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5.45.80.218:valid:Content Nonsensical, Duplicate Survey, High Vulgarity, High Grammatical Error, Probably Admissions, Content Useless, Malicious Intent/Faked, SPAM, :1
5.45.80.218:valid:Content Nonsensical, Duplicate Survey, High Vulgarity, High Grammatical Error, Probably Admissions, Content Useless, Malicious Intent/Faked, SPAM, :1
5.45.80.218:valid:Content Nonsensical, Duplicate Survey, High Vulgarity, High Grammatical Error, Probably Admissions, Content Useless, Malicious Intent/Faked, SPAM, :1
5.45.80.218:valid:Content Nonsensical, Duplicate Survey, High Vulgarity, High Grammatical Error, Probably Admissions, Content Useless, Malicious Intent/Faked, SPAM, :1
5.45.80.218:valid:Content Nonsensical, Duplicate Survey, High Vulgarity, High Grammatical Error, Probably Admissions, Content Useless, Malicious Intent/Faked, SPAM, :1
5.45.80.218:valid:Content Nonsensical, Duplicate Survey, High Vulgarity, High Grammatical Error, Probably Admissions, Content Useless, Malicious Intent/Faked, SPAM, :1
5.45.80.218:valid:Content Nonsensical, Duplicate Survey, High Vulgarity, High Grammatical Error, Probably Admissions, Content Useless, Malicious Intent/Faked, SPAM, :1
5.45.80.218:valid:Content Nonsensical, Duplicate Survey, High Vulgarity, High Grammatical Error, Probably Admissions, Content Useless, Malicious Intent/Faked, SPAM, :1
5.45.80.218:valid:Content Nonsensical, Duplicate Survey, High Vulgarity, High Grammatical Error, Probably Admissions, Content Useless, Malicious Intent/Faked, SPAM, :1
5.45.80.218:valid:Content Nonsensical, Duplicate Survey, High Vulgarity, High Grammatical Error, Probably Admissions, Content Useless, Malicious Intent/Faked, SPAM, :1
5.45.80.218:valid:Content Nonsensical, Duplicate Survey, High Vulgarity, High Grammatical Error, Probably Admissions, Content Useless, Malicious Intent/Faked, SPAM, :1

Statistical Analyzer:

 
Survey (Identifying information hidden.)
ACT: 31
AcademicSuccess: 7.69
Again: 1
Attitude:
Competitive: 7.69
Creativity: 7.69
ExCuricular: 6.92
FAttitude1: 1
FAttitude2: 1
FAttitude3:
FAttitude4:
FAttitude5:
FAttitude6:
FacultyAcc: 10.00
Friendly: 9.23
FromArea: 2
FundingUse: 6.92
Gender:
GradYear: 12
Grounds: 6.15
Intellect: 3
Maint: 6.15
MindExpect: 4
MindUse: 3
Programs: 9.23
SAT:
SAttitude1: 1
SAttitude2:
SAttitude3:
SAttitude4: 1
SAttitude5:
SAttitude6:
SAttitude7:
SAttitude8:
Safety: 10.00
Social: 6.92
Standing: 1
SurroundingCity: 8.46
TAclasses: 1
USE_THIS_DATA: 1
Usefulwork: 9.23
Worth: 9.23
Valid Email Address

I am an Electrical Engineering major from a smaller town in Minnesota. I came to SDSU the second semester of my freshman year from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (where I had started my college career).

To begin my story, the University of Minnesota was absolutely despicable. The students in my classes were arrogant and self-absorbed, the campus was WAY too large (50,000+ people in the middle of Minneapolis), crimes or bomb threats were being reported almost once every week, the faculty were barely approachable (and many of them had a hard time speaking English), and advisors were absolutely no help (they stuck me in wrong classes and didn't care). I got the general feeling that I was just another source of money that could be used towards building up their athletic program (as opposed to spending the money on better professors, buildings, materials, and happiness). I had had enough after only a few weeks, and I made up my mind that I would transfer colleges.

During the fall semester, I started to tour other colleges and came to the South Dakota State University. I was impressed almost immediately with how friendly everyone was and how comfortable it felt here. The admissions office seemed deeply concerned and showed me support all the way through the process of transferring from the U of M. The EE professor that gave me a tour - not a silly, fifteen-minute tour - but a one-hour plus tour of the engineering facilities that got me interested in the program here (they really want students to feel comfortable with the college). Even during the tour, students that I hadn't even met before were greeting me and showing support for me. It was just an all-around joyous experience. A few days after the tour, I received a letter from the professor that gave me the tour that said that I could receive a research grant for a project that I had only briefly mentioned to him during the tour! He still asks me about it!

