What is it Like to Attend Middle Tennessee State University?

Ken is a current senior at Middle Tennessee State University. He is majoring in general science, and specializes in elementary math tutoring and life sciences tutoring. Below, he shares his experience at Middle Tennessee State University:

Describe the campus setting and transportation options. 

Ken: Middle Tennessee State University’s campus is set in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The campus has plenty of places for commuter students to park, but you have to get there early to get a spot since close lots tend to fill up fast. The campus is more rural than urban. Even though the town is growing, MTSU is still a bit of a drive away from the malls and shops that Murfreesboro has to offer. MTSU offers a campus chauffeuring service, where two or more students walk a student who called the service safely to their destination. Overall, MTSU is pretty safe.

How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants?

Ken: Most professors and TAs are easy to get ahold of, but every now and then you will get a commuter teacher who only stays on campus for as long as he or she teaches. The advisors are always available, until the last month of the semester when scheduling becomes a hassle because they are very busy.

How would you describe the dorm life—rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students?

Ken: There is always something going on at MTSU. The rooms on campus range from “home away from home” to “this is where I sleep and that’s about it.” The food on campus is mostly fast food restaurants, like Subway or Panda Express, but MTSU also offers two dining halls that have their own home-cooked menus and daily specials.

Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? 

Ken: MTSU is known in the aerospace and recording industry, but also has an up-and-coming chemistry and biology department. I am a general sciences major, and the newly built science building was a huge improvement to my studies.

How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life?

Ken: If you join a club, it is incredibly easy to make friends. Personally, I joined MTSU’s Band of Blue and made some friends for life. I was also a part of the fraternity Alpha Tau Omega for a few years and met my roommates and best friends there. If you are looking to meet new friends, it’s easy at MTSU.

How helpful is the Career Center and other student support services?

Ken: Although they offer career days at MTSU, I have never had the opportunity to attend. However, student services is very good on campus and helps students with many things.

How are the various study areas such as libraries, the student union, and dorm lounges?

Ken: There are a million different places on campus to study—from the library, to outside on the patio of the student union, to the open spaces of the science building.

Describe the surrounding town.

Ken: There are a lot of different and interesting things to do in Murfreesboro—from the parks, to the mall, to the golf courses. Murfreesboro is an alright little place to be. What makes Murfreesboro even better is that it’s only 45 minutes away from Nashville, which has everything.

How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes?

Ken: MTSU’s student body is huge. Surprisingly, the class sizes were never too crowded.

Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one you regret the most.

Ken: The most recent memory that I had was in my Biochemistry class with my professor Dr. Burden. As we all were beginning the experiment, he stopped us and asked, “Does anybody actually know what we are doing?” Our class fell silent and looked at him a little confused— everyone except me. I continued to measure out the amount of distilled water I needed, and without missing a beat, I said, “Science.” Dr. Burden and everybody in the lab turned and looked at me. The only thing that broke the silence was our teacher bellowing out a laugh that shook the beakers and he said, “Keep this up and you’ll be my favorite class.”



Check out Ken's tutoring profile.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.