Michigan State University Top Questions

Tough, many classes require plenty of time studying.

Strict

The academics are planned accordingly depending on the major. When your a freshman the university requires that you take the basic university requirements because a lot of students change their interests during this time and makes it easier for freshman to explore different fields. But if you have your major or your still undecided then they have academic advisers for every college to help guide you into what you want to do throughout your stay here at MSU. Rumors about us just being a party school is what it is just rumors because this school does take pride in wanting to see it's students succeed. The academics here are just as competitive and rigorous as any school, so you can bet by the time your ready to graduate you will be ready to pursue a higher level of education or a job in your specialized field.

Agriculture program is really good, and academics are whole overall

My majors are International Relations and Chinese. I am a part of the James Madison college which is reputed for offering a very rigorous course load. The academics here are challenging and demanding.

Being in the public affairs college at state, James Madison is definitely very cut throat when it comes to academics. Everyone studies their BUTT off to get at least a 3.5, and those that get 4.0's are called "James Madison All Star's" and secretly everyone is jealous of them. In class discussions are informative and intellectual and you have no choice but to get involved. There are also plenty of opportunities for study abroad, internships, and field experience. Also everyone makes sure to go to professors office hours, not only to get feedback on their papers but also to let the prof get to know you and build a foundation for future recommendations.

At MSU, there is an emphasis on smaller groups. Some classes do meet in lecture halls with 300+ students, but usually there are smaller weekly meetings with about 20-30 students. In large classes, many students form study groups and meet in the library to go over practice tests, and other questions. Make sure to attend professor's office hours so they are able to recognize you, it will help a lot if you have trouble in the class or need a letter of recommendation. Some courses are very rigorous, but MSU provides many resources to succeed in them.

The academics at MSU are great. All of my professors that I have had so far have been very good at their job. They have all been very helpful and I have had success in their classes. A lot of people complain about foreign professor because it is harder to understand them, but you will find that at any university. Some of the classes can be challenging, but its all how much effort you put into the class.

The academics at MSU are high class and most of the courses are manageable. One of your professors may know your name depending on the size of your lecture hall. I have a class with over 300 students and then I have one with 20 and the professor knows me by name. It all depends on what route you take. Students are competitive but I get help from strangers all the time and I guarantee that you can form study groups with students in any class. I am a business major and everyone helps everyone out with the harder courses. I will definitely be seeing a career ahead of me once I leave MSU due to the fact that they have multiple career fairs a semester.

I am a little unique, as I am part of one of the smallest majors, plant biology. They graduate about 10 students per year, which is nothing when the whole student population is about 47,000. The plant biology profs know my name, as there is usually only 12 people in a class. But I have been in 500 people classes. That doesn't bother me; I actually like a mix of big and small classes. The amount of studying really depends on your major and your commitment. I am in Lyman Briggs, which is a residential science college. So most students in the college are pretty serious about school and often grad school. I also like MSU for the undergraduate research. I have been in a lab since my first semester. The experiences will definitely help me get into grad school and get a job.