michigan state had everything i was looking for in a university-challenging classes, all types of students, and a beautiful location to call home. as an undecided freshman, i appreciated the wide variety of available classes and majors. the 500+ student organizations offer opportunities for everyone to make friends and get involved in campus life.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
1. seek out friends with whom you truly enjoy spending time. this may sound obvious, but it's easy to get lost in the shuffle of any university if you don't make an effort to meet people. many students make friends in their dorms. other common meeting places include clubs, religious organizations, sports teams, and classes. college can also be a time to reinvent yourself and change for the better. choose friends who will help you become the best version of yourself.
2. be responsible. this is college-you no longer have to ask permission to use the restroom during class, and no one is going to call your mommy if you fail a test. freedom is great, but it places your future in your own hands. professors are typically more than willing to help you if you ask, but none of them are going to hunt you down and remind you to turn in last week's homework. go to class. study. keep track of your assignments. being a grown-up really is not difficult if you put in a little bit of effort.
3. make time for fun. sure, you're in college to get a degree, but you need to enjoy yourself along the way. i grew more as a person through the friendships i made, conflicts i resolved, and leadership roles i took on during my time at msu than i ever did by listening to a lecture or writing an essay. having a perfect gpa is nice, but having a good gpa, growing as a person, and being happy is better.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
join the honors college if you get the chance. incoming freshmen can join with a 30+ act score, and msu freshmen and sophomores can join with a 3.5+ college gpa. honors college members get to sign up for classes before everyone else, can take any class they want (regardless of regular restrictions or prerequisites), and get to choose their dorm freshman year. the best part of the membership is the vast array of courses available for general education requirements. non-members can choose from a selection of 7-10 classes for each general education requirement. honors college members can choose from tons of classes to satisfy the same requirement. they get more freedom in customizing their own degree programs. another perk of membership is being able to take honors sections of regular classes. these sections are usually smaller more challenging. rigor is not limited to only honors sections-a student can earn honors credit in nearly any class by arranging to do a special project with the professor.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
many different types of dorms are available. some house only 300 students, while others house nearly 1000. about half have community bathrooms for the entire floor, while the other half have suite-style bathrooms shared between two rooms. floors (or at least wings) are typically separated by gender, although coed floors are available. one dorm (yakeley) houses only females. dorms are arranged into complexes which all have at least one cafeteria. some classes are even held in dorm buildings; this is especially common for students in residential academic programs. dorms are constantly being updated and redone to make them pleasant places for students to live.
unique residential options are also available in dorms. for example, there are honors floors for honors college students, and quiet floors with special courtesy hours. students can also choose to live in dorms with other students in their major or college. for example, science majors may choose to live in holmes, while political science students may live in case.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
every meal plan is unlimited, meaning students can go to the cafeteria as many times as they want. this is especially nice for late-night snack runs and going to the cafe just to socialize. the university is in the process of updating all the cafeterias. three new cafeterias have opened since 2007, and all look similar to a large mall food court. these cafeterias give students many different meal options and are generally better than the other cafeterias. currently the cafeterias in case, brody, and snyder-phillips halls are the best. this section gets three stars because of some of the older cafeterias that have not yet been updated. the new cafeterias would get five stars. regardless of which dorm students call home, they can eat in any cafeteria. students who live off-campus can also purchase smaller meal plans, and eat on campus at their leisure.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
there are fun activities for all types of people at michigan state. many freshmen and sophomores spend time hanging out with friends in the dorms. there are also movies shown on campus that are free for dorm residents. the university activities board brings entertainment to campus in the form of concerts, hypnotists, comedians, and more. broadway shows regularly come to the wharton center on campus, some of which offer discounted tickets for students.
there are many restaurants and shops on grand river (the main street north of campus) for students to explore. house parties also take place in the student housing off of grand river. older students have a variety of bars from which to choose-karaoke, pool, dancing, and sit-down bars are all available. there is also a dance club under one of the bars for younger students.
