My Summer College Trip

Hi, I’m Neeko Barnaby, and recently I went on a trip with SUub (Simpson University upward bound) to colleges in Oregon and Washington. The trip was a total of 5 days (including traveling days) and during this trip we toured 6 colleges. There were various things about each campus that appealed to almost everyone who wants to go to college. This  was one of the best things about the trip because everyone was able to see what kind of campus they liked.

​From what I’ve heard, most of the students liked the University of Washington because it was right next to Seattle, and students liked the idea of being able to go into Seattle whenever they wanted and experience the different activities and cultural experiences that Seattle has to offer. Now, that’s what I think makes this trip great, it gives people a taste of what kind of college they might like and what type of campus or city in which they would like to live. I think that these trips help give students an attainable goal to work towards and encourages them to look forward beyond high school. It makes students desire a good future for themselves. It helps them realize the importance of going to college as a means to following their passions.

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While the college tours were amazing, it was also fun to do things like go to the Space Needle or a ropes course - things most of us would never do on our own. It helped make the trip more fun as a whole and more memorable. The cultural experiences really and make us think about what type of college life we prefer. 

Another thing about the college tours that I liked were the tour guides. Most of the tour guides we had lived on campus and went to the school we were touring, thereby making them more reliable. Ultimately, their personal experiences made the stories and experiences more genuine and believable. The tour guides were also always open for questions, making it easier to know whether or not the school was right for you.

I think my favorite college was Oregon State University, I personally don’t like big cities because they feel unsafe cramped and always busy. But Oregon State felt more calm and quiet. I also loved the fact that they have a nuclear reactor - it is a cool fact that also means increased safety on campus. This is why I think the program as a whole is so important for our school because it helps those of us less fortunate go on these tours, see all kinds of colleges, and gives us the opportunity to see where we can go after high school. Thank you for reading my blog and I hope that this will inspire you to check out upward bound as a whole and realize what a blessing it is if you are already in the program.