Michigan State University Top Questions

My least favorite class was my first level ISS class. THE WORST EVER. The professor (who smelled badly and wore the same clothes every day) wrote three of the four required books for this class. Something about american political history. This 8am class made me want to jump off a cliff. Most of the intro classes I took as a freshman were HUGE, with up to 600 people jammed into a lecture hall. As I moved on in years at MSU, and my area of study became more specific, classes were smaller, professors knew my name, and it was generally way more enjoyable. Getting through those annoying university requirement classes was torturous. About my major...secondary education. Hmm...while MSU is nationally recognized as the best in education, the "big wigs" in the college of ed are so disconnected from the real world of teaching that some of the nonsense they teach borders hilarious. Some of the instructors, who were supposed to teach me how to teach, were terrible teachers themselves. The great thing about MSU's college of ed though, is the internship. It's a year long, and a pain in the butt to work for that long without getting paid, but it really is a tremendous learning experience. I wouldn't trade it for the world!

people underestimate the academics here. Granted I have known many people who have graduated and all gotten jobs right away, in fact all of them have. But in terms of Michigan it is often seen as the MSU crowd is more social and the U of M crowd has the brains. So not true, plus where does anyone go with no social skills and brains, we have the perfect combination of both, way smarter than western Michigan and central and the impeccable social skills of a big 10 school. Some professors suck, and we actually have alot that just suck at speaking English but they can be avoided if you are frustrated by the whole not understanding what your professor is saying thing. I have avoided it and now I live off of professor reviews and have been more than happy. No I don't spend time with professors out of class. That is weird, and should not be done at any school.

The classes are really big, at least most of them, and it is hard to get to know professors and even students in your class. There have been a few classes that i have taken, in my major, where the professor knows my name and i feel like i could use them for a recommendation for something, but i have not noticed that it is a very common situation. The students either seem to not care or care too much, and depending on who you are surrounded by it is easy to be influenced by that. My experience at MSU has made me feel like i am there to learn, not just preparing me to get a job.

Most professors are pretty cool. The school is very liberal so most classes will have a liberal perspective, but I've enjoyed that perspective and learned a lot. MSU takes education seriously, and the courses definitely challenge the students.

As with anything, you get what you put into it. MSU is not an easy school. It takes hard work and motivation. But when you leave MSU businesses are going to want you.

Being pre-med it was highly competitive. I was also in the Lyman Briggs school which is a science college within MSU, which offered smaller class sizes and a more intense curriculum. I spent a lot of time studying. I loved my Lyman Briggs biology classes, I met a lot of my friends through these courses because we were always in the lab studying. Professors are available after class, by email, by appointment and by office hours, don't be afraid to approach them. Also use your academic counselors,

Professors - They only know your name if it's a small class and you really make an effort. Favorite class - Honors International Relations - cool professor, interesting material. Least favorite class - Intro. to Archaeology. Boring professor, otherwise interesting material. Students study - if they feel like it. Usually late at night. Intellectual conversations outside of class - sometimes. If you live on an Honors floor. Competitive students - I haven't experienced it yet. My classmates help each other out. Most unique class - Honors Microbiology lab. Microbial sterile techniques, DNA sequencing. Major/department - Chemistry is my official major, but I'm Pre-Med first and foremost. Spend time with professors - Once my work supervisor invited all her lab assistants over. Academic requirements - Honors classes are satisfying, but regular classes are too easy. MSU education - geared towards grad school, not a job or just for learning's sake.

The problem with going to a school with over 40,000 students is the professors are not going to know who you are unless you are in a small class. It sucks sometimes but I kind of liked going to a huge lecture hall that has 600+ students in it. It's definitely an experience. I really liked my IAH class which is an arts and humanities class. Its a university requirement, so I was expecting it to totally suck because most of them do. But this was a really cool class with interesting topics. Students are always in the library or going other places to study. I don't feel most students are competitive when it comes to academics. I just don't get that feeling that I get at other schools about academics. The academics at MSU are pretty good. It's a great school to go to and get an education from!

Academics at Michigan state vary from class to class. It is competitive and i feel that with all of my classes i have learned something. Some people are worried about class size. Lecture style classes are wonderful. you meet a lot of people, if your scared or shy about participating in class then you dont have an obligation. You have a professor teaching and atleast 3 T/A's that can help you when ever you need it. Michigan state also has a free tutoring program on campus so you get your moneys worth. Out of all of my classes thus far i have had more small style classes than lectures so its proof that there are small student classes.

Professors at MSU don't necessarily know your name. However, if you make the effort, I'm sure most of them would be willing to get to know you/help you. Students study pretty often. I'd say on average the MSU student studies/does reading at least 10 hours a week. We're not too competitive, I don't think. My major is Urban and Regional Planning. There were only 23 of us to graduate from this program in May, so we're very close. Everyone is very helpful. The Urban Planning program is definitely hands-on and very practical when it comes to doing well in the "real world" after college. Our final class is called practicum, and we do a full on project for a municipality in the area. For example, my group did a 100 page report for the City of Lansing.