as a big ten school, michigan state offers a wide variety of activities for any sports fan. football, basketball, and hockey games are the most popular sporting events for students to attend, and have active student sections. even non-sports fans find themselves going to football games to spend time with friends and cheer on the spartans. other big ten sporting events such as volleyball, soccer, and gymnastics are available at no charge to students.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
while all four-year institutions are expensive, michigan state was recently rated one of the most reasonably priced schools in the big ten. freshmen and sophomores pay a lower rate per credit hour than do juniors and seniors. tuition typically increases every year. scholarships are available, yet competitive. each college within the university offers scholarships for which students can apply.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
every night during finals week students participate in midnight scream. this involves a campus-wide scream to let out frustration, bring spartans together, and throw a little fun into finals. midnight scream is most fun in large dorm complexes where there are a lot of people, but can be found in nearly every dorm on campus.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
michigan state is home to over 45,000 students, about 35,000 of whom are undergraduates. the means all types of students find a place to belong at msu. i can't think of a single type of person who couldn't find a place to fit in at this school. even students who like the idea of a small school can make the university small by centering their lives around studies, their dorm, and a club or two. this aspect of msu is nice, because students can get create a small-college atmosphere or blend in to the crowd.
every type of student can find commonalities with fellow msu students. there are plenty of sports for jocks, numerous research opportunities for studious types, volunteering activities for activists, and performances for budding actors, just to name a few.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
there are over 500+ student organizations at msu. students can participate in intramural sports, religious groups, academic organizations, or hobby-related clubs. during welcome week each fall, students can attend sparticipation-an event where nearly every student organization has a booth with information about how to get involved. from the rugby team to the catholic student organization, to the coffee club, msu has something for everyone.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
those seeking to get involved greek life have many options at msu. rush is held each semester, and students have many houses from which to choose. greeks have opportunities for formals, parties, and big-little bonding. some greeks fit the snob stereotype, while others are perfectly nice. checking out different houses during rush is a good way for prospective greeks to find a fit.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
students are pretty safe at msu, so long as they use common sense. walking alone at night is not recommended, especially for females. students traveling in groups at night are typically safe. students can use the safe walk program to get walked from the library to their dorms from dusk until 1 am. the night owl bus program will also take students between any two points on campus from 2 am until 7 am. there are green emergency phones all around campus and in many dorms. with a little street smarts, students can feel safe at msu.
michigan state had everything i was looking for in a university-challenging classes, all types of students, and a beautiful location to call home. as an undecided freshman, i appreciated the wide variety of available classes and majors. the 500+ student organizations offer opportunities for everyone to make friends and get involved in campus life.
1. seek out friends with whom you truly enjoy spending time. this may sound obvious, but it's easy to get lost in the shuffle of any university if you don't make an effort to meet people. many students make friends in their dorms. other common meeting places include clubs, religious organizations, sports teams, and classes. college can also be a time to reinvent yourself and change for the better. choose friends who will help you become the best version of yourself. 2. be responsible. this is college-you no longer have to ask permission to use the restroom during class, and no one is going to call your mommy if you fail a test. freedom is great, but it places your future in your own hands. professors are typically more than willing to help you if you ask, but none of them are going to hunt you down and remind you to turn in last week's homework. go to class. study. keep track of your assignments. being a grown-up really is not difficult if you put in a little bit of effort. 3. make time for fun. sure, you're in college to get a degree, but you need to enjoy yourself along the way. i grew more as a person through the friendships i made, conflicts i resolved, and leadership roles i took on during my time at msu than i ever did by listening to a lecture or writing an essay. having a perfect gpa is nice, but having a good gpa, growing as a person, and being happy is better.
join the honors college if you get the chance. incoming freshmen can join with a 30+ act score, and msu freshmen and sophomores can join with a 3.5+ college gpa. honors college members get to sign up for classes before everyone else, can take any class they want (regardless of regular restrictions or prerequisites), and get to choose their dorm freshman year. the best part of the membership is the vast array of courses available for general education requirements. non-members can choose from a selection of 7-10 classes for each general education requirement. honors college members can choose from tons of classes to satisfy the same requirement. they get more freedom in customizing their own degree programs. another perk of membership is being able to take honors sections of regular classes. these sections are usually smaller more challenging. rigor is not limited to only honors sections-a student can earn honors credit in nearly any class by arranging to do a special project with the professor.
