Samantha’s Blog

My first impressions of Chemeketa back when I was in high school, was that there was NO way that I was going to attend here. It is way too close to home and if I was going to work so hard in high school to get the grades that I did, then I was going to go to a University– No matter how much money I didn’t have. I honestly thought that Chemeketa was some where you went if you couldn’t get into a better school. That’s what I thought all Community Colleges were for. I was extremely mistaken. Once I found out about the scholarship opportunity, my school provided us with a JumpStart session which enabled us to take our placement exam and familiarize ourselves with the campus. Once here, I realized that Chemeketa is just like any other college. Real students go here. Real classes take place. And people actually really have fun. It was a big surprise. I feel every day that I made the right decision. I’m not telling everyone that Chemeketa is the right place for you, but I would strongly suggest looking at it as an option. I am saving thousands of dollars while taking the same classes as some of my peers that are at some of the major Universities.

So you may be asking why I chose Chemeketa out of all the other schools around the area. To be completely honest, when ever college came to mind, Chemeketa was out of the question. It was just too close to home for me. I really didn’t want to stay that close and wanted the “full” college experience. I wanted to try something new; be in a new town. And, I also thought that with all my hard work that I had done through high school, I didn’t want to start at a community college. So, I had sent my application to the University of Oregon, been accepted early and all that jazz and literally almost paid the down payment for the dorms. But, then something awesome was told to me through my counselors at school. Anyone who lives in the Chemeketa school district and has a 3.5 gpa can receive free tuition for 2 years. I was sold. I was already pretty stressed out about having to get loans and everything like that. It is probably one of the best decisions I have made thus far in my life. I am saving thousands of dollars while taking the same exact classes. I got an awesome job here on campus as an Ambassador and more more great things are happening. I would definitely recommend taking an opportunity, such as mine, if ever given. It has been a great experience so far and I am happier every day with what I chose.