I went to Michigan State University, East Lansing to pursue my degrees in Food Science. I selected this location for a few reasons: 1) Cost (I could afford it) 2) Affliliation with junior college (transferred all my credits smoothly), 3) Good food science program 4) Reputation
Culture: I think one of its strengths is the international program. It's quite big and I have to say that one of my best experiences was not only meeting Americans but also, getting to know ppl from all over the world. I swear that one of the dorms had the highest concentration of Koreans every semester and we always joked about a 'Korean invasion' in [name] Hall. That reminds me, I need to re-establish my connection with my Romanian, Taiwanese, Japanese, Bulgarian, African etc.etc.... friends.
Academic Programs: MSU started off as an agriculture college so I'm not surprised to see solid programs in majors such as Animal Science, Dairy Science, Horticulture, and Veterinarian Science. The food science program is small but I learnt so much from my degree, I don't really care! I had many opportunities to participate in national competitions and to obtain hands-on experiences, instead of boring lectures. I would like to add that MSU has one of the best Packaging programs (a rare major at the time I was there) and its Supply Chain Management program is famous for some reason I'm not sure of (pardon me, I'm not a Business major).
Residency: I believe MSU also boasts the biggest on-campus residencies. I've had the opportunities to share a dorm room with an American roomate, have a single dorm room and eventually, my own apartment throughout my course of studying. Being on and off campus has its pros and cons, and I've experienced both.
Religion: It's a secular university but many Christian groups exists. I attended non-denominational Trinity Church, which had a wonderful International Christian fellowship, which typically consisted international graduate students. I still love listening to the pastor's sermons even after I've moved out of the U.S. (
http://www.trinitywired.com/information.asp?TopicID=35 ) There is a Mormon church, Church of Science, Muslim mosque next to the campus as well and if I'm not mistaken, there is this les-homo-bi group. I never viewed this as a bad thing: I learnt many things from a cultural standpoint and hey, I became a committed Christian after being in this place so that can't be a bad thing.
Food: There are many choices...even for internationals (I miss the Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, Middle East and yes, even Malaysian food there!). Meijer remains one of the main supermarkets (it's Michigan, ppl), next to WalMart.
Transportation: Many things are available near the campus (it's next to Downtown East Lansing). If not, there's always the bus transportation, which takes you to many spots including 3 different malls. One thing you might want to know is that MSU has a huge campus, despite being centralized. It took me half an hour to walk to classes at one time and using a bicycle cut down my travel time by half. Many ppl skate, cycle or walk to classes. Driving is discouraged and the ppl who monitor the parking spots are known as Parking Nazis.
Scenery: MSU has a beautiful campus! Lotsa trees, architecture...I don't know how to describe it but there's something very homely, safe and peaceful about the MSU campus. That's one thing I miss the most about this university.
Safety: Generally, it's a very safe campus unless you choose to get drunk on a regular basis. Seriously. Most accidents/crimes/stupid things are alcohol abuse-related. Stay sober and you should be fine.
Party/Sports: Ppl love football (just like most Big Ten universities) so there is a lot of tailgating and drunk ppl during football season. Every now and then, a riot may happen but *shrug* I think we're not that bad as some other universities. Our eternal rivals are the Wolverines (Uni of Michigan) and I'll just stop right there about that.
Career: Because the food science department was small, one could get more/better attention from the lecturers and had many more opportunities from a career/networking standpoint. The department boasts national connections with the industry and that's how I ended up with two excellent internships.
I've been abundantly blessed by God through this university and now, have a great fulfilling job, praise God!
Oh one more thing, since it's Northern US, expect LOTSA snow.
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Aquinas College: I've lived in one of the dorms before because my summer internship was in a company at Ada. Robinson...I think (can't remember, it's been years).
University of Wisconsin, Madison: I visited the campus last year during summer before leaving the U.S. I was surprised by the "beach scene", which is really the part where the campus outlines Lake Michigan. I'm not surprised that it earned the "US Top Party School" title. It seems like a fun place to be in and the food science program was always snagging all the food science national awards (Ack! Hehe... XD).
:comp::bang::poke::forehead:
and you have to have a map but once you get used to it im sure its all gravy.
