I graduated from State last spring with a degree in Marketing. Starkville has a downtown that we call the Cotton District. It's very quaint, with a fair share of bars and delicious restaurants. In Starkville, you can find a bagel shop, Italian, Mexican, Greek, and Peruvian food, sushi, BBQ, and plenty of delis. The Cotton District is mostly inhabited by college students, with a small mix of retired alumni. There are a couple night clubs in Starkville, but it's not ideal for the crazy, going out scene. Apart from the Cotton District, the rest of Starkville is on Highway 12, a long road with restaurants and businesses. Starkville has a movie theatre, make-your-own-pottery, various shopping opportunities (no mall), and a wide variety of churches.
The campus is 2nd-largest in the US, right after Michigan State. What a beautiful, open campus it is! There is a great shuttle system that will bring you all over campus, but the majority of classes are centrally located around what we call the Drill Field. Campus is ideal for throwing the frisbee, walking a pet, exercising, playing tennis and other sports, and just hanging out. It's extremely green with lots of fresh flowers. We have a well-stocked Barnes and Noble bookstore. The Student Union has a variety of restaurants from Starbucks to Chick-fil-A to pizza to sushi and more. The MSU bakery has a delicious array of cookies and desserts, and MS State is famous for their home-made ice cream and variety of cheese. Parking isn't the best on campus, so it's always good to show up early for class. But rumors are that they're building a parking garage!
The vast majority of students live off-campus. I'd check out The Links, College Station, 21 Apartments, and Highlands Plantation. The Links and Highlands are further away from campus, but only by a few minutes. 21 Apartments is within walking distance and so is College Station. I've had friends live in all of them, and they liked them. There are plenty of housing options.
As far as the campus and faculty, it feels like a small school! It is, after all, called The People's University. I've never felt so at home away from home! The faculty are willing to help and treat you like an individual. Southern hospitality is a wonderful thing =)
I'd be GLAD to answer any more questions y'all have!! I LOVED my experience at State and miss it every single day. I hope y'all love it, too!