Great question! Let me first begin by introducing myself.
My name is Rick Maestas, founder of the blog Buffalo Warrior (the name comes from two of my school mascots). I am a 20-year-old Business student at the University of Colorado Denver. My major is Information Systems, however I am also a Student Ambassador and member of the Information Systems Association. I have already earned a college degree, an A.A. from Arapahoe Community College. I am a member of Arapahoe High School's class of 2009.
I started this blog to share my college experience with students, parents, and anybody with an interest in learning about what college is like nowadays. I want the posts on my blog to provide real value to my readers, I want my readers to be informed about the reality of college today. It is remarkable that, right now, you could ask any college admissions counselor from any school what college is like. However, you will get a well-rehearsed, one-size-fits-all response because they answer this question many times a day. This response is not what you will read on this blog. This is where you should come to get a front-lines report from an actual student.
I can tell you, being a student today is unlike being a college student at any other time in history. With the pace that technology is evolving, it is well known that the information a student learns his or her freshman year will be outdated by the time they graduate. Furthermore, the cost of attendance is increasing exponentially year to year. How can a student make it through?
Now, I will tell you a little bit more about myself. I am considered a dependent student, meaning any financial aid opportunity I have is based on both my income and my parents income. My parents make too much money for me to qualify for any financial aid. This means I should have enough money to pay for school, correct? If you ask the federal government, they will say yes, but my situation is a little more unique. Not only have I not had the opportunity to receive any financial aid, my parents do not help me pay for education related expenses in any way. So, in times like these, I should be paying for education with student loans, right? However, I owe no money to anyone. I am 100% putting myself through school without accruing any debt, and am on track to complete a 4 year program in 4 years. As a matter of fact, I am already looking forward to grad school.
How am I doing it? You'll just have to follow this blog to see how....
