<p>one thing i want most from an undergraduate college experience, is an experience. does the school feel like everyone comes together and supports one another? are people generally accepting and open-minded? etc. if you can offer any feedback, that'd be greatly appreciated! :)</p>
<p>Well, I’m not a student there (though I plan to be next year) but I’ve visited and we kind of got lost around campus a few times. People were very nice and helpful, even though we just stopped students on their way to classes, etc.
That’s pretty much the only insight I can give you. (:</p>
<p>M S just started classes today. He moved in on Tuesday last week. They have had so many Welcome Week activities. I think they do this so you have a lot of opportunities to get to know campus and other kids right away. They also have things planned within their Figs (Freshman Interest Groups) and within their floors.</p>
<p>Some of last week’s activities were Midnight BBQ, progressive nacho party, floor party, movie night on campus, picnic & spirit rally, Tiger Walk with ice cream, pizza party at Shakespeare’s pizza, campus wide Capture the Flag, painted the giant M on the football field, met with some professors, stuff at the rec center, went to Deja Vu dancing, summer reading small group discussion, tours to where YOUR classes are, etc.</p>
<p>We took a guided tour once and visited on our own another day and just wandered where we wanted, as well as spent a couple of days there during Summer Welcome. They go out of their way to get you involved, to feel at home, and to make you at ease.</p>
<p>My son, a junior at Mizzou, says that in a university this large you can always find like-minded peers and build your own community. You can’t compare it to a small college where people know and recognize one another. But it should not be hard to find friends who share your interests and passions–through a FIG, in your academic department or school, in club sports or organizations, etc.</p>
<p>Mizzou has lots of traditions–and not all are built around sports, though sports are big. As a new student you’ll find all the things CheckersMidwest describes. They do a lot to help freshmen adjust and get to know each other. It seems to be a friendly place. Mizzou is like every college experience: It’s what you make of it. My son likes it there very much. (I wish more students posted on this forum, but I promise I’m conveying what I’ve heard from my son!)</p>
<p>My daughter who is a new freshman this year moved in on 8/15 and is having a blast. She moved halfway across the country to go to Mizzou, so she knew absolutely no one from her school or town going. </p>
<p>Mizzou has a forum that they set up for incoming freshman to get to know each other, and Facebook has been invaluable for her making new friends prior to going. She had been texting several people for many months and found her roommate a few weeks prior to picking dorm rooms. She was even able to meet her roommate 3 weeks before we moved in while we were at Disney.</p>
<p>On move-in day, she got to meet some of the kids she had been talking to on FB and texts and that aspect really helped because it felt like a lot of the kids already knew each other or were a little familiar to each other.</p>
<p>On campus, there have been so many new activites. She rushed, so she met tons of girls that way including some upper classman. Mizzou has done a great job with the activities that the kids have to get involved right off the bat. They had a Target Party at night, where they bused the kids to target and they got freebies, the midnight barbeque, activites in the dorms, with the freshman interest groups, tiger walk, ice cream socials, pizza party at shakepeares, free classes at the rec center this week, and so much more.</p>
<p>I agree with geezermom - the college experience is what you make of it. I think kids who take advantage in meeting other kids prior to going by posting on FB page (each class usually makes a FB page), posting on the Mizzou provided Freshman website and really jumping in with both feet once you get there will do great. It’s been a great experience for her.</p>
<p>I’ve been going to Columbia almost every other fall weekend since I was born and I can tell you that the town is a very classic college town. The campus is beautiful and the surrounding area is great: very friendly down to earth people. MU has a great respect for the traditional college experience. It’s hard to explain but Mizzou is just such a great place! It seems like it’s really hard to NOT be involved in SOMETHING there! The students and people are very accepting and welcoming, I guarantee you will love Columbia.</p>
<p>Current Mizzou senior here. Just wanted to pop in and agree wholeheartedly with everything others have posted, and to the above posters–I’m happy but not surprised to hear that your kiddos are loving it here!</p>
<p>MIZ…</p>
<p>^^ We’ll be sorry when you leave Mizzou, Kristin! You’ve been a valuable contributor to this usually dead forum.</p>
<p>I’m a freshman at Mizzou, and I totally agree with all the other posters.
Definitely join a FIG, so you can guarantee you’ll have floormates in your classes…that helps a lot when you’re in 500+ student lecture classes.
The school is huge, so you’ll find your group of people. It doesn’t matter if you’re into frats, sports, anime, whatever, people will accept you.
I only recall one case of racial intolerance, and it was handled well by the university. Other than that, most people are tolerant of your race, sexual orientation, etc.
Mizzou is the classic, huge state school. Your experience is what you make of it, and it’s easy to make that experience incredible.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all the answers! Sounds like a great place to me :)</p>