After visiting all the colleges, it was a no-brainer to come here. The other colleges in the area just didnt feel right. Yeah, they had most things a college is “supposed to have: a football team, large buildings, flashy colors, trees, etc, but none of them had a good, friendly aura surrounding them.

So, my first year started. The professor that gave me the tour tracked me down to help me register for classes. He spent almost a full two hours talking with me about classes, teachers, and what I should do (compared to the three minutes I got with my advisor at the U of M). Classes began, classes ended. Second semester classes began, and classes are about to end, again. I have almost nothing but good things to say for the classes here, but Ill continue that in the next paragraph.

The classes at SDSU are far smaller and engaging than the classes at the U of M. Calculus II, for instance, at the U consisted of a lecture of around 200 students and a study group of about 40 students. At SDSU, the Calc II class consists of 20 students taught directly by the professor to facilitate better discussion, questioning, and learning. The Physics lecture at the U had 300+ students. At SDSU, 25 students are in a Physics lecture, which makes it far less intimidating. All of my classes at SDSU are smaller and taught directly by faculty members, not TAs, GTAs, or others like at some other colleges.

That brings me to my next point, the professors. The professors here are wonderful. Almost all my professors know me on a first-name basis. Sure, there are some here and there that you try to avoid like in high school, but all of them are knowledgeable and helpful and will help you get the most out of your college education. If I have a question on math, for instance, I could just stroll into the professors office, sit down, and spend the next thirty or so minutes discussing how to correctly solve the problem.

The professors here also have a sense of humor. Many of my professors joke, laugh, or smile all the time (when something isnt bothering them, of course “ such as a late student). I dont know how many times my Physics professor has made an example of how to use physics to properly kill your roommate, or to shoot down a UFO, or just to make fun of himself. It helps ease the stress of college work in general.

And then we have the campus. The campus is rather spread out to leave large spaces for grass, trees, plazas, and open space for room to breathe/relax (as opposed to the U, where most of the available space was cemented over or had a building on top of it). The historical district has the buildings that you would normally “expect to see at a college, such as the Campanile, the Administration buildings, Solberg Hall, Wecota and Wenona Halls, Woodbine Cottage, and many others, just to name a few. The “Academic Core part of campus contains the buildings that most students will see. NFA, Rotunda, Crothers Engineering Hall, the Student Union, Briggs Library, Athletic complex, and the Performing Arts Center are all rather new buildings that contain the majority of the classrooms. The administration is always renovating older buildings or building new ones (around four new buildings are currently under construction), so the campus is always kept in good shape. The campus gets enormous amounts of donations and support from the state of South Dakota, alumni, and the city of Brookings to help maintain the integrity of the campus and the happiness of the students.

The Undergraduate Residence Halls on campus are mainly clustered in the southeast corner of the campus. Mathews Hall contains the Honors and Engineering houses and is the quietest dorm out of any on campus. Brown and Pierson are adjacent to Mathews and contain the more “normal students. Binnewies and Young are, what you could say, the “party or “jock dorms, as they are closest to the Athletic Complex. The newest dorm on campus, Caldwell, contains suite-style dorms for second and third-year students. The dorms in the northwest corner of campus are reserved for apartment-use or agricultural majors. So, there is plenty of diversity on campus, ranging from nerds and eggheads, to jocks and hicks.

I have never felt out of place here at SDSU. The campus made me feel welcome and I couldnt be happier with my choice to come here. My friends at other colleges are usually complaining about bad professors, a crappy class, or all-around dislike with their colleges. I just smile and laugh to myself and think, maybe they should come to SDSU to see how much better it could be for them here.

SDSU is no Ivy League college by any means, and I dont want it to be. Its not included in the “Top 50 national universities, and it doesnt receive many awards, but it doesnt need to. SDSU does, however, give students a quality education and make them feel comfortable and happy throughout their college career, which I think is what a good college should do. So even if you want to come to SDSU for a semester, a year, two years, or stay here for your Doctorate, Im sure you wont be disappointed. Just sit back, be comfortable, grab an ice cream cone (made right here on campus, by the way), and be happy. After all, you dont want to be miserable throughout your entire college career.

  • Just as a side note, dont judge my review based on grammar, punctuation, or cohesiveness. I am an engineer, after all.
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