<p>Hey guys I've recently been accepted into FSU with the tuition reduction scholarship. I am from Colorado and am trying to decide between FSU and CU Boulder. Because of the tuition reduction scholarship the tuition of both schools would roughly be the same and I am considering taking a risk and going out of state. I was just looking for the information on the experiences of previous out of state students. I've seen a couple of posts warning out of state students about the culture shock and also about the Greek system dominating the majority of social life at the school. In addition I have heard that the school is mostly dominated by the white and black populations. I am not supporting the validity of these statements but am only trying to get the opinions of previous out of state students ( and yes i already know the generic phrases that every says ie. "college is what you make of it" and "its a large campus with thousands of students so you're bound to found a group you fit into". I myself am an asian male ( how is the asian community there?) hoping to major in business and is simply wondering how I would fit in.</p>
<p>I’m not an OOS student but I’m not a Tally native I guess you could say.
You honestly have to visit to get at least some idea of what it is like. People mentioned about the frats and all that, but honestly I don’t even pay attention to that. Barely even notice they are around to be honest.
The diversity is lacking, it’s borderline pathetic really but whatever I kind of expected that.
I honestly feel going OOS to FSU is pointless unless it has a lot to offer for your major(s) and will help you in the future over CU. Once you’re in Tally you’re kind of stuck to be honest. There are no nearby beaches, or fun things to do. It’s a stale place and you’ll be left struggling what to do on those weekends you decide you don’t want to be in the library or in your dorm/apt anymore.
There are people that LOVE this place. I mean they love every single thing about this school. I admit the football games are fun to attend, but once fall ends then what? You are still 2+ hours away from anything nice.
I sound really negative, but I’m just being honest…
It’s not a bad school by any means. I love my professors and my advisor is top notch, but I came here because I wanted to have advisors that knew what they are talking about and have professors that enjoy teaching and helping; along with better course selections compared to the other places I applied to in FL. I didn’t come here to get involved in campus life or any of that, so I’m not too bummed that there isn’t too much to do here. I’m just here to get my degree and get the hell out of here. I have made friends along the way, so that keeps me sane.
I recommend making a pros and cons list of each Uni and figuring out what you personally want out of your college experience over the next 4 or so years.</p>
<p>I love it here, papertiger sounds unhappy. I feel bad for anyone not thrilled with their college choice. This should be the best times of your life so far.</p>
<p>We are way closer to the beach than you would be in Colorado if that’s something you are interested in.</p>
<p>There are plenty of fun things to do. </p>
<p>I recommend coming to Tallahassee and see what you think. I knew this was the right place for me when I first visited.</p>
<p>Good luck deciding!</p>
<p>@papertiger87- thanks for the information and that was the kind of honest response that I was looking for. In your eyes how do the majority of people treat out of state students? Also i’m just really worried about the lack of diversity how are asians treated?</p>
<p>What i’m looking for in a college experience is slightly different from yours. I want to have a nice social life while getting a degree that will count for something in the end. I am honestly not that much of a partier and prefer to have kickbacks as well as play sports</p>
<p>@Nolette- Yes I know that a visit would help me understand the school better but I believe that it is hard to tell what is going on beneath the surface in the student community with just a simple visit. In addition I lack the money to take a visit 
but thanks for the suggestion</p>
<p>You and papertiger need to chill out. You two over analyze things.</p>
<p>Florida isn’t a foreign country. You’re not going to be treated different unless you’re a weirdo to begin with. Most of the students are from south and central Florida (Miami, Tampa, Orlando, etc.), not small towns in the countryside.</p>
<p>You don’t have to participate in Greek life and there’s plenty of other stuff to do. More than 80% of the students aren’t in a fraternity or sorority.</p>
<p>As for diversity, FSU’s demographics are similar to the demographics of Florida. It’s sad diversity has come to mean all races should be represented equally even though the general population is not distributed that way.</p>
<p>To be generic here: College is what you make of it. </p>
<p>There’s a culture shock pretty much no matter where you go to school if it’s outside where you’ve grown up. Whether that shock is significant or is almost unnoticeable will depend on where you are from and where you go. Heck, I’m from Florida and there was a bit of a shock when I started at FSU. Not significant, but something of a shock. </p>
<p>No one gives a damn whether you’re in-state, out-of-state, or out-of-country. Really. No one cares. Probably 95% of the campus won’t care if you’re black, white, Hispanic, Asian, or if you’re from Mars (okay, maybe people would care about that one). People just do not care. </p>
<p>If you’re this distraught over trying to figure out whether you will fit into FSU or not, there seems to be no real reason for you to go here unless we have one of the top programs for your major or something. </p>
<p>papertiger- there are beaches within 30-45 minutes of here (not including places like the Rez). That’s closer than where I live (granted, I absolutely hate the beach).</p>
<p>Please explain to me what I’m over analyzing? I am here to just get my degree…how am I over analyzing anything?
Also I am not unhappy, how dare you make such an assumption just because I’m not vomiting rainbows and butterflies when I discuss this university. I’m 26 and have been at a CC for very long and now I am finally finishing up and getting my BA at FSU. Which I’m thrilled about. I should be out in the “real world” as they call it…not still an undergrad, but things happen and I am just glad that I will be earning my degree from FSU soon.
Also just curious…Did some of you guys ignore the fact that I said I LOVE MY PROFESSORS, MY ADVISOR and COURSE SELECTIONS? Some of you guys are so far up this university’s ass it is not even funny. Someone says a couple of negative thing…like lack of diveristy (which is true) and how Tally is kind of boring (which is also true) and people are quick to jump down my throat.
