<p>I doubt that serious and impartial people believe that the MSU Lyman Briggs School of Natural Sciences is not an all around superior program. Clearly, it has few peers.</p>
<p>A2Wolves6, as to your mindless comment about East Lansing being a dump heres a blurb about the town from unbiased Ohioans (who, as their website suggests, has its main focus on cities and as such is neutral on academics) who visited the area (NOTE: I didnt post the link as it doesnt specifically revert to the Lansing/East Lansing page, but youre free go cross check me [@ urbanohio.com],): </p>
<p>"East Lansing (pop: 46,525) is the home of Michigan State University. This progressive city has many restaurants, bookstores, shops, and MSU-geared bars. It also has beautiful residential areas and scenic areas."</p>
<p>This link (click on other states then Michigan then East Lansing contains a number of pictures, mostly of the town and a few of campus, where Ill leave cc posters to their own intelligent judgments as to whether the town is dumpy or not However, in urbanohios referring to EL progressive, beautiful, it appears they consider the town neither a dump nor, as GoBlueAlumMom foolish states, a host city for a school with few intellectuals. </p>
<p>I stand by what I said before, despite your statement that your parents are MSU alums (meaning they must be smart people), clearly you have a pro UM agenda. Unfortunately, some UM alums feel it necessary to constantly go around putting down MSU (with lies, such as yours) because they somehow feel that boosts UMs image (and, thus, the question must be asked per your comment: who really has the inferiority complex?). But its a free country and a free message board, so post on. </p>
<p>However, I understand your pro-UM M.O.: post ridiculous untruths about MSU; then others, including MSU people object/correct you; then, based on that correction/objection, you have proven MSU people have an inferiority complex to big brother as you put it. Sorry, aint going to work. Contrary to your slanted view, U-M is not uppermost in my thoughts. Most of the time, U-M really doesnt exist in my world other than a sports opponent. I promote and educate prospective students/parents on the virtues (and downsides) to MSU. As one who represents the school as an alum, I do not engage in school bashing or putting down other schools. </p>
<p>Another point A2Wolves6 is your statement about MSUs alleged poor quality (worst in the Big 10 sure wish hed define his pejorative terms) of the dorms. Thats an absurd lie. Yeah, some dorms have rooms that are small, but what school doesnt, particularly a large state institution. To the contrary, many academics have rated MSUs dorm system highly (in the late 1980s, Change Magazine rated them 2nd only to Yales). It beyond debate that MSU, through its dorm system, pioneered the residential college concept among public research institutions; that is, the structure of the dorm including classrooms, labs, (some) libraries and faculty offices in residents halls. Its a concept MSU long ago understood that would make the school smaller and more personal for undergrads than the huge research.</p>
<p>A2Wolves6, while your free to post, try to do a little research before throwing stuff to the wall to see what sticks. It would be nice if we could commence and intelligent, info-oriented board, but that isnt always possible, as you have shown. But rest assured that both myself and others who know and care about MSU, will be here to quickly correct you.</p>
<p>Ridiculous untruths, wow, since when is visiting an area and making an opinion on the area based on your own experiences there, other's experiences there, and knowledge of the area a ridiculous untruth? I'm not putting down MSU's image in order to help UM's, but you seem pretty great at putting words in my mouth and drawing false conclusions based on statements that I made. It's incredible how you troll Quincy. My statements aren't false. Opinions aren't false. </p>
<p>Go and tell people to look at "cover shots" of the campus. That's not the story. Of course they're going to think "what a nice area". No school is going to publish their university negatively. I never referred to the campus as a dump. For anyone who is interested in MSU, they need to visit the area and not just the campus. Make your own opinion. Look at the decrepit buildings, the pawn shops, and the potholes in the roads and make a judgement of the quality of the area around the campus. </p>
<p>Same for the dorms, anyone who visits the campus can tell you. I have friends currently in the dorms. Go by whatever no-name rankings you want to Quincy, but if you go to the campus, go to other campuses, and look at the dorms, MSU's are not of quality. And quit trying to sound like they are "pioneers of dorms" that's the grossest misinterpretation i've seen in a while. Hundreds of colleges had "residential communities", that they offered, before MSU did.</p>
<p>So please Quincy, try and make a subjective opinion next time. Not throw out false information. Keep calling my opinions and statements from my visits lies, it just shows how great that education at MSU has been for you.</p>
<p>I have done major job recruiting for a major corporation at both MSU and U of M for the last 4 years (twice a year at both universities). We have found way more qualified candidates at Michigan State than at MSU. I would say this was a coinsidence if it had only happened once. But, it has happened each and everytime we recruit at both universities. The students from MSU come dressed professionally and have come far more prepared for a corporate interview. On average, we have hired 10 MSU graduates for every 1 U of M graduate. I am giving you a non-biased opinion ---- I did not attend either MSU or U of M. I am just telling it as I see it. And I see it as unfair for the U of M parents/alums/students to constantly post negativity regarding MSU. Prospective students read these posts and might garner a rather jaded opinion of MSU when in fact it is a fine school, puts out outstanding students who are ready to enter the corporate world and least important .... the campus is absolutely gorgeous!</p>
<p>I think you mean that you have found more qualified candidates at Michigan State than U of M (you said than MSU). Very helpful information though; thank you.</p>
<p>A2Wolves6, I stand by what I wrote: you do have an pro-UM, anti MSU agenda, and youre really wasting space and time for kids who want serious MSU info. That said, let me address some of the untruths you just uttered:</p>
<p>A2Wolves6:
if you go to the campus, go to other campuses, and look at the dorms, MSU's are not of quality.
