<p>What would it be like for a student who isn't a party animal? Are there dorms (or floors) where it's possible to get a reasonably quiet atmosphere, are truly alcohol AND tobacco free? Esp. close to the music building?</p>
<p>How easy is it for students who are generally conservative in other ways to find other students with a conservative bent? </p>
<p>What is it like on the weekends? What percentage of students clear out on the weekend? What about food service hours on the weekend?</p>
<p>What about public transportation availability to places in E. Lansing and Lansing? This student will not have a car on campus freshman year but would not feel happy about not having a way to get to places SHE wants to go that may not be top hot spots for most students. </p>
<p>Also, quite specialized, but if anyone is familiar with student involvement in folk music I'd like a read on how students who are folk musicians connect with one another. </p>
<p>(Ducking and running since I know we are pretty counterculture to current American society on some of these things...)</p>
<p>Sigh.....I've been reading fine print and clicking through too many pages on way too many websites over the last 6 months. I was actually hoping for someone who lives there to just give me some personal feedback on how it all works out in practice. </p>
<p>We didn't do an overnight visit earlier because we had just too many other visits with various music department meetings & auditions- there just wasn't time and DD didn't want to look too deeply at other aspects of the schools until she know where she was accepted. But unlike the super-elites, MSU apparently doesn't really have anything overnight for April, so we've missed out on being able to get that personal feel for student life.</p>
<p>HI. I'm a MOm that went to MSU in the 80's- undergrad and graduate schools. I was out of state, from NY.
MSU was the most fantastic place to be. It offers a tremendous amount of things to do that do not include being wild/drunk...
I had a great group of friends there. We had lots to do. We did little drinking. The drinking age was 21 so no booze (legal) in the dorm so that was not an issue. Little drugs that we saw (or smelled!). No cigarettes that I can remember at all.
I was not party animal, but there were dorm parties which were fun. Little sister in a frat which was fun too and gave us a place to go and hang.
I'd suggest the smaller dorms.- ie Campbell, Yakely, Landon for sure. The huge dorms may be noisier. Ours was generally quiet. Right across from the Union and on the edge of Campus (Grand River) with all the stores.
Food was fine. I'm sure it's expanded since. No dinner (at least then) on Sun nights but a huge brunch. Gives you the opportunity to go out to eat with friends every Sun night. Great restaurants in the area. We could easily walk form out dorm.
Big campus but I never took the bus to class. Huge campus but very accessible walking to class. Everyone does it. Great bike paths for those who want to bike but very few do that.
It is NOT a commuter school. I never knew anyone who went home for a weekend unless they had to.
Classes can be huge or very small. The big classes were fine though and did not negatively impact learning/grades. Teachers grade fairly. Easy to do well once you learn to keep up with the work and use a highlighter!!
I only have the best memories from MSU.
My closest friend from there is sending her son for fall 2007. mY son got in too but will opt for some of his reach schools istead, although he got a great package from MSU.
Can't think of a reason to hesitate to send your daughter. It's a huge school that felt like a small school. Very friendly.
Good luck.</p>
<p>Crazed summed it all up so I will say this: If you want to be near the Music Building, have your daughter stay in one of the dorms in West Circle (Yakeley, Campbell, Landon, etc.)</p>
<p>Also, I believe next year there will be Sunday dinner and the cafeterias will be open until midnight. </p>
<p>I don't party, don't use drugs, and don't drink. I have not felt left out or had a problem with anyone else. </p>
<p>Crazed: Smoking and alcohol are now permitted in dorm rooms for students of age unless the room is specifically alcohol & smoke free. Freshman rooms would, by default, be officially alcohol free, just didn't know in practice how much the culture supports those who choose not to drink. Smurfgirl seems to have not be having a problem, though so that's good. </p>
<p>Smurfgirl, that would be great if there are dining options on Sunday evening that don't require extra money. As we all know, college students are not always full of extra cash- I sure wasn't, and neither has my older daughter been. Also, related to cash- how easy is it for freshman students to find jobs? If she goes to MSU, she will need a job to get spending money, as she will get no tuition assistance from the university, merit or need-based.</p>
<p>She can apply for a job in the cafeteria. It's not the best job, but hey, if you need money...</p>
<p>I'm sure that if they are now going to offer meals on Sunday, the cost of it will be higher. I'm not totally sure about it, but I heard that from other people that they are going to offer Sunday dinner. I am 100% sure about the dining halls staying up until midnight though. </p>
<p>There are a lot of people on my floor who feel the same way about underage drinking, but the other side not so much. (We're talking about college students here..) I know in Yakeley the west side is all smoking and the east side is non-smoking. I don't know if they are going to make the entire dorm non-smoking. </p>
<p>I wish I wasn't the only current MSU student on the boards...</p>
<p>If your daughter stays in "West Circle" dorms, it is easy walking distance to many shops/stores/restaurants to work at. I worked at a couple and loved it. Also, I worked in the dorm cafeteria in Campbell Hall, served and then cooked and had a blast, as long as it wasn't breakfast (too early). Great place to live as the dorms in that area are SMALL so you get to meet everyone. At night the cafeteria becomes a social/study hall. That's where I picked up great study habits. The social thing was to bring your books/notes and sit at a table with everyone else. you weren't missing out on a thing.</p>
<p>My best friend from college has a son who will be a freshman this fall, 2007, and he requested Campbell then Landon. </p>
<p>Don't stress so much. MSU is great in every way. I did not find any peer pressure there. None of the girls on my floor smoked. Drank minimally. Some went out every Thurs night. Some not. Never felt pressure to go along. (I tired of the bar scene and rarely joined in... But one night a week away from the group was fine. She will not be an outcast.)</p>
