<p>For those who have just completed their freshman year, can you please give me your general impressions of FSU? Did it meet your expectations? How hard were the classes? How was it socially? How was your dorm? Was it easy to meet new friends? Any Tips?</p>
<p>anything else you want to add would be great. Thanks in advance</p>
<p>Speaking for my son he has said FSU has been a great fit for him. He was surprised that he enjoyed many of the courses he took just to meet the liberal studies requirements such has Middle Eastern History, Psychology and Nutrition. His original major was economics but he recently switched to accounting. The early requirements are similar so it was easy to change.</p>
<p>He lived in Deviney dorm which is not as nice as the renovated dorms but he did like his roommate. He was sorry he took the 10-meal per week plan because he often ate too much of unhealthy choices and after a while you get sick of eating at the same places. Next year he will be living in a 2 bedroom apartment with much nicer facilities and will make his own meals.</p>
<p>Between the sports, concerts, parties and socializing there is a lot of distractions that could cause a student to lose focus on their studies. He has friends that are not coming back because they did not keep up with their school work but he was able to balance work and play successfully. The students are very friendly and he made a lot of friends. His roommate joined a fraternity which provided a lot of activities as well. He enjoyed using the gym on a regular basis to stay in shape.</p>
<p>He plans on getting more involved in intramural or club sports and also join a professional organization related to his major this year. He is also thinking of taking an internship or staying for summer classes so he can finish earlier. (His major requires 150 credits to take the CPA exam)</p>
<p>cybermom, I love your response, a straightforth answer from your son. I only have one question you said he regretted taking the 10 meal plan, which would you, or you son take....block?</p>
<p>Our younger daughter was required to buy a meal plan and decided that the $999 plan (the least expensive) was best. She had meals left over. Of course, she liked to cook some of her own meals...</p>
<p>I might add that she loves FSU so much she enrolled in Summer session when she did not need to and could have come home for the summer. She's living in Ragans Hall - which she is VERY happy with. Our older daughter lived in Ragans as well and enjoyed it. Both started out in Gilchrist and Reynolds.</p>
<p>His dorm did not require a meal plan so he could have cooked his meals in his dorm kitchen if he wanted to but I did not want him to have to worry about shopping and cooking and I was not sure if he would have a car the first year. Also dining in the cafeteria can be a social event so I did not want him to miss out. He could have taken Garnet Bucks since he seemed to enjoy eating in the Park Avenue Diner. </p>
<p>My son is taking his last two prerequisite courses for his major this summer as a transient student at the local community college. He really misses FSU and does not plan on staying home next summer for sure.</p>
<p>thanks for all the replies. do most kids move off campus sophmore year?</p>
<p>I'd say by Junior year many have found off-campus housing, but not all.</p>
<p>Per collegeboard:
58% of first-year students live in college housing
15% of all undergraduates live in college housing</p>
<p>what is the area like surrounding the campus? does it have a college town feel? restaurants, shops pubs etc? is the area off campus run down at all? what is tallahassee like as a whole?</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Hi NYCollegeDad:
We lived in Tally from 93 to 96 while my husband completed his degree and now my daughter will be starting there this fall. </p>
<p>The school itself has undergone MAJOR renovations since my husband attended. The addition of the Med School, new buildings for theatre, the improvements to both the football an baseball stadium and new housing are so beautiful and the campus is better than ever. They have also renovated all dining facilities and added a lot of really great convenience food shops like Einstein Bagels, Quiznos, Starbucks (soon to be 6!!! on campus), etc. There are a few really great bars across Tennessee street (SR 90) that were favorites in our day - Bullwinkles, Floyds, Yannis. There is a super sports bar called AJs just up the road from the school that has a multitude of pool tables, etc. Great place to go to watch an away game.</p>
<p>There are your usual suburban restaurants and two malls. I worked at one of the local country clubs (Killearn) while we lived there. The area continues to grow with new housing and subsequent roads (thruways) to accomodate the growing population. The traffic around the school is very manageable and even up through the two mall areas, but when you head north towards the Killearn/Golden Eagle (another country club housing area) areas, it gets very congested.</p>
<p>Other than the 2 universities (FSU and FAMU), the town is also the state capitol, but not a lot of industry to speak of. It mainly exists to support the state govmt and schools - so mainly service related industry (hotels, rest, shopping, etc).</p>
<p>I hope that answers your questions. The area surrounding Tally is mainly rural. You can head 2 hours to Jacksonville, 3.5 hours to Orlando or Tampa, or 1.5 hours down to Panama City for the most beautiful beaches you've ever seen - although, beware - they don't call that the "redneck riviera" for nothing :-)</p>
<p>Also check out the FSU article on Wikipedia. There's lots of information and some nice photos of campus.</p>
<p>No time at the moment, but if you have more questions I think I can provide some info, too.</p>
<p>thanks for all the great info parent2noles. we are planning a visit this summer as our son prepares to apply as soon as the application comes out (i think in august).</p>
<p>i suppose its best to just see it for ourselves. we are from the nyc area and our son is looking for a big sports school, college town experience. sounds like fsu could be a fit.</p>
<p>You're welcome. :)</p>
<p>FSU is unique in many ways in Florida. It is located in downtown Tallahassee on the oldest site of higher education in Florida. As such, it is the most densely built of the big Florida schools and the most heavily used. FSU has continually expanded over the years and constantly looks for more land on which to grow. It has expanded greatly since I graduated in 1979.</p>
<p>It is mostly surrounded to the north by Tennessee Street, which leads to many businesses and restaurants. Some, close to the university are student-type restaurants and local, others are chains. The east side is the oldest part of campus and even Tallahassee, with the old city cemetery nearby and homes over a hundred years old. Some homes were sold to fraternities, sororities and businesses, others have been torn down to make way for new development. I especially enjoy the ride down College Avenue from Monroe.</p>
<p>There are many apartments and older homes as rentals for students all over the area. Some older homes are in poor condition, but the demand for space keeps things moving as you'll see. The university is expanding currently to the south, and the central campus seems to be constantly under construction. The improvements, however, are super in my opinion - it's much better than it was in the 1970s.</p>
<p>I consider the campus to be the most attractive of any I've visited in Florida.</p>
<p>Also don't let the surrounding crap areas of Tallahassee give you an overall negative impression of the town. I've been to the areas outside the city limits and there are some gorgeous country-type homes and landscape that are away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. I think Tally as a town is improving on the whole (especially FSU) but there is still definitely some work to be done in the downtown areas. A lot of that has to do with attracting a younger, more creative workforce to the area (jobs like business, engineering, etc.) to spur the local economy and make it a more attractive locale for young singles and couples looking to start families.</p>
<p>I'd have to say I'm within range of retirement age and have long wanted to move back to Tallahassee. I've always liked it there.</p>