Michigan State University Top Questions

What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

Thomas

How hard it it can be to juggle a social life and your school work. Also that you need to study at least 2-3 hours a day if not more depending on how hard the class is.

Kaitlin

I wish I had known that this school is a place for everyone. I spent a lot of time worrying about if I would belong here. Since the first day I arrived here I've felt welcome and accepted. There is every type of person here you could imagine. I wish I had spent less time worrying, and more time preparing for the amazing time I was going have.

Chelsea

I wish I had realized how large the campus really was, definitely during the winter months. Also, realized how large some lectures would be and how overwhelming a 600 person lecture becomes.

Christopher

How terrible the weather in Michigan is, yesterday the "feels like" temperature was 20 degrees (F) below, and how infrequently Michigan State University cancels classes when the conditions get so bad.

Reginald

I wish I knew how to study better. I would have done much better in my first semester of school.

Jacqueline

The size of the campus can be overwhelming for some students, however the amount of activities available for students to become involved helps to make the transition easier.

Rebecca

i wish i knew how to study efficiently. not to be too stubborn the first time around to ask for help. to know how to balence time right and acually know how much i should out into an art piece without being so distracted all the time. to communiciate with professors instead of always leaving the classes and do not push myself too hard on myself if i dont. To have a summer job before hand instead of scratching up money or crying over spending 50 dollars in an anime convention. most importantly i wished i had more confidence.

Quanesha

I wish I knew how expensive everything was. I do not regret my decision coming to MSU, I LOVE MY SCHOOL. College is just expensive, and I know everyone tells you to "do scholarships" but I did not take them serious. I understand why they said it now.

Mariah

I wish I had known how close knit students at this school were and how the professors really want you to succeed. Also, how easy it is to make friends and form life-long connections. I wouldn't of been so timid to come in at first. At Michigan State, every student is part of a community which includes socialization events and getting help from other students who work in places like the writing centers and math labs that aim to help struggling students get better grades and excel in their coursework.

Dominique

Before i came to this school, I wish that I had known proper study habits because my high school did not adequately prepare me for the college curriculum and so I have struggled.

Corinne

I wish I knew more about the specializations my college offers

Reynide

I wish that someone would have told me to either contact my advisor before orientation, or to check my requirements and make my schedule before orientation, so then that way, I woud have more control over my schedule.

Anna

I guess the one thing I wish someone told me about freshman year would be more about classes and meeting with advisors. I was told many things and learned so much my freshman year. I just wish someone would have told me what classes would have been like al little more and how much an advisor does help. THe first time I met with my advisor I learned so much information and now I go often to make sure I am on the right track.

Ashley

If I could go back in time and tell myself something about the university, I would make sure I realized just how many opportunities are available at Michigan State University. I would also tell myself that I would have to pick and choose which clubs, organizations, and opportunities I would pursue because it is impossible to become involved in every one. In addition to this, I would educate myself in how much college differs from high school. Study habits should be different because the exams and homework are different. Also, I wish I would have known more about time management.

Athanasios

I wish I knew the campus better. The campus covers a large area and if you aren't given time to explore it, you have to learn where things are quick in order to be on time to class.

Adolfo

I wish i had knows how essental it was to talk to your proffesors, and to know that they are human being and not the monsters that they are potratyed to be in highschool. If i knew this i could have had a better realtionship with my proffesors from the start, wich would help you grade and learning experince.

Daniel

How to finacne my money more maturely and how to balance my time between social life and school work.

Mariah

As a transfer student at Michigan State University I wish I was prepared for how much I have to speak up for myself. At such an immense institution the phrase “little fish in a big pond” began to make a tremendous amount of sense to me. Being approximately twelve hours away from home I have learned to be the one to make calls and set up meetings with financial aid, the registrar’s office, amongst others to make sure that I have a voice in my higher education. Therefore, I wish I was aware of how to be more independent.

Ashley

I wish that I would have known how important applying for scholarships is. People know that college is expensive, but it;s difficult to comprehend it until you have weekly things to pay for and you are trying to juggle a heavy course load with work.

Joshua

I wish i knew more about research opportunties available. I wish i was able to get involved with these during my first year. I also wish i knew of the important classes to take in my freshman year. One of the main things i wish i knew were about the vast clubs that are focused on my major and areas of interest in school

Amy

better understanding of application process and finacial aid process. I should have looked more into majors and what options I have with each of the majors.

Ali

I wish I had taken the time to get to know other majors before jumping in to theater. I'm so much happier in Professional Writing, a major no one has really heard of.

Amanda

I wish that I had known that I wanted a B.A. and not a B.S. degree. I also wish I had known about the increase in tuition rates in my junior year.

Amy

I wish I had known that my status as a high achiever in high school was not automatically predictive of great success in college; that coming from a poor, rural school, I would be behind many of my classmates, especially because I had only been able to take one AP class; and that no matter what happens, becoming a better, more passionate person is more important than getting a 4.0 every time.

Benjamin

One thing that I wish I knew before coming to Michigan State University was allmsu.com. This website has everything from student?s posts on classes to professor ratings to apartments and tickets for sale. It is an outstanding website that connects students with their peers. One can get a variety of responses regarding teachers and class structures. Once I learned of this site, I immediately saw the benefit and still use it to this day when choosing my class schedule. This website was created by our students and shows the ingenuity that Michigan State University has to offer.

