<p>I just want to inform students about FSU who are thinking about applying here and are from the north east. There are several things that I feel you should be aware of.</p>
<p>1) Be prepared for a big culture shock: The students who attend FSU are very different from the people from the north east. From the way they dress to the way they talk, be prepared to have an adjustment period. It is also nearly impossible to hold an intellectual conversation with many of them unless you are talking about getting trashed every night. I can't even explain how many examples I have of this from my first year. </p>
<p>2) The Security is horrendous: There seems to be a robbery almost every week here. I kept the emails to prove this if anyone wants to take a look at them or does not believe me. The FSU Police department is hard to come by and is rarely seen on campus. According to my success coach (who you will most likely get as an out of state student) the police force is understaffed by at least forty men, which to me is unacceptable. </p>
<p>3) The Food Sucks: Being from the North East, good food is usually around the corner. Do not come here and expect to be eating good food. The meal plans are ridiculously overpriced for the quality of food that is offered. The two cafeterias, Fresh Foods and Suwanee, offer generally horrible food. It is a cafeteria so I wasn't expecting much anyway, but there were some days when the main course for dinner would be chili cheese fries and catfish. Expect to be going to Chili's a lot because for starters, it is usually the only thing open on campus on the weekend. Fresh and Suwanee close down at 7 on the weekends and only offer breakfast items. The rest of the places on campus to eat are shutdown on the weekend. The food off campus doesn't get much better unless you want to get fat I guess.</p>
<p>4) Some Dorms Are Horrible: Being an out of state student and paying 35,000 to come here, I feel should be offered priority housing. For orientation they have you stay in the Wildwood dorms which were recently built. It would be interesting to see how many students would want to leave FSU if they had you stay in Smith hall for orientation. Unfortunately I was stuck in Smith and it was a horrible experience to say the least. Maintenance sucks for the most part as I had a shower head that broke in the bathroom and was not fixed for about four months. Other little things needed fixing too and it took weeks if not months to fix them.</p>
<p>5) Some of the facilities are falling apart: For starters one side of campus is being constantly renovated while the other side is falling apart. The side of campus with Smith, Kellum, and Sally courts literally looks like the projects. If you plan on working out at Leach good luck. The workout area is not even the size of an average gym and an hour and a half workout will take you an hour longer. Most of the machines are falling apart as well and are in desperate need of replacement. The basketball courts are probably the best part of leach though and I cannot complain about them.</p>
<p>6) Tallahassee Will Literally Suck the Life Out of You: The city sucks. Besides a few bars its a horrible city with a bunch of white trash rednecks who still think the civil war is going on and homeless people. Not much to do here at all. Unless you're in a frat or sorority there is not much to do. Do not let the statistics fool you. Although only eight percent of the student body is involved in the Greek system, the entire social atmosphere of the school evolves around the Greek system. </p>
<p>7) You Will Not Understand the Hatred for UF: I don't really get it to be honest. I think its because a lot of the students were unable to get into UF and are now jealous or something. One example of this was during the Clemson Football game I believe. FSU was losing an important game and the UF game was put on the scoreboard which showed them losing as well. The crowd responded by going into a frenzy. FSU was losing an important game and UF is not in your conference, why are you cheering?</p>
<p>8) Tallahassee is Hard to Get To: Nearly every time I came and went for breaks, I had a problem getting into and out of Tallahassee. If you drive down it will not be as much of a problem but forget about flying. There are no direct flights and Tallahassee airport is extremely small and offers few flights.</p>
<p>To be honest the professors here are solid. I didn't have a problem with them at all and they readily made themselves available for office hours. I did extremely well my first year and finished with a 3.95 so I can't complain about that. I will be transferring after next semester but do not know where yet. The bottom line of FSU is if you want to get involved in the Greek system, get wasted a lot and don't care that much about your academics then this school is for you. As an out of state student from the north east, it was very difficult to adjust and to be honest I felt like an outcast. It was a completely different lifestyle. I just feel that I am paying a lot of money to come here and did not have a great experience. Don't get me wrong, FSU does have a lot to offer, but I feel as though unless you're from Florida it is difficult to fit in.</p>
<p>So you went to a mediocre state school as an out of state student, with no aid, and are unhappy with it? What were you expecting? And why?</p>
