That’s not a typo! In Ram territory at Colorado State, they don’t have Family Weekend … they have Ramily Weekend! CSU alumni Jeff Southern recently took The College Sage on a Ramily Weekend tour of scenic Fort Collins and the CSU campus. We learned that CSU has a breadth of majors from his choice of Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Accounting to even a BS in Fermentation Science (beer making) – how cool is that! As a land-grant college dating back to 1879, CSU has history galore. Originally known as Colorado A&M, CSU loves its ‘old aggies’ reputation as much as CAM the RAM. There’s even a New Belgium beer named for the CSU old aggies. While there are many beer references at CSU, there’s also the famous Disneyland story that you can’t leave town without hearing. Disneyland’s Main Street was modeled after many buildings in Fort Collins thanks to Hollywood set designer Harper Goff who grew up in CSU’s hometown.
Jeff Southern, a 2018 graduate of CSU, opened our eyes to the beauty of Fort Collins and the many cool traditions at Colorado State. Jeff is now an analyst at Charles Schwab but he took time out to tour us around his alma mater and help us learn more about the state’s second largest university.
CS: Jeff how would you characterize the difference between Colorado State and the University of Colorado Boulder?
Jeff: I would say the main difference is the Greek Life scene. Greek life is very popular at CU Boulder and not very popular at CSU. Otherwise, both campuses are located near vibrant Colorado cities with easy access to outdoor activities and the opportunity for a great education.
CS: What your fondest memory of your time at CSU?
Jeff: My fondest memory of my time at CSU was the first football game of my senior year. It was the first game of the college football season in 2017. But, it was extra special because it was the first game in the new on-campus football stadium. The stadium was an amazing upgrade – it can seat 41,000 people and has several classrooms inside! It’s great that students can now walk from campus to the stadium.
CS: Tell us about the student life environment at CSU? What’s it like to be a student there? Are there many out-of-state students?
Jeff: I really enjoyed being a student at CSU. The town of Fort Collins is a very friendly town and all residents are proud of the University. There is so much history in the town surrounding the university and there are amazing breweries all around. About 70% of students are from different areas of Colorado. Being a student at CSU was a great experience. I think it is one of the only colleges with a student run brewery and the opportunity to get a degree in Fermentation Science and Technology. Nestled in Colorado, there are so many activities to participate in year round, including hiking, skiing, and rock climbing.
CS: How was your experience in the business school?
Jeff: My experience in the business school was excellent! One of the best parts was the small classroom size, which allowed professors to dedicate more time and attention to each student. The classes were challenging, but achievable. One of my favorite classes was Financial Modeling, where we learned how to value different companies and I had the opportunity to present to the CFO of Zayo. Also, the business school hosted a robust career fair where I spoke with representatives from Charles Schwab. After that career fair, I applied for and received an offer for an internship for my junior summer, and upon completion, received an offer to return full time after graduation. I would recommend the CSU Business School.
CS: What advice would you give your freshman self?
Jeff: I would tell my freshman self to relax and have fun! It is a hard transition to college after working so hard senior year of high school on both schoolwork and college applications. Beginning as a freshman, you need to leave the stress of high school behind and focus on learning for the enjoyment of learning.
