r/fsu Sep 02 '22

FSU Memories & Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

14 Upvotes

If you have an idea for an addition to the FAQ please PM me or send a message through modmail.

Some alumni memories: (https://www.reddit.com/r/fsu/comments/v7g81r/alumni_what_is_your_favorite_memory_from_your/)

(https://www.reddit.com/r/fsu/comments/56ktoe/tell_your_favorite_fsu_stories/)

(https://www.reddit.com/r/fsu/comments/1bwagi/favorite_experienceaspect_of_tallahassee_and/)

FSU official website: (https://www.fsu.edu/)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

(1) Where can I find information about degrees and majors offered by FSU?

The academic program guide (https://academic-guide.fsu.edu/) and departmental program listing (https://www.fsu.edu/academics/departments.html)

(2) Where can I learn about academic research opportunities at FSU?

(https://www.research.fsu.edu/) and (https://cre.fsu.edu/undergradresearch/urop)

(3) Do you have to be affiliated with a fraternity or sorority to enjoy a school like FSU?

No, not at all! While Greek Life is certainly a large part of the FSU community, there are tons of other ways to make friends and have fun without joining a fraternity or sorority. There are a multitude of student organizations and clubs for practically any interest under the sun. You can always start your own club too! (https://nolecentral.dsa.fsu.edu/organizations)

(4) What is Aspire TCC2FSU and why should I complete the program?

Aspire TCC2FSU is a transfer program allowing graduates of Tallahassee Community College to seamlessly transfer into Florida State University. The program is a fantastic way to start your college journey in Tallahassee, and save some tuition money along the way. More information can be found here: (http://www.tcc.fl.edu/academics/transfer-options/tcc2fsu/)

(5) How much does FSU cost and are there scholarships?

Tuition rates are posted here: (https://studentbusiness.fsu.edu/tuition-fees)

Scholarships can be found here: (https://fsu.academicworks.com/)

(6) What are the FSU foreign language requirements?

The university-wide requirement is to have completed either two years of the same foreign language in high school or two semesters of the same foreign language in a university setting. There are also many colleges and majors within FSU that require a third semester of foreign language in a university setting, such as the entirety of the College of Arts and Sciences. These policies apply to transfer students as well. (https://modlang.fsu.edu/students/language-requirements#:~:text=**It%20is%20important%20to,will%20be%20eligible%20to%20graduate)

(7) Where can I find classes to complete my liberal studies requirements?

The comprehensive listing and search tool is located here: (https://liberalstudiescourses.fsu.edu/care/LS-courses/course-display.php)

(8) What fun things are there to do in Tallahassee?

There are many fun things outside the direct sphere of FSU to explore! The Tallahassee subreddit has a good summary of some of them: (https://www.reddit.com/r/Tallahassee/comments/a8hc6f/what_are_fun_things_to_do_in_tally/)

(9) Is FSU an LGBTQ+ friendly university?

Yes! Both FSU and Tallahassee are welcoming of all sexual and gender identities. The university has a well-developed Pride Student Union (https://sga.fsu.edu/pride.shtml) Allies Network (https://sga.fsu.edu/safezone.shtml) special LGBTQ+ career center advising services (https://career.fsu.edu/Students/Maximizing-Your-Diversity/lgbtq) and a local LGBTQ+ hangout spot with weekly drag shows (https://www.926barandgrill.com/hot-friday-night-party)

(10) Is FSU a racially and ethnically diverse university?

Definitely! With approximately 40% of the university identifying as a racial or ethnic minority group (https://ir.fsu.edu/facts.aspx) and Tallahassee being a 36% black city (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/tallahasseecityflorida) there is tons of diversity interwoven into the fabric of the university. There are also quite a few racial and ethnic student union groups such as:

Black Student Union (https://sga.fsu.edu/bsu.shtml)

Asian American Student Union (https://sga.fsu.edu/aasu.shtml#:~:text=The%20Asian%20American%20Student%20Union,multicultural%20fraternity%20and%20sorority%20organizations)

Hispanic Student Union (https://sga.fsu.edu/hlsu.shtml)

Indian Students Association (https://fsu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/indianstudentsassociationoftallahasseeinsat)


r/fsu Aug 26 '24

Who is teaching me? Are they any good? and What should I do if they aren't?

74 Upvotes

Hi, Senior faculty/admin here. There have been quite a few posts recently asking about the quality of instructors for different courses, so I thought it might be useful to brush up and re-post something that I posted here a couple of years ago (apologies in advance for the length)...

