<p>I’m currently a sophomore at Mizzou and have posted recently on the other threads about my school, so check those out too if you want to know more…or PM me if you want, whatever. For what it’s worth, here’s what I think about your questions:</p>
<p>“I want to major in broadcast:” You really can’t find anywhere better. As I’m sure you’re aware, Mizzou runs Columbia’s NBC affiliate called KOMU. This means that while you’re an undergrad you’ll get actual experience with a real news station. My friends that are in broadcast absolutely love it. Based on this fact alone, you’d fit in well here.</p>
<p>“I’m from Nashville.” I have a few friends here from Nashville, and the drive from Columbia to Nashville is easy and not too long. Most of the out of staters are from neighboring states, and clearly TN applies there. It seems that many are from IL, some are from TN, a few from KS, and I even have friends from FL, MT, NY, VA, CA. While most students here are from MO (St Louis and Kansas City to be specific), you’re not really at a disadvantage to be from another state.</p>
<p>“Have grades for Honors College, and I want to do that.” I don’t know what Honors College is like for J-school (I’m a bio major, pre-med) but for me, the Honors College is great. The classes typically involve professor-led discussions of regularly offered classes (where the non-honors sections have TAs) and other small seminar-type classes. I’ve really enjoyed every honors seminar I’ve taken. I also have access to more resources and (in my opinion) better advising than non-honors students. If you have the grades for it, the requirements to stay in the Honors College are not that demanding. It’s definitely worth filling out another easy form.</p>
<p>“I’m not much of a partier/drinker and don’t want to go Greek.” Yes, Mizzou kids party. Are you kidding…it’s a big state school! I have many friends that don’t drink though and still have a great time going out on weekends and during the week. I think you’ll find that by the time you get to college, peer pressure to drink completely changes. I’ve found that when you decline to drink (saying “I’m the sober driver” is by far the best excuse if you don’t want to just admit to not drinking), most people just go with it (hey, more for them right?). Sure they might try to prod you into it, but if you hold your ground you’ll be just fine. Plus, there are plenty of things to do that don’t involve drinking, or are just as fun even if you’re not drinking. While a lot of freshman (especially girls) go to frat parties freshman year, there are always tons of parties at other people’s houses, in the dorms, downtown, you name it. If you don’t want to drink, you’ll still have a fabulous social life here. It might be a little less wild, but it’ll also be a lot more responsible and a lot less expensive! Stick to your guns and I wouldn’t worry about it. </p>
<p>“I love NCAA sports. What’s it like on gameday?” Absolutely incredible. I’m not joking when I say that my favorite part of fall is home football games. There really is nothing better. Our football games are sold out every weekend. It’s a sea of gold. The vibe is amazing, the team’s talented, and the tailgating scene is so much fun. I live for home football games and I cannot wait until September. Plus, the now nationwide tradition of homecoming was started at Mizzou, so Homecoming weekend here is nothing short of extravagant. If you like college sports, you will thrive at Mizzou. Add to that the recent fame our basketball team has found, and you’ll be busy for the entire year. Plus tickets aren’t that expensive for students (like, less than $200 for season football and basketball tickets) and you can easily be within 30 feet of the field/court if you sit in the student section. When you get a chance to visit, try to schedule time to see a game. You won’t regret it I promise!</p>
<p>“I’m pretty outgoing and can meet people easily.” You’ll likely feel quite at home here then, because the vibe of this campus is very laid back. For the most part, people are friendly and willing to help you out if you need it. I’ve rarely encountered rude students and find myself pleasantly surprised by strangers all the time. Maybe it’s something simple like holding the door for me or picking up a paper I dropped or letting me have that last awesome parking space, but regardless I’ve found that the people here are generally pretty courteous and easy to get to know. </p>
<p>Mizzou started out as my last choice, I’m definitely not going there, end of the list safety. I ended up here primarily for financial reasons (was waiting on a full ride that I ended up getting waitlisted for at a different school) and now I can’t believe I ever thought twice about coming here. Mizzou has been everything I’ve wanted and so much more because I’m willing to go the extra mile to make it great. It’s a huge state school and it’s definitely possible to get lost, but if you’re a high achieving student and want to make it work for you, I believe you will flourish while you’re here. </p>
<p>If there’s anything I can do, don’t hesitate to ask!</p>
<p>Go Tigers,
Kristin</p>