This is a great university for anyone who is interested in making video games. Shawnee State attracts many gaming enthusiasts and offers accredited degrees in both programming and design. The small school size means one-on-one learning and many fun campus-wide events.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Shawnee State is a great school for game design and programming, but the small size means that the other programs in areas such as music are lacking. Live on campus if possible, as the school has great dorms and not a lot of parking space for commuters.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
The courses are tough but the professors are fair. I've definitely been challenged this year, but the thrill of learning so many things makes the hard work worth it.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
The dorms at Shawnee State are great. Currently I live in a dorm with 4 other people. We're split into two fairly large bedrooms, two in one and three in the other. We also have two bathrooms, a living room, and a full kitchen with a stove/oven and full-sized fridge. The building has its own laundry facility, though it does cost a dollar to wash or dry. The size of the dorm is incredible and with all the included furniture, we hardly had to bring any furniture of our own.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
SSU has a cafeteria, and the full meal plan comes to 19 meals a week (breakfast lunch and dinner on weekdays and brunch and dinner on the weekends). The cafeteria has a decent variety of food and good staff. Every day pizza, burgers, wraps/subs, and a salad bar are available, while other entrees, soups, and desserts change daily. The eating area is large and never gets overcrowded. If you are in a hurry, you can use one meal to get a to-go bag, which included a drink, entree, and two sides or a side and dessert. There's also Jazzman's Cafe, where students can buy coffee and treats.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
SSU has many clubs, many of which are related to gaming. There's a gaming gladiators club which sometimes holds large competitions for Super Smash Bros. and other games. There's also the Dungeon Dwellers club which is dedicated to tabletop games, Dungeons and Dragons in particular. The most popular club is Zed, which is all about surviving a zombie apocalypse. Twice a year, the Zed club holds a Humans vs. Zombies game where everyone runs around campus and tries to survive as more and more students are turned into zombies. Other clubs include the Minecraft Club and Comic Book Club.
The campus also has a small game room with two pool tables, a swimming pool, and a few computer labs in which students can play games.
The university holds many fun events, which is good because Portsmouth is a small town and there's not a whole lot to do outside of campus. The local theater does, however, hold 4th Friday Movie nights, which allows anyone with a student ID to go to the theater at midnight and pay $3 for popcorn, a drink, and a movie.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Tuition at Shawnee State is relatively low, coming in at just over $10,000 for my first semester including housing, meal plans, and fees, so it's a great value.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Humans vs. Zombies is a big deal on campus, and it's common to see groups of Nerf-gun-wielding and zombified students prowling the campus past midnight.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Shawnee State definitely caters to gamers. With each 12-room dorm building getting their own wi-fi access point and plenty of game-friendly computer labs, including an Alienware lab, available on campus, Shawnee State seeks to meet gamers' needs. For people who may have found it hard to find other gamers in the past, fear no more. There are tons of people ready to start playing.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
The clubs are great but focused on gaming. Though programming is my passion, I also wanted to continue playing the trumpet while at school. SSU has a pep band and the city orchestra directed by one of the professors, but that's about it. Still, there are plenty of things to do on campus and I never find myself bored. Holidays are always fun because the university usually has a week of activities planned for them.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There are two sororities and a fraternity on campus, though a new fraternity chapter may be coming to SSU soon. I don't have much knowledge beyond that.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Campus just feels like a safe place. Students are given emergency and non-emergency numbers for the security building and are encouraged to call for anything from emergencies to getting a ride to class at night. The campus also has the standard security speakers or phones on the main walk, in the parking lot, and in most of the buildings.
This is a great university for anyone who is interested in making video games. Shawnee State attracts many gaming enthusiasts and offers accredited degrees in both programming and design. The small school size means one-on-one learning and many fun campus-wide events.
Shawnee State is a great school for game design and programming, but the small size means that the other programs in areas such as music are lacking. Live on campus if possible, as the school has great dorms and not a lot of parking space for commuters.
The courses are tough but the professors are fair. I've definitely been challenged this year, but the thrill of learning so many things makes the hard work worth it.
The dorms at Shawnee State are great. Currently I live in a dorm with 4 other people. We're split into two fairly large bedrooms, two in one and three in the other. We also have two bathrooms, a living room, and a full kitchen with a stove/oven and full-sized fridge. The building has its own laundry facility, though it does cost a dollar to wash or dry. The size of the dorm is incredible and with all the included furniture, we hardly had to bring any furniture of our own.
SSU has a cafeteria, and the full meal plan comes to 19 meals a week (breakfast lunch and dinner on weekdays and brunch and dinner on the weekends). The cafeteria has a decent variety of food and good staff. Every day pizza, burgers, wraps/subs, and a salad bar are available, while other entrees, soups, and desserts change daily. The eating area is large and never gets overcrowded. If you are in a hurry, you can use one meal to get a to-go bag, which included a drink, entree, and two sides or a side and dessert. There's also Jazzman's Cafe, where students can buy coffee and treats.
SSU has many clubs, many of which are related to gaming. There's a gaming gladiators club which sometimes holds large competitions for Super Smash Bros. and other games. There's also the Dungeon Dwellers club which is dedicated to tabletop games, Dungeons and Dragons in particular. The most popular club is Zed, which is all about surviving a zombie apocalypse. Twice a year, the Zed club holds a Humans vs. Zombies game where everyone runs around campus and tries to survive as more and more students are turned into zombies. Other clubs include the Minecraft Club and Comic Book Club. The campus also has a small game room with two pool tables, a swimming pool, and a few computer labs in which students can play games. The university holds many fun events, which is good because Portsmouth is a small town and there's not a whole lot to do outside of campus. The local theater does, however, hold 4th Friday Movie nights, which allows anyone with a student ID to go to the theater at midnight and pay $3 for popcorn, a drink, and a movie.
Tuition at Shawnee State is relatively low, coming in at just over $10,000 for my first semester including housing, meal plans, and fees, so it's a great value.
Humans vs. Zombies is a big deal on campus, and it's common to see groups of Nerf-gun-wielding and zombified students prowling the campus past midnight.
Shawnee State definitely caters to gamers. With each 12-room dorm building getting their own wi-fi access point and plenty of game-friendly computer labs, including an Alienware lab, available on campus, Shawnee State seeks to meet gamers' needs. For people who may have found it hard to find other gamers in the past, fear no more. There are tons of people ready to start playing.
The clubs are great but focused on gaming. Though programming is my passion, I also wanted to continue playing the trumpet while at school. SSU has a pep band and the city orchestra directed by one of the professors, but that's about it. Still, there are plenty of things to do on campus and I never find myself bored. Holidays are always fun because the university usually has a week of activities planned for them.
There are two sororities and a fraternity on campus, though a new fraternity chapter may be coming to SSU soon. I don't have much knowledge beyond that.
Campus just feels like a safe place. Students are given emergency and non-emergency numbers for the security building and are encouraged to call for anything from emergencies to getting a ride to class at night. The campus also has the standard security speakers or phones on the main walk, in the parking lot, and in most of the buildings.