<p>I had no reservation with my son applying for this Fall 2007. He got in. Great "safe" school for him and MSU gave him an unbelievable package with things I didn't know existed. Kudos to MSU. (He is not going. Picked one of the other many schools he applied to.) </p>
<p>Go up and take a look and definitely make the West Circle dorms a stopping point. See how close it is to Grand River Ave (Is that the name??) Speak to a current resident to get hte feel of the dorm.</p>
<p>Good luck. Your daughter should be fine. (Easy for me to say... I have the same worries for my son!!!!)</p>
<p>This is my second time around with college admissions for one of my children. My first daughter was looking at a very different major & desired a small campus environment. We've been through the transition thing before, but my second daughter is a very different personality. I actually think my second daughter would benefit from a small campus environment but since she will be a music major, we're looking at music schools on larger campuses. Being in the music school will turn the experience into a smaller campus feel, in that she'll have regular interaction one-on-one and in small groups with her applied studies professor, but she'll still have the large campus experience in her other courses, dorms, etc.</p>
<p>We are scheduled now for an Inside MSU visit. On that trip we'll definitely stop in to the West Circle dorms and walk down Grand River Ave. to get the feel of distances. </p>
<p>One thing complicating the choice is that MSU hasn't offered any scholarship, unless something comes through with a music scholarship this week- I'm pretty sure they are due out this week. We will be paying all costs out of pocket because we are not eligible for any financial aid. The other main school she is considering is definitely an academic safety and she has been offered very attractive academic and music merit awards. She is quite interested in the music dept. and if she takes the honors program option, it could become a good, easily affordable choice for us. Even more attractive when one considers the cost of summer programs in music that ambitious music students choose to do to help build their resume and network!</p>
<p>It will work out fine at either school, it's just that I want her to go in with eyes wide open and knowing what to look for. I've had too many experiences in my own life where I didn't ask enough questions and could have avoided heartache had I done so. As much as she thinks it's a pain to go through this inquiry process I think the more she knows before making a decision- as much as one can know on this side of a decision- the better informed her decision will be.</p>
<p>MSU's booklet said to send in college applications by November 1 for optimal consideration for scholarships. My son has received many scholarship applications from MSU.</p>
<p>"I wish I wasn't the only current MSU student on the boards..."</p>
<p>I wish that too, smurfgirl, but you do a great job as a student sounding board for potential Spartans and parents, it's very helpful. Go tell your campus buds to sign up and chime in. There's a lot of great news in EL to tell, and we need more of it.</p>
<p>shyanne: on scholarships, the date may or may not have anything to do with it, but yes, she did not have her application in by Nov. 1st. Unfortunately, Nov. 1st is a date that's a fair bit earlier than many, many schools, and although she got it in well before Christmas, it wasn't that early. </p>
<p>In thinking about submission dates for applications, I was originally thinking that we didn't have to worry about getting them in too much before Christmas because most of the private school dates aren't until later for RD. I just didn't realize that MSU and U-M have such early deadlines for maximum scholarship consideration. And since my D had no idea at the beginning of the school year where she wanted to apply, we just couldn't act in time.</p>
<p>Oh, well. Others who read this will be alerted that their students need to get on the stick as soon as school starts in September.</p>
<p>I live in one of the West Circle dorms and it's really beautiful. My professor described it as a castle.</p>
<p>I do have to warn you though that there are no elevators and it stinks to live on the top floor. But, I do get a workout from walking 4 flights of stairs all time. :)</p>
<p>Nice pictures, Quincy! We will be sure to stop by while we are there. </p>
<p>Doing 4 flights of steps several times a day should keep the Freshman 15 off, I'd think! How about move-in day? That could be a bit challenging, no?</p>
<p>Yes, I kept the freshman 15 off by walking up and down 4 flights of stairs. :) Sometimes though, I feel like I'm going to die when I reach the top floor because there's too many. I learned not to think about how many flights of stairs you have to walk in order to prevent the huffing and puffing for air. :P</p>
<p>There are dumbwaiters, but I heard they are slow. They also encourage you to bring a dolly.</p>
<p>OK- From the Mom- NO age, please.
I lived on the 3rd and 4th floors (two years). No problems with the stairs. (and I wasn't working out or anything.) I would definitely not worry about it at all. I don't think you spend much time going up and down anyway. I was in Campbell Hall and it was an incredible experience in so many ways. (Landon was all girls in those days). The ivy covered dorm was beautiful. There's always a walk to campus but it's a way of life and you just time your classes so you can get to them No problem at all. As huge a school as it is, the small West Circle dorms make it feel like a small school. Those you pass on the way to classes as always friendly.
By the way, I graduated from MSU and got accepted to grad school at UVa. Recently my son and I went to a basketball game (MSU vs Boston College) in NYC and there were lots of Spartans in attendance. We sat next to a young (20's) year old man who went form MSU to full ride in grad school and is now working at Sloan Kettering. MSU may not have the reputation of UM but you can go on to anything anywhere from MSU (and not have huge loans either).</p>
<p>crazed: You never know where a Spartan fan might turn up! I met an American fellow, who is an MSU alum, on a public school playground in Tokyo watching his daughter's sports day event!</p>
<p>The caf supervisors are providing decent food and they're making me fat! lol</p>
<p>Landon was all girls one time? Wow..now there is a honors floor and Yakeley Hall is all girls. And I heard Mayo hall is haunted...</p>
<p>Is it really sad that in every picture, I can identify the dorm?
Btw: I believe we only have one recycling bin and it's not as pretty as the ones in the pic. And the maintenence guys here are sweet!</p>
