Concentration Paper

Part 1



1. I chose CSU for two main reasons. I knew that I wanted to stay in state because of the substantially lower tuition rate compared to some of the out of state schools that I was looking at. Once I had narrowed my college search down to Colorado schools, I began looking at the business programs offered at each school and found that CSU was the best in the state.



2. I chose business as a major because I enjoy learning about how and why money exchanges hands within our economy. I also believe that having a solid understanding of finance is a practical skill to have, regardless of what you end of doing for a job. Therefore, it made sense to major in something where the skills I gained would be beneficial both at home as well as at work.



3. I knew Sean Bull from high school. I have met a few other people so far, but Sean is the only one that I knew going into the class.



4. Within the college of business, I know you and Kathy Thornhill (my advisor).



5. No, I am not interested in studying abroad in the future. While it may offer a life changing experience to those who participate in it, I feel as though I would gain the most from my four years at CSU if I spend all of them studying in Fort Collins. I love living in this city so far and this connection can only grow as I progress throughout college.



6. Business Week - Have heard of it but don't read it

Fortune - Have heard of it but don't read it

Forbes -Have heard of it but don't read it

The Economist - Have not heard of it

BBC - Have not heard of it

Denver Post - Read it each day

Forbes Small Business - Have not heard of it

Wall Street Journal - Have heard of it but don't read it



7. I want to know what kind of jobs are offered to a graduate from each different concentration. I am leaning towards a finance concentration, but I feel as though it would be helpful to have a solid understanding of all of the concentrations prior to making a final decision. I also would like to know how to balance my time better so that I can be a successful college student.



Part 2



1. My strengths include being outgoing, a hard worker, patient, and driven. I feel as though I am a decently well rounded individual who has the ability to accomplish anything that I set my mind to. I typically strive to do my best in every aspect of my daily life. Whether it be doing my homework or working out, I see to it that I do every task to the best of my ability. Some weaknesses that I have are indecisiveness, and worrying/stressing out too much. I need to relax more about things and not try to do too much at one time.



2. I am not considering Accounting due to the fact that I am not into sitting at a computer imputing data all day. I feel as though accounting would not offer enough interaction with other people in a typical day. While this might change once I learn more about it, my perception of accounting is sitting in a cubicle all day doing "busy work".



I am kind of interested in Management due to the fact that it involves working with people. Interacting with others is something that sound fun to me, yet managing them is a whole different ball game. Management sounds like it would challenge me to become "overly assertive" in order to maintain control of a workplace. With that being said, I hate the type of people who are control freaks when it comes to group work and I'm afraid that is what management might entail.



I used to be interested in Marketing due to the fact that I enjoy learning about how companies sell their products/services. Then I talked to my brother who had an internship with Intel this past summer and he told me that the marketing department was the "fluff" of the company. I want to do work that makes a difference in the world, and I'm not sure if marketing can offer that to me. Therefore I would need to learn more about what marketing actually consists of.



Computer Information Systems does not interest me whatsoever due to the fact that I'm not very computer savvy. I am not super interested about learning the details and intricacies of the computer world. As long as I can use the main programs that are utilized on a daily basis I will be content with my understanding of computers. There is very little chance that I could learn something new about this concentration that would make me change my mind.



I am very interested in Finance because of all of the people that I have talked to who have degrees in this concentration. My uncle has a degree in finance and I am very excited about learning more about the things that he does on a daily basis at his job. I want to learn more about the numbers that allow businesses to operate and I feel as though the finance world would be a perfect fit for me.



I am not that interested in real estate because of the craziness of the home market. One of our family friends is a real estate agent and his job sounds like a roller coaster ride every day. Perhaps if I had a better understanding of what else the real estate industry consisted of I would gain more appreciation for such a concentration. I'm not sure if being a "salesman" is really my forte.



3. I was an ESTJ. It said that I was strong in extroversion and judging. Based off of this, it told me I would be interested in management type jobs. While this was one of the concentrations that I was considering, I was surprised that finance wasn't even mentioned as possible jobs for my personality type. I feel as though simply because of a few of my answers about enjoying the company of others, the test assumed that managing people was perfect for me.



I still feel as though my organized and detail oriented nature would be a good match for working in finance. Finance seems as though it requires an individual who is able to handle orders as well as think on their own. I am inclined to believe that finance is still a solid fit for me due to my ability to organize/accomplish tasks even though it suggested management.



It listed me as in between a "doer" and an "executive" which is pretty much where I believe that I fit into society. I enjoy a nice balance of working with others as well as getting work done on my own time. I am a people person who also enjoys listening to what others have to say as well. Overall this was an eye opening experience that helped me realize that their other concentrations that I should look into prior to making a definite decision.

My WHY Factor

• I am in college so that I can gain knowledge that will allow me to become a productive member of society.
• I hope to broaden my understanding of different studies and interest groups.
• I want to interact with people from all walks of life and allow them to share their thoughts with me.
• I want to make the best use of the money that my parents have invested in furthering my education.