<p>Let me address your points:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Were you expecting 40,000 New Yorkers? It’s a Florida state school. You get Floridians. And if you checked out the school beforehand, you would know they’re not necessarily the most intellectual kids in the state (no disrespect intended, just facts according to their admissions profile).</p></li>
<li><p>How is their security compared to other large schools?</p></li>
<li><p>Most college food sucks and is overpriced.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>4+5. Did you tour the school before attending?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Tallahassee is not Miami Beach. There’s a saying about Florida–the farther north you go, the farther south you get.</p></li>
<li><p>You could say the same about every rivalry, college and pro. If you don’t grow up in Boston, you can’t really appreciate how much they hate the Yankees. Or how Michigan folks hate Ohio State fans. Etc, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>Did you not check out the transportation situation before choosing a school a thousand miles away?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I so agree with knicks5171’s points especially with 1 and 3. Be prepared guys for cultural shock, its gonna be a little overwhelming for a while.</p>
<p>What’s wrong with catfish; it’s the purrfect food. And don’t tell my mom I said this, but the food in the dining halls is a lot better than the meals I usually get at home.</p>
<p>As a person who’s been at FSU a couple years (and is a long-time Floridian), I think this is actually kinda funny. Most of this applies to nearly every school. </p>
<p>
The same could be said for a Floridian going to a school in the northeast. You’re at a school in the South, not MIT. If you didn’t expect a culture shock, that’s your fault.
As for how we dress, what’s wrong? Not everyone dresses the same. Sure there are the people that dress in Levi’s or Wranglers and Cowboy boots and hats, however the vast majority of people don’t. Everyone dresses differently.
Holding an intelligent conversation is difficult with many people. I’m thinking you were trying to do so with the wrong crowd. Find someone who doesn’t think college is 4 years of solid partying (I promise, you can find plenty of people), and you might be surprised. Get out of your comfort zone and maybe, just maybe you will be surprised. </p>
<p>
Most of the robberies that occur are late at night, and the person is walking alone. There are very rarely robberies on campus where the person actually had taken safety measures.
However, you are in a town of 100,000 people (not including the 41,000 FSU students, the 13,000 FAMU students, and the 17,000 TCC students). You’re going to have crime, especially considering that Tallahassee isn’t exactly a nice city. The location of FSU within the city doesn’t exactly help either.
As for the FSU PD being understaffed, find me one that isn’t. As for being 40 people understaffed, the number is debatable. I’ve seen plenty of FSU PD people on campus. You must not be paying attention.</p>
<p>
Welcome to college. College cafeterias serve thousands of people each day. Plus, I’ve eaten at plenty of college cafeterias, and none of them were exactly stellar. The food isn’t terrible by any means (granted, some days the menus do suck), however. It does get boring eating the same stuff all the time, but that’s expected. Plus, Chili Cheese Fries and Catfish are both great menu items. Again, you are in Florida, not the northeast. Catfish is a really common meal here.
Chili’s isn’t much better either. Aside from likely paying more for your meal than eating at the cafeteria, you can’t eat all you want on most items, and the service typically sucks.
Yes, the hours of the cafeterias suck. However, if you can’t plan accordingly that’s your fault. If you don’t want to eat by 7pm on the weekends, that’s too bad for you. Guess what? Aside from Denny’s, Chili’s and the two cafeterias, everywhere else is closed by 7pm during the week anyway ;). However, you’re completely wrong in that they only offer breakfast items on the weekends. They offer breakfast from opening until around 2pm on the weekends, the same length of time they offer it when they open at 730am during the week.</p>
<p>
Again, welcome to college. EVERY college has dorms that are nicer than others. You get priority housing based on when you apply and pay your deposit, not by how much you pay to go to school (which by the way, the school couldn’t care less about. You aren’t any more special than the kids who are paying $18,000 a year, no matter what your parents tell you).
My housing priority number when I applied was in the 500s. My friend’s was in the 350s, and yet another friend’s was 6. If your number was in the thousands, that’s your fault, not FSU’s. Where you get placed is dependent upon where you apply for and what your housing number was. Everyone at FSU from my high school got the dorm they wanted freshman year because we knew what we needed to do and when to do it.
Maintenance is your responsibility to report. Every issue I’ve ever had has been fixed within 3 days at the most (and that was only if I reported it on a Friday, and it took until Monday to fix). If it took you more than a business day or two, then you should have been finding out why. If you just wait until the semester’s inspection/check-up to report anything, that’s your fault.