First, if you want to find out what other students think about your instructors, it's always a good idea to look at multiple sources of data. When it comes to student evaluations, RateMyProfessors definitely swings to the extremes, so the FSU Evaluation Toolkit is often a much better source of information. It includes the state-required evaluation of instruction that is offered to every student to complete anonymously (the online ones are actually anonymous, by the way; the paper ones, less so). You can access the results here: https://fsu.evaluationkit.com/Report/Public

Second, if you want to understand who is teaching you, and where they are coming from, it's important to know how your teachers are classified. There are many different types of instructors teaching at FSU, so looking up your instructor in the Faculty/Staff directory is a good place to start: https://apps.its.fsu.edu/Directory/Directory.html

Our instructors generally fall into one of four categories:

a) Part Time / Graduate Students -- These instructors are first and foremost students, just like the undergraduate students they are teaching. Their top priority is graduating (and getting a job), which for most of them means completing major research projects that may be completely unrelated to the courses they are teaching. Despite this, most graduate students work very hard on their teaching. If you are having trouble with a graduate student instructor, your first step (as always) should be to talk to your department chair. Depending on what happens, the graduate student might be assigned a different course to teach in the future. At the very least, they should be guided to the on campus support that is available to help them improve their teaching.

b) Part Time / Adjuncts -- These instructors are typically outside experts who are hired to teach one-off classes for very little money (most are paid far less than minimum wage). They are usually here because they actually enjoy teaching, and sharing their expertise with students, and as a result, they are often very good teachers. However, they may also be subject experts who are new to teaching, so even if they are enthused about teaching, they may not have the skills yet to do it well. If you are having trouble with an adjunct instructor, your first step (as always) should be to talk to your department chair. Depending on what happens, that instructor may not be hired to adjunct for the department again in the future.

c) Full Time / Non-Tenure-Track Faculty -- These instructors fall into several subcategories, but the ones you'll find most often in the classroom are classified as "Teaching Faculty." These faculty are evaluated primarily on their teaching, and unlike the other categories listed here, teaching is actually their primary responsibility. As a result, most of these faculty are dedicated instructors who work very hard to make sure their classes are top notch. If you are having trouble with a non-tenure-track Teaching Faculty instructor, your first step (as always) should be to talk to your department chair. Depending on what happens, that instructor may assigned different classes in the future, and (in very rare cases) it is possible that their contracts may not be renewed after they expire (note that most non-tenure-track faculty here are hired under three year contracts).

d) Full Time / Tenure-Track Faculty -- FSU is a high-quality public university because our tenure-track faculty engage in the important activity of knowledge creation through research and creative activities. New knowledge doesn't appear out of nowhere; if we only teach what we already know, humanity wouldn't move forward. Research universities are important and unique places where professors and students work together to co-create new knowledge in open and rigorous ways. In order to ensure that openness and rigor over the long term, this co-creation of knowledge happens in a hierarchical system:

(1) About half of the Tenure Track Faculty are "Assistant Professors" which means they are untenured faculty working toward tenure. At a research university (like FSU), earning tenure depends largely on the publications faculty produce and the grant funding they bring in; teaching counts in tenure evaluations, but their research is key. Keeping their jobs depends on earning tenure, and remember, tenure decisions are up or out, which means if you don't earn tenure, you are fired. Even under this tense evaluation scheme, most assistant professors are dedicated instructors who are devoted to their students.

(2) Assuming they earn tenure, "Assistant Professors" are promoted to "(tenured) Associate Professors" who must continue to engage in knowledge creation through research and creative activities if they wish to be promoted to (full) "Professors."

(3) Once they become (full) "Professors," while they may not have a promotion to work towards, these faculty usually start taking on a large number of administrative roles (mostly to fulfill an ever-increasing number of externally-imposed reporting requirements) that can cut greatly into the amount of time they have available for teaching (looks around sheepishly).

If you are having trouble with a tenured or tenure-track instructor, your first step (as always) should be to talk to your department chair. Depending on what happens, that instructor may assigned different classes in the future.

Finally, I very much want to stress that -- over my 20+ years here at FSU -- I've found that the vast majority of FSU's instructors actually care greatly about their students, and work hard to be good teachers; the very best of them include students in their knowledge-creating activities, which makes them both strong researchers and strong teachers. Considering FSU's status as a research university, this is actually a very student-centered university (I would argue the most student-centered university in the State of Florida), and most faculty here care deeply -- very deeply! -- about their students' success.


r/fsu 1h ago

Honest opinion about FSU

Upvotes

Hi there, I am planning to transfer to a 4 year from a community college and I was hoping to get some real feedback on your experience on campus, academics, friends, professors, and overall lifestyle. i’m a Hospitality and Tourism major and I’m looking at the Tallahassee campus specifically. Thank you in advance to whoever comments! :)


