Q & A

How do I find roommates or a place to live?
Craigslist! Summit County is definitely one of these easiest places to find housing. If you don't have a car, try to find a place right in town and definitely avoid Blue River altogether (the free bus doesn't go there).

I'm from abroad, am I going to be the only one?
No! Contrary to popular belief because Summit County is so small, we are extremely culturally diverse. I have six students in my Spanish class, only three are from the U.S! Two were from Europe and another from South America. At my job at Nike, at least 40% of my co-employees aren't from the U.S, including one of my managers.

I've heard living in Summit County is expensive... Is that true?
After living here for three years, I would say that living expenses are more towards average, but it really comes down to how much you want to compromise. If you want to live in the epitome of a ski bum house with 9 other kids you can pay next to nothing for rent. A two bedroom apartment in downtown Breck could be outrageous, while a two bedroom in Blue River could be a steal. Groceries aren't expensive, gas prices stay relatively the same while the rest of the countries prices fluctuate, and jobs pay pretty well. You'll pay $350-$600 for a six mountain season pass here, while kids in places like Utah pay $1,500 for one mountain. Some of my friends who go to college at University of Wisconsin Madison pay twice as much as I do for rent, on top of their insane tuition costs. When you add up all the living costs here, as well as tuition, books, etc, you save a lot of money compared to any four year university.

I've heard that community colleges don't offer "as good of an education" as universities, is CMC going to be challenging enough?
CMC has small class sizes, so if you want a college where you can get away with skipping class and not doing your homework, forget about it. Your attendance is expected, so you actually learn things... which makes exams and tests easier. You also get the individualized attention that would be close to impossible at large universities. The idea that you don't get as good of an education is an excuse for those who want to justify paying 4x as much. CMC classes have to follow the same guidelines as universities.

If you go to school full time, do you still have time to ride?
YES! Before I started college in Breckenridge, my parents made sure I knew that I was coming out for school, and not just riding. I knew I had to keep my priorities straight, but I was afraid I wouldn't have any time to ride. CMC is great because you can schedule almost all of your classes in the evening, or you can schedule multiple classes in one day, so you don't have to go to school 5 days a week. I work Fri-Sun, go to school full time, study, and still find plenty of time to ride. It's an amazing balance.

What are the class sizes like?
Small. Small enough for your teacher to get to know you, and notice when you're not in class. But it's awesome because you get to know all of your fellow classmates really well, and if you're struggling it's easy to get help. Class is fun because we're not just listening to our professor lecture, we're having class discussions and relating our life to our school work. I hated high school, and I'm not one who loves to sit and listen to a lecture for almost 3 hours. It's not like that at all.

Could I survive there without a car?
Yes. Summit County has a free bus service, and all my friends are constantly car pooling. The bus doesn't go down every road though, and there are places it doesn't go at all like Blue River, so just double check before you move in somewhere.

Do students live in Breck year round, or go home over the summer and breaks?
Most of the leases out here are for a year, but a lot of kids sublet their rooms for the summer. If you're not sure you want to commit to that, try to find a place that only requires a month to month payment. As for breaks, a lot of Breck jobs require you to stay and work for the holidays because that's when they need the most help... but just as many kids go home as stay.

Have questions? Contact me!