I was in Wildwood my first year and McCollum my second and third years. Whenever I had an issue, it was fixed promptly. Granted, the rooms were somewhat small but again, **welcome to college<a href=“do%20you%20see%20this%20theme%20to%20my%20responses%20yet?”>/B</a>. </p>
<p>
What exactly is falling apart on the West Side? Aside from the buildings being older than most of the east side (or build in odd shapes/designs), they are fine. They certainly don’t look like any of the projects I’ve ever been to, however. </p>
<p>
Funny, I’ve never had issues finding entertainment if needed (not that I’ve ever really needed it). If you judge a city based on the places to get trashed, I think you’re part of that issue you were whining about in your first complaint, which honestly explains a lot about you.
I’m thinking right about now you’re just bitter and homesick that the area isn’t like the northeast… not that anyone here really cares if it is or not. You’re in the south for frick’s sake. No, not everyone is a “white trash redneck” (I’m thinking this is your insulting way of saying “Caucasian from the South”) or homeless. In fact, plenty of people aren’t either. Yes, there are homeless people in the city. There are homeless people in every city. There are also sadly racists in every city, not just the south.
Again, I’ve never noticed anything to suggest that “the entire social atmosphere… revolves around the Greek system.” I’m not in a fraternity, and no one I know is in one or a sorority either.
Colleges aren’t there to baby you and make sure you are having fun all of the time. You’re there to get an education, meet new people, etc. You also sometimes have to <em>gasp</em> initiate things yourself and find your own entertainment. </p>
<p>
Just like how, as someone not from any of the areas, I will never understand the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, the Alabama-Auburn rivalry, or plenty of other rivalries.
If you can’t cheer for your team win or lose, you’re not really a fan. Having been a Devil Rays fan since they started (and a Braves fan since birth), I can say that confidently. Plus, knowing that a rival team is doing poorly is sometimes as good as, if not better than, a win. It takes away the sting of watching your team get demolished.</p>
<p>
This sounds more like poor research on your end than anything. Tallahassee isn’t considered a major city, so the lack of flights from elsewhere doesn’t surprise me in the least. It’s not called Tallahassee International Airport, it’s called Tallahassee REGIONAL Airport. There’s also plenty of incoming flights from Atlanta, Charlotte, and other regional locations daily. So you can’t get a direct flight to somewhere else, boo fricking hoo, welcome to the world of flying. Unless you’re going from a major metropolitan airport to another major metropolitan airport (LA, NY, Atlanta, Chicago, etc), you’re likely not going to get a direct flight. </p>
<p>
Sounds to me more like you are homesick and didn’t want to go to FSU anyway. College is what you make of it. I don’t party, don’t drink, and care about my academics and alas I’m enjoying FSU very much. </p>
<p>I’ll echo torioreo’s sentiments though in asking why you went to FSU in the first place.</p>
<p>Excellent, thorough report Pasbal! You covered just about everything, but you forgot about grits being served in the FSU dining halls–you can’t get grits in the northeast!</p>
<p>Hahaha Cream of Wheat is not grits, you know. Tongue in cheek?? The texture of ground corn/hominy (grits) and ground wheat/farina are similar though.</p>
<p>I’ve just overall had a bad experience. In regards to what Pasbal said, my opinion is definitely not funny and I am entitled to it just as you are entitled to yours. For example it’s like me saying you liking catfish and grits is funny. I also do not expect the college to baby me as you say and think that that is a ridiculous thing to say. If anything I matured even more by being as far from home as I was and exceeding academically shows this maturation. It is nice however to meet an FSU student who actually seems to care about their academics. It is unfortunate that I had a bad experience here as I really had high hopes for the school when I first got to FSU in August. </p>
<p>Just to answer some questions that you all have had, I did come down to look at the school in April for preview. I had been accepted I believe in March which is why I came down so late. FSU was actually one of the last schools that I applied to and was not a top choice of mine. I wanted Miami and got in but I didn’t want too much in loans before going to graduate school. When I looked at the school in April I was fairly certain I would be going to UCONN but I liked FSU better at the time and to be honest wanted to be out of the cold. Because I didn’t hear back from the school until March, I had a high priority number for housing which explains why I was placed in Smith Hall. In regards to security and the food, I know that the school can do better in both aspects and from what I’ve heard and read about many other large campuses across the country do a better job in both aspects. It is partially my fault for not recognizing these things at first, but I did not feel they would be a problem. I also didn’t think that the differences in cultures would be so much different but they in fact were and presented