Michigan State University (MSU) 2014

[Monochrome Spring]

Who else is attending (or is thinking of attending) MSU in 2014?

 

What do you think of the area, housing, etc?

[AHLbug]

Hey!

 

I did my undergrad at MSU and I've been accepted into grad school there. I'm holding off accepting their offer until I hear back from a couple other schools.

 

Campus and the city of East Lansing are very nice. Campus itself is beautiful in the spring/summer/fall, and it can snow quite a bit and get pretty cold in the winter. Rent can get pretty pricey the closer to campus you get. Also, MSU is known as a party school and there are many bars in East Lansing that many undergrads frequent. Because of this, East Lansing gets very busy on the weekends with drunk and loud college students. Therefore, many grad students choose to live in the community of Okemos to East Lansing's immediate east. As an added benefit, rent is cheaper there and more reasonably priced as it's a couple miles from campus. Okemos itself is a very nice town. It has its own shopping mall and excellent restaurants.

 

The city of Lansing/East Lansing and Okemos also have a pretty good public transportation system through the CATA bus service. It's cost effective and it can be a convenient way to avoid paying a lot for parking on campus or buying an expensive parking permit. 

 

On the lighter side of things, every year during the summer the Great Lakes Folk Festival comes to East Lansing. Here you can watch live acts from many different nationalities, try different kinds of food, watch interesting street performers, etc. Also, the East Lansing Art Festival takes place every summer as well. 

 

Hope this helps with your decision a bit! Let me know if you have any more questions. 

[Monochrome Spring]

Thanks! I actually found a room in a house with two other older students for <$500/mo. It's a bit removed from the main undergrad apartment complexes but close to my office space. I have to do a bit more research about the area and the other tenants, but it looks like a good choice.

[antibody89]

Hey!

 

I did my undergrad at MSU and I've been accepted into grad school there. I'm holding off accepting their offer until I hear back from a couple other schools.

 

Campus and the city of East Lansing are very nice. Campus itself is beautiful in the spring/summer/fall, and it can snow quite a bit and get pretty cold in the winter. Rent can get pretty pricey the closer to campus you get. Also, MSU is known as a party school and there are many bars in East Lansing that many undergrads frequent. Because of this, East Lansing gets very busy on the weekends with drunk and loud college students. Therefore, many grad students choose to live in the community of Okemos to East Lansing's immediate east. As an added benefit, rent is cheaper there and more reasonably priced as it's a couple miles from campus. Okemos itself is a very nice town. It has its own shopping mall and excellent restaurants.

 

The city of Lansing/East Lansing and Okemos also have a pretty good public transportation system through the CATA bus service. It's cost effective and it can be a convenient way to avoid paying a lot for parking on campus or buying an expensive parking permit. 

 

On the lighter side of things, every year during the summer the Great Lakes Folk Festival comes to East Lansing. Here you can watch live acts from many different nationalities, try different kinds of food, watch interesting street performers, etc. Also, the East Lansing Art Festival takes place every summer as well. 

 

Hope this helps with your decision a bit! Let me know if you have any more questions. 

 

Hi, I'll be attending MSU this fall. Do you have any housing suggestions? I want to live as close to campus as possible because I won't have a car. Is the noise issue a really big problem if I lived near campus? How often do the CATA buses run? Thanks!

[AHLbug]

Hi, I'll be attending MSU this fall. Do you have any housing suggestions? I want to live as close to campus as possible because I won't have a car. Is the noise issue a really big problem if I lived near campus? How often do the CATA buses run? Thanks!

 

The closer you live to campus, there is a greater proportion of undergrads/loud parties/etc. Some apartment complexes are worse than others, such as Cedar Village (a Rose Bowl riot took place last year) and Chandler Crossings. I had some friends who lived in Capitol Villa apartments just east of campus and they seemed to like it. Or if you decide to rent a house, they are located mainly north of campus, and generally affordable. 

 

Traffic noise isn't bad at all. The busiest road is Grand River and it runs along the northern most part of campus; it separates campus from the bars/clubs/restaurants/shops of East Lansing.

 

The CATA buses run regularly throughout the day. There are many different buses and bus routes, so depending on where you decide to live, they will come more or less frequently, and you may have to walk a longer distance to get to a bus stop - it all depends. In my experience, I've never had to wait more than 10-15 min for a bus.   

 

Another thing, campus, and East Lansing in general, are very easy to traverse by bike. This will probably be your primary mode of transportation in the warmer seasons. MSU has its own bike repair shop, and the MSU surplus store has a giant bike sale every fall around when the semester begins.  

[Monochrome Spring]

Hi, I'll be attending MSU this fall. Do you have any housing suggestions? I want to live as close to campus as possible because I won't have a car. Is the noise issue a really big problem if I lived near campus? How often do the CATA buses run? Thanks!

As someone who just found a place, I highly recommend going on Craigslist and looking at renting out a room in a house. Seems to be cheaper and quieter.

Edited March 16, 2014 by Monochrome Spring

[caffined.]

Hi i am an international graduate student planning to join MSU for the fall of 2014. Could you give me an idea of what monthly living costs for basic necessities would be like if I plan to live in Okemos?, does the CATA service also run at night?. what are the websites widely used by students at MSU to find house mates? craigslist is kinda weak in that area. What is the likelyhood of finding odd jobs as an international student on campus to meet living expenses?

Edited March 27, 2014 by caffined.

[newsoul]

Hi, everybody! I am also an international student and accepting the offer to attend MSU this Fall. I am searching the internet to find the affordable and quiet place to live, you are welcome to send me the message if you are in the same situation, hope to see you guys in MSU!

[Monochrome Spring]

Hi i am an international graduate student planning to join MSU for the fall of 2014. Could you give me an idea of what monthly living costs for basic necessities would be like if I plan to live in Okemos?, does the CATA service also run at night?. what are the websites widely used by students at MSU to find house mates? craigslist is kinda weak in that area. What is the likelyhood of finding odd jobs as an international student on campus to meet living expenses?

MSU also has its own housing portal where you can look for only students and staff at MSU.

[Powerup McMisterpants]

Hi guys! Glad to see some fellow future Spartans on here. I will be living in Spartan Village, an apartment complex on campus for international students and students with families (we have two little kiddos). Rent is cheap - about $800/month including all utilities - but the apartments are small and not that nice. My wife and I really wanted to be on campus though, so we are going for it You can see some details about Spartan Village here: https://liveon.msu.edu/apartments  Click on "Document Library" on the left to get to the application, if you are interested.