<p>I recently found this site and what a great resource! I have started looking at colleges with my daughter and we're making summer visit plans now. Colorado College looks very interesting. My daughter's interests are anthropology and music. We'll have to find out how music is done with block scheduling since I would think music and languages would need to be an ongoing effort rather than contained to a block. But my big concern at this point is that I was looking at a site where students reviewed the college and marijuana use was repeatedly talked about. I know it's prevalent on most campuses, but I saw comments about how dorms at times reek of pot and after first semester, kids don't leave the doors to their rooms open as much because they are in there smoking. Maybe it's easier to smoke a lot of pot if your classes are always contained to the mornings. Anyway, my daughter is pretty social but not a huge partier and if this is truly the scene there it wouldn't be a good fit for her. We'd like to find out more before we take a 12 hour drive.</p>
<p>Anyone familiar with this?</p>
<p>Hey, I’m a prospective CC student. While I have yet to visit CC, I am aware of people’s concerns over the apparent pot usage there.</p>
<p>First off, I would like to stress that, no matter how implicit or explicit a college and its students may make it out to be, pot smoking and drinking more or less occurs in every college to some extent. Logic would dictate that when given more or less complete free reign over how to spend their free time, young adults will often go to great lengths to have fun and experimenting with mind altering substances has long been a prime outlet. It’s pretty much natural to want to get out of your head every now and then (generally speaking). I have visited multiple friends in colleges and universities in the US and UK and this seems to be the case. You would be pard pressed to find a college that is completely teetotal (unless you send your daughter off to a naval academy or the like).</p>
<p>However, the myth that CC is a granola crunching pot smoking hippie mecca is largely unfounded. I have spoken to quite a few current CC students and have close friends in the springs area who would vouch that CC students don’t go overboard on the weed front and place academics above all else. </p>
<p>So given that it probably might occur to some degree, does that detract from the college at all? Evidently not. CC has been rising in the ranks and is now a very prestigious liberal arts and sciences college. It is a shame that some parents place a higher weighting on where to send their kids based on the probability that they might come into contact with mildly illicit plant matter over a college’s academic rigour (I am not saying you share this viewpoint, but I know firsthand about an unfortunate amount of parents who do think this way). Plus, I am very much of the opinion that introducing vices to children in young adulthood, in a semi-controlled environment where they have other priorities to attend to (schoolwork) is better than if they were to suddenly come across it with no prior knowledge of any substances potential dangers later on in adult life where the stakes are higher. Realistically speaking, one way or another, your daughter will be exposed to marijuana at some point in her life. Times are changing.</p>
<p>Furthermore, weed smoking does not always equate to rampant partying. I know I would rather send my child to a college where smoking weed was the it thing over rampant drinking. While I am not here to preach the benefits of weed over alcohol (I merely think it is the lesser of the two evils), I would rather my child spend their weekends relaxing with a few friends in an apartment over getting trashed and say choosing to drive, or have unprotected sex (which consuming weed does not result in in the majority).</p>
<p>In short, the myth that CC goes ape on the weed front is largely unfounded, but you’d be hard pressed to find a college where students don’t smoke a little weed anyway, and in any case it evidently does not affect CC’s academic standing and the opportunities available for your child.</p>
<p>Thanks. It’s probably worth a visit to see for ourselves, maybe with an overnight stay for her. This really isn’t me being overprotective of my child-- she would not be happy if 80% of the people she met (I’m totally making up that number) liked to relax over marijuana. That’s just not her. Ditto a school where there is a lot of drunken revelry. I’m guessing she will party somewhat-- in whatever form that takes-- but will fit best into a school where this is just one of many ways that students goof off. And despite the fact that alcohol and marijuana are likely present on all campuses, there really ARE some schools where that’s a lot more common.</p>
<p>I’m so intrigued with CC’s block plan and location and would like her to look at it-- but when she saw the reviews about dorms reeking of smoke and neighbors not as accessible because of closed doors, it was a big turn off for her. I know those reviews can be unreliable but it was mentioned a lot more there than other schools we looked at.</p>
<p>My son just finished his junior year at CC and is very active with music and sports. Music is done as an adjunct class. Classes are generally worth 1 credit (one block), but music is spread out over the entire semester and worth 1/4 credit. Students are limited to taking 3 adjunct courses a semester. This system has worked very well for him. He feels he is able to participate in far more extracurriculars on the block plan and still keep up with his coursework. </p>
<p>Marijuana use has not been an issue for him and he is not a partier. He considered the substance free housing, but decided it wasn’t necessary. He opted for the better room in a great small house (on campus mansion) this past year. llbrenner, I suggest your daughter does overnight visits in the fall. It really helped my son get an idea about the true school culture vs. the stereotypes. One colleges came of his list after an overnight, while others moved up on his list.</p>
<p>I think the reason that pot usage might be addressed in particular at CC is because CC is in a state that has recently legalized marijuana use. I don’t think it has any inordinately higher use than any other college in general, just is a more commented upon issue due to its location and recent legislation.</p>