New students, I have good news and bad news.
Bad news first. Starkville is pretty stark, relatively speaking. Compared to anything that can reasonably be called a city, Starkville falls short on the nightlife. Bars close at about 1 am. There are only a few clubs, one bowling alley and no mall. Game days are a little more exciting, but there’s very little to do after the game. Sports Illustrated has gone so far as to criticize Starkville for its less than hip social scene.
In fact, Mississippi State was built in Oktibbeha County for that very reason: to keep students out of trouble. Obviously, having a social life can only lead to trouble. On that count they failed, and that mentality is outdated. There is still plenty to do, but it is up to the students to create a good time.
Now for the good news. Mississippi State is one of the most student-friendly universities around. University professors generally have a reputation for being callous or absent-minded academics who think students are little more than a necessary evil.
In some schools this is undeniably true. A professor from the University of California recently told me her co-workers find students to be little more than a hassle. They keep their office hours strict and short and are accessible only for that short time. At all other times, the students can reach professors only through e-mail, greatly limiting both the professors’ interaction and helpfulness.
At MSU, however, the professors are often easily accessible. In my department, aerospace engineering, you can reach a professor simply by walking into his or her office. The students are always welcome to come and ask questions about class. Fairly often, if the professor who teaches the class is not available, another professor will help.
While most of my experience is in the aerospace department, I have found that professors in the math, philosophy, political science and computer science departments are equally accessible. While each department has its curmudgeons who treat students as nuisances, they are the exception rather than the rule.
Not only are the professors accessible, they are truly interested in the students. MSU has numerous extracurricular student teams that require faculty sponsorship. These range from the engineering design teams to the political science department’s Model Security Team. Supporting all of these teams are professors giving up hours of their time to assist students and often receiving little credit for their efforts.
The administration, too, has often shown a willingness to hear the students, especially concerning academics.
For instance, a friend of mine once tried to drop a class online on the last class drop day. The schedule did not give a final time, so she did not know she had waited too late. The registrar’s office helped her, though, and she was able to drop the class. Also, the next calendar was amended to include a final drop time as well as a date.
In another instance, the financial aid department responded to a student complaint and corrected an unfair practice which counted MPACT funds, a form of prepaid tuition parents may utilize, as a scholarship, thus reducing the total aid a student receiving MPACT could receive.
Overall, the administration has proven to be quite responsive to student academic and financial needs.
Life at Mississippi State has its ups and downs. Coming to State for the nightlife is a big mistake, but the academically inclined will find a school that respects and supports its students.
Nathan Alday is a senior aerospace engineering major. He can be reached at [email protected].