a challenge. In regards to getting to and from the school, I didn’t think it would be a major difficulty. I knew that there are no direct flights from Tallahassee to the New York area and I didn’t think it would be a major problem. Unfortunately each time I came and went, I had an issue with either the connecting flight or the originating flight, from cancellations to delays, and this just made the experience even worse. I think I came to FSU for various reasons, but mostly because I started to panic about where I wanted to go as the May 1st deadline approached. I was uncertain until nearly the last day and probably did not analyze the school enough. I am happy that most of you seem to love the school and that’s great but for me I just feel that I had some bad luck and it really enhanced the problems that the school seems to have in some areas.</p>
<p>Also this thread was intended for out of state students from the north east, not Floridians. Many of you have actually stated several reasons unintentionally in your posts on why FSU is not meant for people from the north east. If you are from the north east and love the school that’s great, but I have talked to many people from the north east that have many of the same problems about the school as I do.</p>
<p>You posted an extremely long post basically lambasting FSU for things that you don’t like, insulted a large portion of not just FSU’s student population but also the Tallahassee population, and insulted an entire culture. Did you really expect that you would only get FSU students from the northeast to reply? </p>
<p>Most of what you said is going to be found at any large college. FSU isn’t the only college that I considered that has most of those issues, much less the only school. You’re acting like the world is coming to an end because a large city has crime and the food and older dorms suck. </p>
<p>If you truly hated Smith hall that badly, why didn’t you ever request a room change? If there really were maintenance issues as bad as you say, why didn’t you contact the front desk or someone above at the FSU Housing department? </p>
<p>It honestly just sounds like you are homesick and are blaming the school for that. If you truly had that miserable of a time, why did it take you this long to figure out that FSU wasn’t for you? </p>
<p>It also sounds like you really didn’t research FSU or the Tallahassee area, either. You complained about the airport lacking, and then say you used it multiple times but the airlines kept having issues. That isn’t the airport’s fault. </p>
<p>As for maturing more because you came to a school far away from home, I think your first post here demonstrates very well that you aren’t mature. You insulted millions of people and the entire student body of FSU. That doesn’t seem mature just because you don’t like the place.</p>
<p>Also, just wanted to add a thanks to Tallalassie and Nolette. I tried to make a few good arguments in response to that post. I hope I did.</p>
<p>knicks, Everything you say in your second post sounds fair and sincere to me, sometimes it’s good to vent. What would be really funny is if you end back up in the northeast and start a chain of Catfish & Grits Restaurants and end up becoming a multi-multi-millionaire filling a void in the northeast market!</p>
<p>There are a few reasons why I didn’t transfer out right away mostly dealing with the fact that I really tried to make it work. I was rooming with my friend from back home and did not want to leave him to be honest. To say I am immature when you have never met me in person is an ignorant insult to make as I am far from immature. If you asked anyone that knows me they can tell you this, however they will tell you that I am extremely opinionated. I did approach several people about the maintenance issues and nothing was done to fix them. I was not homesick and I am not blaming the school for my problems. If I was that homesick and depressed I would have not succeeded academically as I probably would have not cared as much as I did about my school work. I am simply stating the aspects of the school that I feel are a problem and need improvement. Do not insult my intelligence or maturity by a few forum posts online. You’ve never met me in person just as I have never met you in person and therefore I will not judge you as a person. I actually made a comment saying that I appreciate the fact that you care about your academics and are doing well. I will not judge you by a few online posts as you are judging me. That is being mature, what you are doing is not.</p>
<p>Tallalassie, Thank you for saying this. I just wanted to get all of this out of my system. I had some bad luck and some bad experiences and I thank you for trying to understand. I should think about opening that restaurant as well. Could you imagine if it succeeded lol?!</p>
<p>If you are not happy at FSU, or feel like it is not your fit, then transferring may be in your best interest, FSU is a great school, college is all about the right fit for you, so if your genuinely unhappy with your surroundings get out while you can considering you’ve been there for a year you say? Interesting points you make in your OP, some but not all of those things mentioned are reasons why I decided to transfer to UF two years ago.</p>
<p>On a side note, I am not from the northeast, but originally from California.</p>