University of Colorado Boulder

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Film Studies – now called Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Hispanic/Puerto Rican Heterosexual Male

Summary

I play intramural sports.

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic/Puerto Rican
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

High School Experience: Private school in Puerto Rico with a graduating class of about 45 people. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Film Studies – now called Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I play intramural sports.

Academic Experience

Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
Right now, I’m in two Film classes and I have about two screenings and three writing assignments per week. Every three weeks we have our individual film projects. We are given criteria on what to base our film on and then present a two to five-minute film. We’re graded on the composition and the techniques we use within the project. We’re also graded on our writing assignments and we’re tested on the screenings that we see during class.
Is there anything that you feel your major’s department does especially well or especially poorly?
I think the department does really well in bringing in experienced professors who really know what they’re talking about. What they teach us is good for when we go out and work in the film industry because many of them have worked in the film industry. With that experience, they’re able to break down a scene and really enlighten us on what we wouldn’t normally see if we were just watching it for pleasure.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s a bit of both. It’s a small department, so everyone pretty much knows everyone. Everyone’s super nice and helpful. I’ve been asked to help on a bunch of projects and people have helped me on my projects, so we’re all working together to be better filmmakers. But, we’re also competitive in that we want to be the best filmmakers in the department. [In the Class of 2018, there were 66 Film Studies majors.]
How accessible are your professors?
They’re really accessible. We have office hours at designated times but they also have appointments and those appointments are really flexible. It’s not hard to get in contact with my professors outside of class time.
What has been your favorite class in your major?
Moving Image Foundations II. It’s one of the classes I’m in right now. We really dive deep into the technical aspects of scenes and shooting films. I think this year I’ve learned the most about films in terms of the production side of it.
What has been your least favorite class in your major?
Film History I. It was just a little dry and some of the topics aren’t the most interesting topics to talk about.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I chose film because I’ve always loved watching movies and my roommate and I watch tons of movies together and are always talking about ideas that we have about making movies. I used to be a Computer Science major and then couldn’t see myself doing that type of work outside of college. I always loved film and was always interested in the production side of it, so I decided to roll the dice and do it. I’m super happy with the decision, I think it’s the best decision I could have made out here.

Reasons to Attend

1) It’s a great community. They have pretty much anything for anyone. People are super active and outdoorsy. If you’re not super active and you want to play video games all the time, there is a video game community too.
2) Colorado is beautiful and it’s a great state. I love it out here. Boulder is a great location for everything and everyone.
3) The professors are really good. Even though it’s such a big school, they’re really good about creating individual relationships with students.
4) Boulder is a beautiful place and everyone is super, super happy.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) It’s a huge campus. Freshman year there would be about 200 or more students in a lecture hall. If that’s not your learning style, it can be hard. [There are about 29,000 undergraduate students.]
2) If you’re not into the cold, it can get super cold.
3) It’s not the most diverse student population. [About 68% of undergraduates are White.]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Stearns East Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: I lived in an off-campus apartment in an area called “The Hill” with two other roommates.
Junior: Off-campus apartment with one roommate.
What has been your favorite living situation?
I think right now is my favorite living situation. I have one roommate who’s my best friend on campus and we each have our own rooms and bathrooms and the kitchen is really nice. We think we got a really good deal on this apartment.
How was transitioning from Puerto Rico to Boulder, CO in terms of location?
It was a pretty big transition because not only was I far away from home but if anything happened to me I have to be fully self-sufficient. At first, it was a big culture shock and a big change, but the people here are really nice and really understanding, so I think I got accustomed to living here within the first four months.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
Illegal Pete’s
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
The Flatirons here in Boulder.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I really like to go to the gym and play pick up basketball. Fridays and Saturdays are the most popular days. We have a gym with three courts right next to each other, so there are always games going on. It’s a great place to meet new people and have a good time. Pearl Street is a popular place too, it’s only about three blocks away from campus and there are a lot of nice restaurants and bars, if you’re over 21, to go to. My friends and I also really like to go watch movies or go on hiking trips during the day.
How happy are you with the weekend options? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m really happy with the weekend options here. I think it’s really good. I don’t think I’d like to change anything. It has everything I personally want.
What have been some of your favorite times at Boulder?
My freshman year floor was really social and active, so everyone got to know everyone and it felt like a really strong little community. That made my freshman experience really good.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
They were all on my floor during freshman year.
How would you describe the overall social scene?
It’s a really, really big social scene with tons of options for different people. If you’re the more outdoorsy type, there are options for that. If you’re a gym rat, there are options for that. If you’re into Greek life, there’s that, and if you’re not into Greek life and looking for a kickback, everyone’s usually hosting something at their apartment or house. It’s really active. My roommate and I hosted a Halloween and Super Bowl party this year.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I see lots of people of different races mixing socially. I have a bunch of different friends from different places. The scene for foreign students is also really good I think. If you want to be with other people from your nationality and practice your traditions, there are clubs for that. There is a Chinese club that does that and is also very open, so I see people there from the U.S. and Mexico there and it looks like a great time.
How would you describe the Hispanic community? How strong is it?
From what I’ve seen, it’s a smaller community but they’re pretty close. I [don’t participate in it very much]. I see them congregate a lot together. I went to the Day of the Dead festival that they hosted and it was really nice. But, it doesn’t look like there are too many Latinos here. [About 12% of undergraduates are Hispanic.]
Do you think people are generally happy with their choice of Boulder by senior year? Do you think people leave loving Boulder?
I think so. So far, everyone I’ve talked to doesn’t regret choosing Boulder. I think the only thing is it’s very easy to get distracted here in Boulder. Having a really good work ethic is pretty much mandatory and if you don’t have that coming in, you have to learn to have a good work ethic because it’s very easy to get lost in the social life.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
I haven’t really used the alumni network. I’ve been doing my own research.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful are they?
I used it to find a job for last summer and they were really helpful. They gave me a bunch of options, asked me what type of job I’m looking for, and were able to accommodate me with the best-suited job. The job I found I ended up loving. I worked at the Challenge Course here on campus and met a lot of different people.
Have you learned any computer programs or languages that will be helpful to you professionally?
Yes, I was introduced to the Adobe Suite and also Premiere.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating have they been to your needs?
They’ve been really accommodating and super helpful. Everything’s worked out so far.