Student Profile
Leah
- Class: Junior
- Major: English
- Gender: F
- High School: Ellsworth High School
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
Although K-State is a very large school and it is impossible to know everyone on campus, it feels like a small school. Many of the students here are from small-town Kansas, which breeds a very friendly and comfortable atmosphere. Commonly, when I tell people that I go to K-State, they automatically say, "Don't you mean 'Aggieville'?" Aggieville, Manhattan's bar district, is a common destination for many K-Staters during the weekend (or during the week!). It's definitely usually packed on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night, and it definitely gets rowdy at times (for example, we have "Fake St. Patty's Day" a week early to make sure students can celebrate St. Patty's Day-style before they leave for spring break). But there are many other things to do in Manhattan if you're not into the bar scene. The Student Union offers $1 movies, bowling, and games rather often, there are always great athletic competitions to attend, prestigious lectures, city parks to relax in, a couple of lakes within a 10-minute drive, etc.
Academic Life
I have a lot of experience in both small discussion-type classes as well as large lecture halls. I find that unless you repeatedly introduce yourself (we're talking at least on a weekly basis) to the professors in the huge lectures, they're probably not going to know the difference between you and the other 400 students there. In the small classes of 20-25 students, though, I've always had great experiences with the professors. They get to know you on a first name basis, are willing to help you in their classes and in your extracurricular endeavors. These classes are the ones that students tend to put a lot more effort into.
Student Body
K-State, despite some typical and unfortunate stereotypes, is a fairly diverse school. There are many clubs and organizations designed specifically to make all students feel comfortable. The student body is very laid-back; you'll rarely see a student wear something other than jeans or even sweatpants to class, unless they have an important interview or meeting later that day. This goes back to the fact that a great deal of K-Staters are from the midwest, often small-town, middle-class backgrounds. As a result, many of the students do seem to have predominantly right wing political tendencies, but this certainly varies across campus.
The Best Things
The people --- students, faculty, and staff; almost everyone's extremely friendly and helpful.
The Worst Things
Huge lectures are often necessary for gen-ed classes, and it's difficult to be known by your professors and to have motivation to go to class.
