Middle Tennessee State University

Date: Jun 29 2004
Major: Biology (This Major's Salary over time)
Ahhh…MTSU. Where to begin? I picked this school at random, as I only cared about graduate school. I am very glad that I chose MTSU. If a social experience is your thing, you'll need to put forth a lot of effort, but you WILL find a ton of things to do and friends who share your interests. Most of the students are very nice. Racial tensions are at a minimum, which is a relief considering how diverse the campus is. In my major, the professors were intelligent, well-educated, and bent over backwards to help. I was challenged very welll, to the point where some classes were indistinguishable from Ivy League schools in terms of the amount of information learned and the difficulty of the tests.

Depending on the major, classes can be difficult to get into, so be careful when mapping your path. My other gripe in this area is the amount of course sections offered. Most upper division classes have only two sections max, typically one. Summer class availability is also low.

As far as the appearance of the campus, it is a mixed bag. One side is well-developed, with new buildings and beautiful landscaping. The other side looks quite archaic, but the insides of the buildings are well maintained, and the many trees on campus make autumn an aesthetic pleasure.

While the students are nice, many of them are very lazy, very stupid, and generally drones. However, brilliant people are easy to find, and there's always good conversation to be had, as long as you're willing to look for it.

Parking is actually not too bad, but some people can't bear to walk more than a hundred yards to get somewhere (thank you suburban life), and most of the students seem oblivious to the campus' shuttle service. If you don't mind walking, parking is no problem. There are plenty of spaces available, especially if you're an early bird.

Murfreesboro is a suburban hell hole with trashy residents, overpriced apartments, and horrid drivers, but along with a few good bars and some great underground parties, Nashville and its incredible nightlife is an easy 30 minutes' drive away. No whining!

At MTSU, you will truly get what you put in. You will work for your fun, education, and friends, but it's worth it for what you pay.