Chadron State College

Chadron State College became my home away from home the moment I stepped onto campus. The small class sizes allowed me to received more focused, explicit instruction. Professors knew me on a first named basis and truly had my best interest at heart throughout my four years at CSC. The education program offered career-applicable opportunities not only during face-to-face instruction, but also through learning and training opportunities in elementary classrooms. They prepared me to be a teacher early... Read More on in my education by allowing me to gain classroom experience and learn from high quality teachers before having a classroom of my own. CSC has shaped me into the teacher I am today and I will forever be grateful for each and every individual that had a hand in my educational experience.

I first attended Chadron State College right out of high school for a degree in Hospitality Management through the Family and Consumer Sciences program. Chadron is a beautiful and welcoming town that is easy to familiarize yourself in. I easily built lasting relationships with the personnel at CSC, as well as others in the community. The college had a great work study program that I took part in. I also worked other jobs outside of the college. I would definitely recommend this wonderful college... Read More to anyone looking for a solid education in a great little town.

This school made me feel comfortable. The small class sizes really helped me to have on-on-one time with the professors and get to know them personally. I was a student -athlete and the teachers worked well with me to get all my classwork and homework done in a timely manner. With this said, I graduated as a student-athlete with a 4.0 with the help of my professors and coach working together to fit my educational needs. Academics was the number one priority. I learned everything that I needed to... Read More know to move onto the next level of my education career in obtaining my Master's degree.

The college is small, and nestled right up against the black hills and Chadron State Park, so it's a beautiful setting and great place to live. I loved the intimate nature of it, as it was a great place to get involved and make friends. I lived in a house with roommates and it was an easy walk to downtown and the great little stores and restaurants. My favorite was a Mexican restaurant and right across the street was the small community movie theater. There weren't a lot of students in each class,... Read More which was great for interaction with the teacher and getting a quality education. I also enjoyed driving an hour to Rapid City to go shopping. Chadron is small, so the biggest store is Wal-mart, but there aren't a lot of other shops for necessary items. Rapid City wasn't far away and was great to get in some more shopping or go to a movie at a bigger theater.

Essentially the program is in an independent study format. Each class has webpage for homework submissions quiz/test taking. There are no lectures (typical content consists of PowerPoint presentations taken from the "extra content" of the reading materials) or interaction with your instructor other than by email. For someone who's used to a traditional setting, this format is really tough. The use of pre-recorded video lectures would be very helpful in bridging the gap from a traditional classroom... Read More to a virtual learning environment, enhance the learning experience by hearing real-world examples/experience from the Instructor, and provide an opportunity to get a feel of what the Instructor's looking for in terms of assignments.. All assignments/forum requirements/group work/term papers, along with due dates, are posted on Day 1 of class, so there's no reason anyone has for missing a due date (there are no surprises). To avoid the hassle of trying to form a virtual team, teams are assigned by the instructor and known on Day 1. There is a lot of busy work in the realm of forum posts and comment requirements, but all are relevant to the course content. Assignments are graded and returned within 7 days. Group projects/Term Papers usually take 14-16 days. So far, the grading system is extremely fair, and Instructors are very responsive when grading questions are asked. The school is regionally accredited. Its MBA program holds an ACBSP accreditation, and is very affordable (Total costs, including books, will run about $12,000).

Chadron State's greatest qualities are its value, faculty, and the quality of education. I really believe I was prepared for my future by Chadron State. They have a low-cost, but extremely high quality program with a supportive faculty. I am in secondary education, which means that my professors, even more than other professions, are mentors and people I seek to emulate. The examples, I was shown at Chadron State will be invaluable as I continue my career. The downside to Chadron State would probably... Read More reflect in a lack of academic competitiveness between the students and a lack of name value. The Chadron State brand does not carry the same weight as other institutions, which comes with the cost. Also, because of the cost of the education, it might attract a lower level of student, but that comes with the cost.