DEFINE YOUR TERMS, MAKE A COMPARISON. Lets hope you dont go to college writing such unsubstantiated diatribes, cause your profs will most assuredly flunk you when you do.</p>
<p>A2Wolves6 : Hundreds of colleges had "residential communities", that they offered, before MSU did.<br>
FALSE: 1st, read my post, I referred to large public institutions. In the early 1960s, MSU was the first to MSU was the 1st to build dorms living/learning centers with classrooms, faculty in the residence hall/res hall complex. No, there have not been hundreds of universities before MSU who engaged in residential colleges. Harvard and Yale, in the early 1900s, were the 1st in this country. As early as the 1930s, with Mason-Abbott halls, MSU began building dorms with faculty apartments in them, an early integration of academics with student living space. Later with Justin Morrill College, in 1965, MSU developed one of the nation's 1st academic/thematic residential college program. And its no lie to state that, today, similar programs run by MSU: James Madison and Briggs, are widely hailed by academics as the best in the land. C'mon A2Wolves6, GIVE ME FACTS since youre so cocksure of your wrongheaded assertions. Name me the public U that scooped MSU on this score.</p>
<p>A2Wolves6: I never referred to the campus as a dump. READ MY POST CARFULLY, A2WOLVES6, I never said you did. You referred to East Lansing as a dump and I offered you evidence, from (but one go to most any travel website and youll find parallel comments) neutral 3rd party (urbanohio.com) that refutes your, once again, wild, undefined diatribe.</p>
<p>Thanks, daisy123, for bringing some sanity back to this board.</p>
<p>lol, one random person comes on and says that they recruit from MSU. Lets just throw out all of the rankings from Business Week, US News, etc that the employers from the top companies make because this person says MSU students that they recruit are better than UM students. Brilliant. Maybe it's because you don't have a good company and UM Students would rather go to more prestigious firms they would make more money at.</p>
<p>I don't have a "Pro-UM anti MSU agenda". I have opinions. You're classifying me as that. I'm just a unbiased viewpoint. I haven't attended either institution. I don't have a degree from either. I'm not going to defend one to the death on a message board by stating that others opinions are wrong. It's hilarious and quite sad on your part to think that someone is like this. I have maybe 10 posts in the MSU forum, i'm sure you can say that i'm going out of my way to convince others not to go to MSU (sigh).</p>
<p>A2Wolves: No where in my post did I say that MSU candidates were "better" than U of M candidates. I simply stated that out of the roughly 50 to 75 candidates that we interview on a given recruitment day, we seem to make offers to way more MSU students. AND, from what I have ACTUALLY OBSERVED with my own eyes, the students from MSU come to the interview more prepared, dressed more professional, etc. I DO NOT have a bias to either school --- BOTH are great schools and we are fortunate to have two such schools in Michigan. I just think that your posts are quite negative and you probably have never had anything to do with MSU.</p>
<p>lol I so wish I could view IP addresses right now.</p>
<p>The back-and-forth illustrates the futility of asking a question like this on CC. Futile because it will devolve into an argument between fans of one instution or another. And it is impossible to know what a prospective students experience will be like from generalizations (reputation) or the experiences of one or a few (particularly at a school as large as MSU). But that is we get whatever information we can and make our own judgments. </p>
<p>(I apologize to those folks who scanned this new post hoping to find something interesting or useful.)</p>
<p>Wow after reading this forum, my head is spinning like crazy. </p>
<p>I've never attended either schools, and I am applying to both schools. So what's the conclusion? This tread seems more like a debate between State and Michigan fans. I live in Michigan, so I'm more than aware that there are as many die-hard Spartan fans as there are Wolverine fans, but I'm more interested in where I can get a better education.</p>
<p>My son is at MSU again this year. Last year he spent pretty much all his time doing schoolwork. On weekends at home he spent at least 12 hours a day doing homework and rewriting notes. During winter break he was on the phone with classmates coordinating a project for chemistry. He spent a week in bed during finals week with a cold while writing a 12 page paper for Honors writing class. I tried to talk him into seeing things on campus and he kept saying he had a lot of schoolwork to finish.<br>
And he was eager to go back this year because he loved it.</p>
<p>I guess I should add that even with all his hard work my son couldn't get straight A's like he was hoping.</p>
<p>Wow..err..back to the subject at hand.</p>
<p>I'm fairly certain if you take classes in any of the residential colleges (James madison, lyman briggs, Residential college of arts/humanities) you'll likely be challenged (maybe to a point that you would want to transfer out of said residential college major). I've heard constant complaints about the challenging, difficult material they are given. Not that it's a bad thing! Honors also gives an extra added "challenge." (and even non-honors students can take honors courses with permission from your advisor) And really it all depends on how challenging you want it to be; it all lies in your ability to challenge yourself in your assignments, talk to the professors, get involved etc. etc</p>
<p>You will get a good education at MSU. Sorry if I scared you, Fa-la-la-lena. Please let us know what your amount of schoolwork is like after awhile. There is a interesting thread on the parent's forum called "Ten things to ask your student...." It mentions how much time a student should spend studying.</p>
<p>Fa-la-la-lena, let me rephrase that. I hope I didn't scare you (or anyone else) by telling you how much schoolwork you might get at MSU. My son took 15 credits. (I know you said something about signing up for 17.)</p>
<p>haha shyanne I didn't mean you (I meant the conversation/debate that took place before you)</p>
<p>This is a 2-year old thread, but anyway...</p>
<p>In my view, there are too many easy classes at MSU (and at Michigan, for that matter, and, yes, I attended both).</p>
<p>There are many easy classes at any college you go to. If you take classes that you are passionate about and are willing to get involved in the coursework, then yes it will be challenging and rewarding. However, you can also skate by and probably still do fine, but in the end you are only cheating yourself. </p>
<p>And it depends on your strengths. For example, one student might slide through calculus with no problem while another might have to study for hours each night just to get a somewhat decent grade.</p>