Montana and the College Experience

College students get to experience an area that's unique from what residents or tourists experience, unless they already live in the place where they attend college. College students aren't quite residents; they generally don't have to pay property tax or worry about other issues residents worry about. But college students also aren't tourists, because they “visit” the same place for more than just a few days at a time. Montana is a uniquely interesting place to attend college. My experience of living in Montana is directly related to my college experiences, living in Butte, Montana's Irish heritage, and traveling in Montana.

Montana Tech is a great place to get a well-rounded college experience. There is often something happening on campus, including workshops, seminars, and club meetings and activities. Montana Tech has a very good football team, and I enjoy going to football games as some of my friends, as well as my cousin, have played or currently play for Tech. Montana Tech is also well-known for its challenging curricula, providing a highly-competitive, “big school” feel at a small college.

A Montana Tech student needs different things from Butte than the resident or tourist. Butte has a copious number of bars and clubs, and a friendly relationship with alcohol in general. While this can be a detriment to Butte at times, no college town is complete without a few college bars and local hangouts. There are also many good local restaurants in Butte within the college budget, and it's very fun to find a new, unique place to eat. Several historical homes are available for touring, which can provide a nice break and history lesson from events on campus. Butte also has many festivals and activities throughout the year that make it an interesting place to be.

Montana has deep cultural roots in Ireland and no discussion of Butte would be complete without a discussion of the state’s Irish heritage. My favorite activities in Butte are the St. Patrick's Day festivities and Butte's Irish Festival. Irish culture is deeply tied to Catholicism, and I think if it were not for Butte's relationship with Catholicism I would not be Catholic today (I converted to the Catholic Church in March, 2005). An Irish-cultural activity I really enjoy is the weekly Irish sessions in Helena, at the Blackfoot River Brewery. Every Tuesday night, from September to June, one can enjoy well-played traditional Irish tunes in the cozy comfort of the Brewery. Even with the high gas prices, I feel it's worth the drive.

Montana's scenery is well worth the traveling time. There is at least an hour's driving time between major cities in Montana, but the mountains and rivers in Western Montana are completely gorgeous. Residents of Montana tend to have a conservative and isolationist attitude, helping to keep Montana’s wilderness intact. My favorite drive is the I-15 route from Butte to Helena, although I also enjoy the drive on I-90 from Butte to Missoula.

I've really enjoyed living in Montana, and even though I'm currently frustrated with my college career, I have received a good education from Montana Tech. I've seen some interesting things in Butte, as well as had some interesting experiences in Western Montana. I've really enjoyed the Irish cultural things I've done in Montana. I've driven extensively in Montana and really love the scenery in Western Montana. I think my college experience has positively impacted my impression of Montana.