Mississippi State University

Date: Jul 09 2008
Major: Fine Arts - Painting/Sculpture/Photography/etc (This Major's Salary over time)
Overall, I really loved my time at MSU. I do, however, have some grievances.

a) The University administration spends WAY too much time focusing on sports and recruitment and not enough on the education of their current students. I would equate it to being in a store, and the employees are constantly answering the phone instead of helping you, the customer, there in the store already.

b) There is nothing to do in Starkville. This is good if you just want to focus on school, though. I did for the most part, and I am better for it. But if you're the partying type, this isn't the best of places. It's either bars, or Wal-Mart. Very boring.

c) Tuition is great if you're an in-state student. I don't know about out-of-state. That's one of the great things about public universities compared to art schools, CHEAP! Plus the professors aren't just in it for the money, or because they couldn't find work elsewhere, they actually care about the students and their work.

d) There used to be quite a few mom and pop restaurants around the area with good, quality food, but in the past decade the area's been overrun by chains (Chilis, Peppers, etc. etc.). There are about a thousand sandwich/deli shops. There isn't much food variety.

All that said, the Art Department at Mississippi State is the best in the state, pretty much everyone in Mississippi agrees. Even a professor at Southern Miss admitted to me they made their program there a copy of ours; their graphic design students do pretty much the same projects. I highly recommend Brent Funderburk for drawing and painting classes, Soon Ee Ngoh for drawing classes, and Ben Harvey for Art History.