I was being honest about MY EXPERIENCE. So sue me, that I notice such things, but it’s not stopping me from continuing to get my education. The OP asked such questions and I answered them.
I was raised in FL…but in the Tampa area. I prefer Tampa over Tallahassee. If people want to say Tally is the best city ever…cool go for it, but IMO it’s a boring city. Are we not allowed to have opinions here anymore.
How about this. Tallahassee is wonderful, every other Uni sucks. Go to FSU.</p>
<p>I agree w/ Pasbal no one cares where you are from…wether OOS or in state or outside the US. The thing is people aren’t asking if people care where they are coming from they care how it will be for THEM in a new city.
Yes moving to a new place is a bit of a shock for anyone. Some peope can adjust while others can’t. At any large public uni there is a place where you fit in and as long as one makes an effort to meet new people things will be okay. The thing is people want to know what to expect when moving to a new place. We have all read complaints from people who hate Tallahassee, wasn’t there just an old thread brought up about just that…how they hated everything about this city? It happens. People move to a new place expect it to be amazing and then things don’t turn out the way they expected. It’s a huge deal moving far from home and then realizing wait this isn’t for me…this place doesn’t fit the things I was looking for. Some people love diversity and want to meet people from all walks of life…nothing wrong with that. Some people want to be close to fun cities that have more than just night clubs…also nothing wrong w that. Some people do want more than just going to a great University. They want an experience that also exists off campus…there is nothing wrong with that. People have the right to ask whatever questions they want about a Uni or the town/city it’s located in. This isn’t like picking what you want for breakfast. This is a big decision for people.
Trust me, I know many people who have left home for OOS schools and spent so much money and wasted so much time and then ended up back home. You really need to know yourself well enough and know the area and what to expect before moving.
Before I moved here…which isn’t that far…but I knew what i was getting into. I did hit some huge bumps on the way but overall I do not regret coming here. I do like the university a lot, and I know some OOS students that attend here and like the uni a lot as well. They don’t enjoy the city but they did know before hand what they were getting into so they weren’t so disheartened when they moved here.
As a minority and who is good friends with other minorities…yes it does matter when you don’t see much diversity. White people just don’t get it. Look at all the Asian kids that come here, they love being able to speak in their own language it’s a big deal, it also helps them adjust easier to a new place.</p>
<p>Woah Woah Woah whats with all the attacks???
Of course I’d rather over-analyze than under-analyze. I’m paying good money to go to a school and it would definitely be wise to understand as much about the school as I can. “It’s sad diversity has come to mean all races should be represented equally even though the general population is not distributed that way.” NO that is not what I mean by diversity… I mean when you are in the 2 percent as compared to the 80 percent of white people its hard (Nothing against any race). Even though much of what papertiger said may be subjective and untrue the advice that hes offered is much better than people simply trying to start an argument because they are hardcore FSU fans…</p>
<p>Noah - I’m a parent of a sophomore at FSU and she had the exact same choice. We live in CO and she got the OOS differential scholarship at FSU, so it is/was roughly the same as tuition at CU-Boulder. She has never regretted her decision and loves FSU! Feel free to message me about any questions. Obviously, there are logistical issues that you wouldn’t have if you attended CU… like - how to get all your stuff to FSU (I drove her there, she kept the car, and I flew back), how to get home for the holidays (you can expect to pay higher prices flying out of Tally, but that’s what we’ve always done), etc. </p>
<p>You are right to “over analyze” and question everything. It IS a big decision. We didn’t see her until Thanksgiving and it was a LONG 3 months. There are a lot of FL students attending FSU and, at the beginning, it seemed like they all knew each other. But, they were just hanging with their old high school friends out of security and were just as eager to meet new students. The southern hospitality and lifestyle is real and nice. People are very friendly. Good luck with your decision! (by the way… we live in Littleton)</p>
<p>@TwoXCollege- Thank you I’ll send you an email</p>
<p>“Florida isn’t a foreign country. You’re not going to be treated different unless you’re a weirdo to begin with. Most of the students are from south and central Florida (Miami, Tampa, Orlando, etc.), not small towns in the countryside.”</p>
<p>I think this is an important point when reading stuff about culture shock. Florida State University is not Florida Panhandle University. Students here are from all over the place. Don’t be afraid to come because of some other poster’s negative comments about the Tallahassee metro area. Tallahassee itself is actually the most educated city in Florida. However, once you get out of the city, you are in rural North Florida, which is more “Southern” than the rest of the state.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is the nearby cities. Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa, Jacksonville, Daytona and Orlando are all within 4-5 hours of Tallahassee. Close enough for a 3-day weekend get-away. The nearest decent beach is a little over an hour away. That might seem “far” to us Floridians, but it’s a easily doable on the weekend.</p>
<p>I am OOS and love it at FSU, granted I am not far, but OOS nonetheless. I am one of three from my large high school who chose to go to FSU, and other than those three who were merely acquaintances, I did not know anyone else at FSU. I am going to make the assumption that you are a guy based on your screen name, I apologize in advance if I am wrong. My biggest suggestion is find a way to get involved in something. You can’t meet anyone and truly feel at home if you are holed up in your dorm 24/7. Going through fraternity rush, even if you are not interested, is a good way just to meet people. Don’t be afraid to go to an activity alone either, you will meet people! As for choosing between the two look at which school is able to do the best for you. If you are looking at college for Hospitality Management FSU has a great program, but CU Boulder may have a different program that is better for you in the long run. I didn’t know my major before attending FSU so one of my deciding factors was the high number of options FSU had, along with the quality of those options.</p>