My Spring Break Campus Tour Reflection
by Alejandra Perez
Spending my spring break traveling overnight with my fellow ATS peers was an experience like no other. I have been college touring, but have not experienced a back-to-back college touring overnight trip. I have to commend the ATS outreach advisors for making this trip so enjoyable and such a valuable learning experience, no matter all the hiccups we faced along the way.
My first thoughts about college touring in Oregon were not so optimistic. Having been already set on going to college in Southern California, I did not have an open-mind about Oregon at first. I dreaded cold weather and found Oregon not to be one of my first choices when thinking about college. With a little encouragement from my parents, I decided to take advantage of my opportunities--I am so glad I did!
During the trip, I gained valuable information I would not have gained otherwise. It is important to consider all the factors: Can I see myself at this campus? Will I receive financial aid? What are their popular majors? The cost? etc. Moreover, I gained the value of meeting new people and bonding with your peers. Staying overnight at the hotel and sharing a room with girls I would otherwise never run into, taught me the value of building and creating new relationships. In college, I will not know my roommate nor anyone else for that matter, traveling with ATS students taught me the importance of being confident--to not fear meeting new people.
Along the way, I also got to reconnect with some old friends from my elementary school years. Spending time with Karen and Karina was such a blast! We really shared some laughs.
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| Rosy, Karen and Alejandra at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) pregnancy exhibition |
However, by far I valued the college tour trip to Reed the most. Reed College really took me away with its academics, small class size, campus life, and so much more! If it were not for this college tour trip, I would have never considered or even thought about applying for Reed College. I have to say the most valuable knowledge I gained throughout this trip is to keep an open mind. Touring a college can really change the way one previously thought of it. I can now say that I can see myself attending college in Oregon and am also open to traveling even further out-of-state. Right now, I have realized that I am really open to learning more about college campuses and visiting places I otherwise never would have thought of. It is important to take advantage of your opportunities because one never knows where it can take you.
