North Dakota State University

Date: Jun 21 2007
Major: Other (This Major's Salary over time)
You get out of North Dakota State University what you put into it.

Academics:

The majority of people teaching the classes have the highest degree in their field, and many are very competent in their teaching abilities. Now NDSU does not have all of the topic programs in the nation, in fact it may only have a few. However, nearly all, if not all programs are very good and well respected. A degree from NDSU does stand out, despite what others may say. Just because North Dakota is a smaller state does not mean your degree will be any less important than if it was from a bigger state.

The Students:

While I do agree there are a fairly large number of students from rural areas, there are also a large number of people from large metropolitan areas from around the world, additionally NDSU is greatly expanding its international population… over 1000 students.

Some students may be close-minded due to their upbringing, but this is certainly not the case for the majority of students. The first thing I noticed when I came to North Dakota and NDSU was that the people are extremely friendly. At first I was a little suspicious because people were so nice; through my time and experiences at NDSU I learned that is just how people are.

Students are definitely approachable and it is extremely easy to make friends and find others with similar intersts/goals.

Social Life:

Those that say the social life sucks are those that either do not put in any effort or just don't care. There are over 200 student organizations on campus and something for everyone. There are countless opportunities to get involved… If you do not like what is available the you can always start your own organizations/activities … nothing is stopping you; in fact you are strongly encouraged to.

Fargo is not as bad as many may think. First you have to realize that the Fargo-Moorhead Metro Area is only around 200,000 people so you can not expect to have everything that a large metro area does. The area does offer many things including great fine arts, sporting, and shopping, among others things; and dont forget that Fargo as the most restaurants per capita in the world!

Campus:

The NDSU Campus is not the best campus in the world, but it surely is not the worst. They do a great job with all of the plants, trees, etc., but the buildings could use some work. Many of the buildings do need to be updated some, but that of course relates back to the lack of funding by the state. A simple coat of paint and some pressure washing would go a long way. As far as desks and chairs one of the Student Affairs Officials told me that those that need to be replaced will.

Again as far as ascetics, you only can go so far, based on what you have to work with. NDSU is pretty much surrounded on all sides by the city so they can only expand so much. The campus definitely as more of an urban feel then a rural feel. You will find a few quads and a lot of sidewalks, grass, and buildings. Sorry no room for a lake. However, NDSU does a great job with all of the trees and plants.

On a related note campus does look really cool in the winter with all of the snow!

Administration/School Policies:

Being as I have been involved in much I have first hand experience in much of this. The majority of NDSU'S administrators could not be better. I have personally had many many opportunities and experiences of sitting down with the President, or some of the various Vice Presidents and deans to talk about NDSU and my concerns etc. The truth of the matter is that they really do listen.

They exemplify what NDSU truly believes in, that:

Students Are Paramount

and

"Its About the People"

Go a head and see for yourself, talk with Prakash Mathew the Vice President for Student Affairs or Janna Stoskopf the Dean of Student Life; they will listen to what you have to say and will work towards any recommendations you may have.

Go and talk to the NDSU Student Government, they will help you with any of your concerns, they work for whats in the student's best interest. They will tell you that the administration at NDSU is really listening.

Talk with other students: ndbison dot com provides a great place to talk with other students, stop by there and see what is happening!

Other:

Basically the key is to get involved, if you do not you surely will not like your collegiate career as much as you could. You will be surprised how much more fulfilling your experience at NDSU will be if you get involved in organizations, volunteer work, and other things.