Lucas

One thing i wish i had known was the best place to get a job. Since being here i have tried very hard to find a job on campus but have been unsuccsessful and the debt is starting to accumulate.

Kelcie

I wish I would have known myself a little bit better. I made decisions I don't think I was ready to make because I felt I needed to at the time. I also wish I would have known how easy it was to get involved.

Jon

I wish I would have known how to manage my time better and realize the importance of attending my classes and completing my work. My transition was rough due to the allure of a fast paced social life that was easily accessible. Now, looking back, I realize I could have had just as much fun while still maintaining a good standing in my classes rather than devoting all my time to irresponsible activities and allowing my grades to suffer.

Samantha

The number one thing I wish I knew about Michigan State before I got here is how much is available. I learn about new groups and activities every day. There is a galore of different events to participate in. I wish I would have known this and tried out more things when I first arrived here. I think it would have made my first year at college a lot more fun and interesting. I think I would have learned a lot more from the experiences and could have helped shape me into a better person also.

Christian

Since Michigan State University is not far from my home, I had visited its campus numerous times. As an athlete, I played in many tournaments on its beautiful campus. In addition, I trained in a facility near the campus for years. In addition, my parents and my cousin all attended college there. Therefore, I feel like I chose Michigan State armed with essentially all of the key information I would need to know about it in order to make the right choice for myself. While I may discover something I should have known about it, that has not yet happened.

Elizabeth

The diversity there would be since I'm used to my little bubble of a city at home.

Breanna

Before coming to school I wish I would have known how difficult the work load would be. Most people sharing their college stories only talked about the fun times they had in college; many left out the fact that a majority of the nights would be spent studying in my room or the Library.

Kelsey

Which classes I needed so I didn't waste part of my freshman year with things I didn't need.

Whitney

I wish I had known the variety of campus jobs.

Katherine

Before coming to Michigan State University, I wished that I could speak, read, and write English better. And the only reason for this is, so that I can get more involved in the culture and learning environment smoothly. Other than that, I love being where I am right now.

Kayleigh

Before I came to Michigan State University I wish I had known that what people from my hometown and what other people said about it was false! Michigan State is a large university but it is so friendly! People are very helpful and even though my classes can be far away, the walks are always enjoyable because of the beautiful scenery that is our campus.

Courtney

I wish I would have know that the class sizes were going to be so large. In some of my classes I have more than 300 people.

Ashley

I wish that I had known before exactly how the economic situation of this state was really like and to what demographic the majority of people were more associated with.

Megan

I'm an environmental and animal rights minded person. My first choice would have been the University of Oregon for my field of Environmental Studies. Michigan State is a reputable college; it is highly credible as a reseach school and agricultural college, and has it's own recycling center - however, in terms of animal rights and deeper environmental ethics it scores somewhat low. It is hard to fight an animal and environmental ethics battle against farmers and research scientists exploiting both the environment and countless animals. All in all, I wish I had realized the close mindedness I would encounter.

Margaret

Before I came to MSU, I wish that someone had told me how important it was to make an effort to break out of your comfort zone right away. I spent my first few weeks here hanging out with some of my old friends from high school and probably missed out on meeting new people. I did end up trying out a bunch of new things after I realized that college was a time for me to be a new person and have met some great people and found some new passions.

jessica

yes

Edward

I feel like I had very good preparation to go to MSU because I came from a very large, liberal and diverse high school. For students who have not grown up in such an environment, it would be good to know that the school and students are exactly that-liberal, free thinking, diverse. You have to realize that the school is very large, and you are really responsible for your own success. I wish I had known how great the study abroad program was so I could have planned opportunities to participate in it more.

Jessie

High school came pretty easy to me. I would listen in class, and do well on the tests. I wish somebody could have told me that this method does not work in college. I wish they told me to prepare to study more, because academically you learn just as must outside the class as inside the class. This little piece of advice could have made my transition into college much easier.

Sheree

I wish that I would have known that even though Michigan State University kept sending mail regarding me to sign my housing contract, it was not necessary to sign it until moving in. In addition, I wish that since junior year of high school I would have known that I wanted to major in Human Resource Management so I could have taken classes pertaining to Human Resources at the local community college instead of Psychology.

John

What a great opportunity it truly is to attend here. Besides the academics, I have participated in a fraternity, clubs, have been a Resident Mentor, tutored two classes, attended football, basketball, hockey and cultural events and concerts. I have worked with two professors on research projects and have been provided with a broadening experience in a very diverse and eclectic environment. I have learned how to ski and work out regularly at the modern gym facilities. Our campus is 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} women and there are tremendous social opportunities. I also am part of an active Catholic faith community.

Patrick

I knew pretty much everything I had wanted to know.

Brittany

The intensive course work and the lack of support in some cases from certain members of the staff.

Sandra

I wish I would have known more about the housing opportunities that exist off campus. I lived on campus for all 4 years of college and I found the world of renting, subletting, and commuting to be very confusing. I would have liked to enjoy a little more independance from the academic system my junior and senior years at school.

Kelsie

I wish I knew a better way to get scholarships.

Kassandra

When I came to this school, even though i felt like I was informed on almost everything, there were parts that I wasn't completely informed on. Class size was and still is a huge idea for me. I do not do as well in larger classes as I do in smaller classes. Also, I wish Michigan State University would take into consideration their students before they decide to cut programs. Budget cuts are affecting all of us now. And I wish I would have known that I would be face to face with that reality before I came here.