many different types of dorms are available. some house only 300 students, while others house nearly 1000. about half have community bathrooms for the entire floor, while the other half have suite-style bathrooms shared between two rooms. floors (or at least wings) are typically separated by gender, although coed floors are available. one dorm (yakeley) houses only females. dorms are arranged into complexes which all have at least one cafeteria. some classes are even held in dorm buildings; this is especially common for students in residential academic programs. dorms are constantly being updated and redone to make them pleasant places for students to live. unique residential options are also available in dorms. for example, there are honors floors for honors college students, and quiet floors with special courtesy hours. students can also choose to live in dorms with other students in their major or college. for example, science majors may choose to live in holmes, while political science students may live in case.
every meal plan is unlimited, meaning students can go to the cafeteria as many times as they want. this is especially nice for late-night snack runs and going to the cafe just to socialize. the university is in the process of updating all the cafeterias. three new cafeterias have opened since 2007, and all look similar to a large mall food court. these cafeterias give students many different meal options and are generally better than the other cafeterias. currently the cafeterias in case, brody, and snyder-phillips halls are the best. this section gets three stars because of some of the older cafeterias that have not yet been updated. the new cafeterias would get five stars. regardless of which dorm students call home, they can eat in any cafeteria. students who live off-campus can also purchase smaller meal plans, and eat on campus at their leisure.
there are fun activities for all types of people at michigan state. many freshmen and sophomores spend time hanging out with friends in the dorms. there are also movies shown on campus that are free for dorm residents. the university activities board brings entertainment to campus in the form of concerts, hypnotists, comedians, and more. broadway shows regularly come to the wharton center on campus, some of which offer discounted tickets for students. there are many restaurants and shops on grand river (the main street north of campus) for students to explore. house parties also take place in the student housing off of grand river. older students have a variety of bars from which to choose-karaoke, pool, dancing, and sit-down bars are all available. there is also a dance club under one of the bars for younger students. as a big ten school, michigan state offers a wide variety of activities for any sports fan. football, basketball, and hockey games are the most popular sporting events for students to attend, and have active student sections. even non-sports fans find themselves going to football games to spend time with friends and cheer on the spartans. other big ten sporting events such as volleyball, soccer, and gymnastics are available at no charge to students.
while all four-year institutions are expensive, michigan state was recently rated one of the most reasonably priced schools in the big ten. freshmen and sophomores pay a lower rate per credit hour than do juniors and seniors. tuition typically increases every year. scholarships are available, yet competitive. each college within the university offers scholarships for which students can apply.
every night during finals week students participate in midnight scream. this involves a campus-wide scream to let out frustration, bring spartans together, and throw a little fun into finals. midnight scream is most fun in large dorm complexes where there are a lot of people, but can be found in nearly every dorm on campus.
michigan state is home to over 45,000 students, about 35,000 of whom are undergraduates. the means all types of students find a place to belong at msu. i can't think of a single type of person who couldn't find a place to fit in at this school. even students who like the idea of a small school can make the university small by centering their lives around studies, their dorm, and a club or two. this aspect of msu is nice, because students can get create a small-college atmosphere or blend in to the crowd. every type of student can find commonalities with fellow msu students. there are plenty of sports for jocks, numerous research opportunities for studious types, volunteering activities for activists, and performances for budding actors, just to name a few.
there are over 500+ student organizations at msu. students can participate in intramural sports, religious groups, academic organizations, or hobby-related clubs. during welcome week each fall, students can attend sparticipation-an event where nearly every student organization has a booth with information about how to get involved. from the rugby team to the catholic student organization, to the coffee club, msu has something for everyone.
those seeking to get involved greek life have many options at msu. rush is held each semester, and students have many houses from which to choose. greeks have opportunities for formals, parties, and big-little bonding. some greeks fit the snob stereotype, while others are perfectly nice. checking out different houses during rush is a good way for prospective greeks to find a fit.
students are pretty safe at msu, so long as they use common sense. walking alone at night is not recommended, especially for females. students traveling in groups at night are typically safe. students can use the safe walk program to get walked from the library to their dorms from dusk until 1 am. the night owl bus program will also take students between any two points on campus from 2 am until 7 am. there are green emergency phones all around campus and in many dorms. with a little street smarts, students can feel safe at msu.