Mines Choose Your Own Adventure

Are you a senior reflecting on your time at Mines, wondering how things might have turned out differently if you had made some different choices? Are you an underclassman wondering what the future will hold? This short quiz will help you in either case. Set in an alternate timeline where COVID never hit, simply answer these questions and add up your score to see how your abridged Mines education would have turned out. Be sure to follow the Newspaper Instagram account, @theoredigger, to earn an extra 10 points!!!

We’ll start with the first important decision every Mine’s freshman must make. Where are you going to live? In addition to the different amenities of each dorm, where you choose to live will also determine the people you meet during freshmen year. As time goes on they will likely remain some of your closest friends, so choose wisely.
I picked one of the newer “Tree Dorms.” In addition to their newer features, they are a short distance from Mines Market. This makes them perfect for grabbing lunch before class. +6
I picked one of the Trads. Despite being a little out of date, the people there are nice, and the courtyard is perfect for an afternoon game of spike ball or some slacklining. +2
I missed my first registration time and ended up getting stuck in the last triple on the top floor of Randall. Nothing said welcome to college like dragging my stuff up those stairs. -2

Now that you’ve settled into your dorm some, it’s time for the M-climb. This event is your first chance to show off that Oredigger spirit. How did it go?
Hail, hail, the gang’s all here. What the hell do we care as long as we get our share. Hail, hail, the gang’s all here. M-I-N-E-S What the hell do we care now? +10
It went pretty well. I got to talk to some cool people, and I had a pretty good time. Although, I could have done without getting covered in whitewash. +6
I forgot to leave my phone in the dorm… -4

Adjusting to the dining hall ‘cuisine’ is a big change. The flavor pallet may be different than you are used to, and you can never be 100% certain what’s in the grilled cheese. I’m sure you’ll figure it out, right?
Absolutely, I had a healthy variety of meals and always made sure to use the tongs to pick up breadsticks. +8
Actually, I ate almost exclusively at the Periodic table. +0
If Mines Market is ‘buffet-style,’ why can’t I eat a whole macaroni and cheese pizza for lunch? -4

Wow, time sure flies when you are having fun. Are you ready to register for your first sophomore semester classes?
Yes, I asked some upperclassmen and figured out exactly which professors to pick for all my classes. +6
Not yet, I’ll ask some of my friends what they are going to pick and piggy-back off of them. +2
Like it was even that difficult, whatever it takes to not have another 8-am, right? -4

Now that you have things under control, what about adding some clubs to your schedule?
I picked a few clubs, some that are fun and some that will help me grow personally/professionally. +6
Wait, I should have things under control by now? +2
I mostly just looked through the daily blast and went wherever there was free food. +0

Now that you have some courses under your belt, it’s time to declare a major. Be sure to pick carefully.
I’ve known what I wanted to major in since day one, hand over that intent form. +8
I met with my academic adviser and we talked it over, so now I feel confident that I’m making the right choice for me. +6
Umm… So it turns out I’m not as much of a masochist as I thought… +0

It’s time for ‘the class.’ Everyone says it’s your major’s make or break subject, how did you handle it?
All right, I struggled at first but going to office hours and forming a study group helped me get through it. +10
I probably could have done better, but at least I mostly know what was taught. +4
I eked by on my first go-around. It was really hard, fingers crossed that none of that comes up again. -4

Congratulations, you made it to the first E-days where you can legally drink. Time to join the time-honored tradition of celebrating with a few cold ones. Just don’t overdo it on your first go around.
I made sure to be responsible and had a good time. My team even won the cardboard boat race. +8
I may have overdone it. I had some friends to take care of me, so I didn’t do anything too stupid. I really wish I knew where I left my pants though… +0
Sure, ha-ha, my junior year will be the first time I drink during E-days. -6

Field Session is here, the time-honored tradition where you give up at least half of your summer to apply what you’ve been learning to ‘real world’ tasks.
I did well, learned a lot, and even managed to get a few hours of sleep each week. +8
I’d like to thank my project mates, caffeine, and the Taco Bell on South Golden Road. +2
I somehow did it, but I’m less interested in my major than I was before the start of the summer. -2

It’s time for the career fair. Since it’s now your senior year, this time it’s game day. Go out there and show those companies why they want to hire you.
I killed it! I got several interviews lined up, and I even went home with a backpack full of free stuff from all the tables. +10
It went well. I lined up a few interviews and was recognized by a few recruiters, so things are looking good. +6
I didn’t really go to career fair. I did enjoy getting to sleep in since my early morning class was canceled. -4

You’ve officially made it to graduation. Time to Celebrate!!!
I knew there was only one way to celebrate all that hard work, a big party with friends. It stayed under control and was so cool that even Blaster made an appearance! +10

Results:
100-91 The Next Ben Parker; You did it all. You made smart choices, had some fun, and even made sure to support student media while at Mines. When you’re walking across that stage to get your silver diploma a single thought pops into your head, “I’m sure I’ll be coming back to Mines again soon.”
90-70 Hellava Alumni; Your experience at Mines was truly exceptional. You had a rich college experience with some degree of college shenanigans. When you’re walking across that stage to get your silver diploma you think to yourself, “I am a Hellva’ Engineer now.”
69-30 Average Marvin; Your experience was pretty typical. College life had its ups and downs, but you got through it while managing to make a few memories, both good and bad. When you’re walking across that stage to get your silver diploma you’re left wondering, “where do I go from here?”
29-0 Maybe Mines wasn’t for you; You had a particularly rough go of it. Not that there weren’t bright spots in your experience, but graduation couldn’t come soon enough. When you’re walking across that stage to get your silver diploma you say to yourself, “Now my life can really begin.”
<0 How?; You seemed to make all of your choices as if you were taking a quiz and trying to see what the lowest score possible was. When you’re walking across that stage you smile thinking, “I can’t believe that they don’t lock the doors to this place the night before commencement.” •