself deeply in a single subject at a time before you move on to the next one. It’s called the Block Plan. And you have four blocks a semester (just like at any semester school) with two semesters a year (8 classes total). Over four years you will take 32 classes, same as everyone else. Except it’s not at all the same.
But how on earth does this work? It goes like this: You take a class, one class, and it last for three and a half weeks. So that means it ends on a Wednesday. The next class begins on a Monday and you have a “Block Break” between that Wednesday and Monday. Yes, there’s plenty of Skiing (um, hello, Colorado?) but there are other things too: trips with friends, a chance to do work in the lab, time to volunteer, backpacking, etc.
Classes are small, focused, and hands on. Doing a class on astronomy? Plan to spend your time in the observatory for three weeks. Taking a class on field archaeology, the whole class might just uproot to a dig site (it’s the only class you’re taking so why not work in the field?). Studying Shakespeare’s Hamlet? Plan to be in class 9-12 every day and read criticism in the afternoons. The Block plan leads to serious investigation, depth of learning, and most importantly, undivided attention and focus.
It doesn’t hurt that you can get a fabulous education in the shadow of Pike’s Peak. The campus of CC is amazing, and Colorado Springs is a great place to be. If just taking in the scenery as you walk around campus isn’t enough, never fear! Sense of Place trips are a part of life at CC and you can delve deeply into the ecosystems, cultural, and natural area of the place on one. Naturally (see what I did there?) the outdoors is a huge draw here. And being a part of the life outdoors is what a lot of students want to do. But that’s not all they do.
If you’re looking for varsity sports, Colorado College has plenty. Hockey is D1 as is women’s soccer. They also have basketball, track and field, swimming and other sports at the DIII level as well as plenty of club sports and intramurals. Plus their student activities groups number over 100 with everything from an adaptive ski program (for those of you who do this at Wintergreen) to Llamapalooza (a music fest group), from dance teams to mock trial groups. There is definitely something for everyone here. While there is Greek Life here at CC, it’s not the traditional kind, and it “strives to commit to creating a history we all can be proud of by holding each other accountable and honoring our individual and collective values.”
Housing is, like everything else at CC, a bit unusual. Bathrooms are co-ed. They have both wellness housing (chemical free), and theme housing which ranges from housing for LGBTQA students to those interested in outdoor education, language houses to houses for students who are interested in exploring issues surrounding race and diversity questions.
Is Colorado College for you? If you’re interested in going to school with smart people who are devoted to progressive ideals of environmental protection, diversity and equality, and who want an intense learning experience, then yes, it’s probably for you!
Pros:
Cons:
Colorado College is an unusual institution of higher education. I like to think of it as compact. It starts with their mission statement which is pretty darn short as mission statements go: “Our goal is to provide the finest liberal arts education in the country. Drawing on the spirit of the Rocky Mountain West, we challenge students, one course at a time, to develop those habits of intellect and and imagination that will prepare them for learning and leadership throughout their lives.” It’s short, sweet, and to the point. Kind of like the school itself.
And if you were paying attention you noticed the major feature that makes CC unlike almost any other place to go to school. That’s the one class at a time part. At most schools you take 4 or 5 classes a semester (3 or 4 on a quarter system). But at CC you do a single class at a time for 3 ½ weeks. And then you do the next class. Basically, you immerse yourself deeply in a single subject at a time before you move on to the next one. It’s called the Block Plan. And you have four blocks a semester (just like at any semester school) with two semesters a year (8 classes total). Over four years you will take 32 classes, same as everyone else. Except it’s not at all the same.
But how on earth does this work? It goes like this: You take a class, one class, and it last for three and a half weeks. So that means it ends on a Wednesday. The next class begins on a Monday and you have a “Block Break” between that Wednesday and Monday. Yes, there’s plenty of Skiing (um, hello, Colorado?) but there are other things too: trips with friends, a chance to do work in the lab, time to volunteer, backpacking, etc.
Classes are small, focused, and hands on. Doing a class on astronomy? Plan to spend your time in the observatory for three weeks. Taking a class on field archaeology, the whole class might just uproot to a dig site (it’s the only class you’re taking so why not work in the field?). Studying Shakespeare’s Hamlet? Plan to be in class 9-12 every day and read criticism in the afternoons. The Block plan leads to serious investigation, depth of learning, and most importantly, undivided attention and focus.
It doesn’t hurt that you can get a fabulous education in the shadow of Pike’s Peak. The campus of CC is amazing, and Colorado Springs is a great place to be. If just taking in the scenery as you walk around campus isn’t enough, never fear! Sense of Place trips are a part of life at CC and you can delve deeply into the ecosystems, cultural, and natural area of the place on one. Naturally (see what I did there?) the outdoors is a huge draw here. And being a part of the life outdoors is what a lot of students want to do. But that’s not all they do.
If you’re looking for varsity sports, Colorado College has plenty. Hockey is D1 as is women’s soccer. They also have basketball, track and field, swimming and other sports at the DIII level as well as plenty of club sports and intramurals. Plus their student activities groups number over 100 with everything from an adaptive ski program (for those of you who do this at Wintergreen) to Llamapalooza (a music fest group), from dance teams to mock trial groups. There is definitely something for everyone here. While there is Greek Life here at CC, it’s not the traditional kind, and it “strives to commit to creating a history we all can be proud of by holding each other accountable and honoring our individual and collective values.”
Housing is, like everything else at CC, a bit unusual. Bathrooms are co-ed. They have both wellness housing (chemical free), and theme housing which ranges from housing for LGBTQA students to those interested in outdoor education, language houses to houses for students who are interested in exploring issues surrounding race and diversity questions.
Is Colorado College for you? If you’re interested in going to school with smart people who are devoted to progressive ideals of environmental protection, diversity and equality, and who want an intense learning experience, then yes, it’s probably for you!
Pros:
- Intense learning and focus
- Frequent breaks mean you refresh yourself often
- Small class size
- Get to know faculty
- Great place to live
Cons:
- Intense learning and focus
- Not everyone’s style of learning
- Hard to learn foreign languages
- Not a traditional college experience
- You need to be open to ideas and experiences to be happy here