My first week at university has been… interesting, for lack of better terms. Dare I say, I’ve been in a state of culture shock, unsure of what I’ve gotten myself into by going to university. 

The only familiar things about university, so far, have been my Spanish and Cultural Diversity Online classes. While I’ve never taken a class in Spanish up until now, my Spanish class is small and interactive, much like how my classes at Arapahoe Community College were. The online course also feels familiar; everything’s done through Canvas, and the whole setup is pretty straightforward. 

However, everything else feels wildly different at CU Denver from what I grew used to at ACC. And, I’m not sure how to deal with all of it. 

For one, the CU Denver campus is much, much bigger than ACC. CU Denver actually shares the campus with two other colleges: Metro State University and the Community College of Denver. Many of my classes are held in buildings used by all three institutions, so familiar faces and settings may be hard to come by. 

Oh, and the buildings themselves are huge! After all, CU Denver’s in the heart of downtown Denver, so of course they need a few skyscrapers of their own. It’s easy to get turned around in those buildings, and if I don’t take a picture of my Xterra before I leave it for class, there’s a very good chance I’ll forget where I parked (I learned that lesson last Wednesday). And I’m not one to forget where I parked. 

Eventually, I’ll know the campus like the back of my hand, and remember where I parked without taking a picture of my truck first. But right now, every time I step foot on campus, I feel almost blind. 

Damn, not knowing exactly where I am at all times really unsettles me. 

However, the biggest upset of all, so far, has been the outright culture shock I’ve been experiencing since before classes began.

I mean… I knew university would be fairly different from community college. I knew I’d feel a bit lost during the first few weeks of school. I even expected to run into a few bumps in the road here-and-there. But, I didn’t expect to feel so out-of-place. 

I already have a hard enough time relating to the people around me who grew up in the same place I did. I may have been born and raised in and around Denver, Colorado. I know the city very well, and I even went to school six or seven blocks away from the CU Denver campus. But, I’m not exactly your typical Denverite.

Like most Coloradans, I enjoy the outdoors and love bragging about how we’re the “highest city in the lower 48” (both literally and figuratively). I also like watching South Park and chowing down on a burrito at Chipotle or Tacos Selene. 

But, unlike most Coloradans, I can’t ski for shit and am not a big fan of Subarus. And unlike many Denverites, I don’t like downtown Denver that much. I can navigate it just fine, but I feel a bit… gross… after walking around down there. 

Meanwhile, I’m starting to realize that most of the people at CU Denver decided to attend CU Denver not just because of academics, but also because it’s in the middle of the city. 

During the student orientation a couple weeks ago, we were asked to do an “icebreaker” activity wherein we were tasked with meeting three different people, and finding out what they were most and least excited about attending classes at CU Denver. One kid from Brighton, Colorado was a bit shocked when I told him my least favorite part of CU Denver was that it’s located in the heart of Denver. 

“If you don’t like the city that much, then why’d you come here?” he asked in a not-so-polite tone. 

“Cuz [CU Denver]’s cheap and has the majors/career paths I was looking for.” I answered matter-of-factly. 

“Huh… well… good luck.” the Computer Science student stammered as we awkwardly parted ways.