Robin, when you grow up, you’re going to go to a good school and get a good job and not struggle like we did.”

These are the words I heard repeatedly growing up. But, as fate would have it, my parents divorced when I was 17, and I was left to fend for myself. I went through the motions, of course – meeting with counselors and taking the necessary tests – but I didn’t research any colleges, call any entrance counselors, or take any campus tours. Neither my parents nor I had money saved up, so I figured my only option was close to home – Eau Claire. I automatically signed up for a major in print journalism, because that’s what I was good at. 

The next five years were an awkward, uncomfortable struggle. I’d gone from being known in high school to just a number in a sea of thousands. I made one friend and forged a relationship with one professor. My grades never excelled. Having to support myself restricted me from extra-curricular activities. I never attended a football game or Homecoming. I never studied abroad. Needless to say, when I graduated from UWEC, I felt deprived. I felt I had missed out on everything a college experience is supposed to be. The other problem was that I’d lost my enthusiasm. I found myself questioning why the last five years of my life felt like a waste. 

This was when my fiancé proposed going back to school. He suggested marketing at CVTC. I scoffed at the idea at first. But then I thought about it. An associate’s on top of a bachelor’s had to get me a good job, right? 

January of 2010, I started my first semester at the Chippewa Valley Technical College. It was definitely different. There was a lot more diversity age-wise. The instructors dressed in jeans and went by their first names. The classes were smaller and more hands on. And you know what? I loved it. 

I suddenly knew why I was so bitter about UWEC. It wasn’t my kind of school. I’m sure UWEC has a fantastic curriculum and a lot of people come out of there saying it was the best years of their life, but it wasn’t for me. I like small classrooms over lecture halls, with teachers who immediately know your name, and with a small, intimate campus. It wasn’t that I hated UWEC, it was that I didn’t fare well in the university setting. But I didn’t know that, because all I knew back then was that I was supposed to go to college. And tech school wasn’t an option. Smart kids didn’t go to tech schools. Tech schools were for those who didn’t want to try as hard. Tech schools were for those who didn’t care about a real education.

I feel more confident right now than I did walking across the stage to receive my bachelor’s … I’m rather disturbed by the reputation tech schools get, by the thoughts I had of it when I was in high school.

I am only in my second semester, but I am enjoying it more than any semester at UWEC. The teaching style is different. UWEC was all about books. Learning was done through reading chapters, reading articles, doing research. Class time was spent listening to the professor talk about theories and taking notes off a PowerPoint. This works for some people, and I doenjoy research and have applied some of my university knowledge to in-class discussion at CVTC… but CVTC is all about doing. 

Yes, we have books, and yes, we take notes, but 90 percent of class is discussion and the awesome part is that you see it happening in everyday life. In marketing we get to talk about what commercials and recent purchases and past jobs we’ve had and it all applies to what we’re learning. I LOVE that! Plus, all my instructors know me by name and I have great relationships with them. I am more involved in class and outside of class. I have friends that I’ve spent time with outside of class! I think some of this may have to do with the fact that I flat-out told myself I was going to have a different attitude this time around. My proudest achievement: I’m holding a 4.0 GPA. 

I guess what I’m trying to get at is this: Don’t rule out a tech school as an option. It isn’t for the stupid kids. It’s for the kids who need a different style of teaching. In my case, it’s a better style. It’s applied to the real world. I feel more confident now than I did walking across the stage to get my bachelor’s. Maybe it’s because I’m older, maybe it’s because I’ve had both experiences. But I’m rather disturbed by the reputation tech schools get, by the thoughts I had when I was in high school. I wish I went to CVTC first. I would have gotten the attention every 20-something needs when they’re standing on the precipice of the real world.