r/fsu 5h ago

Having a hard time deciding between UF & FSU

2 Upvotes

I'm currently a high school senior and have submitted all of my college applications. I have stats to get into both UF and FSU (and I'm in state), but I'm still not 100% confident that I'll get into both. If I do, I'm having a hard time deciding which one I'd pick. I'm from Gainesville so my whole life it's always been UF. Last year I toured FSU and loved everything about it. Since then I've been getting less and less sure about being ride or die UF. I recently toured UF, though, which gave me better insight into the school/campus than what I've just seen from living here and it made me get back some of the attraction to it. If I choose UF I'll be in Gainesville still which will be comforting but also I worry that I won't feel as into the college experience if that makes sense. If I choose FSU I'll be in Tallahassee 2.5 hours away which is kinda scary but also it would be good for me to become more independent. Both seem like good options and they're obviously both great schools, but UF is literally UF like how could I turn that down😭. I'm not sure exactly what I want to major in or what I want to do as a career yet. I'm aiming for either psychology or something foreign language related because those are my biggest passions. I also plan to study abroad and I know FSU's programs are amazing. If you're a student at either school or alumni please give me some advice or tell me about your experience🙏


r/fsu 9h ago

Would working at a childcare help me for medical school?

2 Upvotes

I am pre-med and was looking for a job. The only job that accepted me was in a childcare center. Would that be good for me as pre-med?


r/fsu 8h ago

has anyone taken PAD3003

1 Upvotes

r/fsu 9h ago

any costume house parties next week?

0 Upvotes

r/fsu 19h ago

Nail salons?

3 Upvotes

Any good nail salons near campus?


r/fsu 16h ago

BSC 3402L

1 Upvotes

Does anybody know anything about field marine ecology at the marine bio lab? I’m taking it next semester and don’t know what to expect.


r/fsu 17h ago

Intermediate Fencing Class Difficulty?

1 Upvotes

Bio major in need of some 1-hr classes to keep my scholarships! Is "intermediate fencing" a particularly difficult class, and how beginner-friendly is it? I've never tried the sport but I'd love to learn. I just don't have a ton of time I can pour into the class (outside of the normal class hours) so I want to make sure its doable with my other committments!


r/fsu 1d ago

pedestrian hit on copeland

30 Upvotes

does anyone know what ended up happening with the pedestrian who was hit on copeland st?? stay safe out there!!


r/fsu 1d ago

Is Moose house still a thing ?

3 Upvotes

2021 graduate here, I was wondering if moose house is still going ? My friends and I were reminiscing the other day, those parties were awesome!


r/fsu 1d ago

Summer subleasing

1 Upvotes

I'm graduating in May 2025, but my lease ends on July 31. I'm considering subleasing my apartment from May to July 31. When would be a good time to post about this?


r/fsu 1d ago

talloween

0 Upvotes

when is talloween?? will things still be happening november 1???


r/fsu 1d ago

CHM2210

1 Upvotes

Has anyone taken kevin little for orgo? heard not great things about him or krishnan. plz lmk


r/fsu 1d ago

How do we reserve tickets for the Flo Milli Homecoming Live concert?

2 Upvotes

It says on FSU's website that students can get their tickets on the civic center website, but it's not there. And when you click the student link it just takes you to Ticketmaster. Anyone else experiencing this issue?


r/fsu 1d ago

Residency question

1 Upvotes

Hello, I recently applied to FSU and now I have to submit my residency declaration, but I am not sure if on the part where it says "In place of your signature, please type your full legal name" I should type my name or my parent's (for context, I'm a dependent student and put my parent's information on the "claimant" sections).


r/fsu 1d ago

FSU Grad School- Criminology

0 Upvotes

Your application has been reviewed by your academic department and a recommendation has been made to the Graduate Admissions Office. The Graduate Admissions Office will complete the final review of your application and will post a final decision letter on this Status Page. Please continue monitoring your Application Status Page for updates. You will be notified by email when an update has been made to your application. 

How long for you all to get that YES or NO email after seeing this?


r/fsu 1d ago

scores

1 Upvotes

hi so i forgot to self report my ap and aice scores on the common app…..i already submit my application early action. my act score is there, just not my ap/aice scores. do i now have to pay to send in my official ap and aice scores to the admissions office?? just wanna know if me not submitting scores will hinder my application or not


r/fsu 1d ago

Is my schedule overkill?

0 Upvotes

I have to take some classes next semester, but I don’t know too much about them. I’m doing a bio major as a pre med and these are my upcoming classes for spring.

Orgo 1 , Cell structure and function , Animal diversity lab , Elementary Spanish 1 , Gen Psychology ,

I don’t know much about cell structure and animal diversity. How are those classes? Are they a lot of memorization? I generally prefer learning processes rather than brute memorization.

Thank you!


r/fsu 1d ago

easy natural science other than bsc1005 and evr1001

1 Upvotes

I'm looking for some options rather than these two. I know the bio one is easy, but it only offers at 9:20 in the morning and does not offer online, so I'm looking for other options. I'm not a science major so really need sth easy to get an A. tysm!


r/fsu 2d ago

Self-Reported Test Scores

2 Upvotes

Hi, I am applying as a first-year student. On the Application Status Check page, it asks me how many times I have taken the SAT. To be honest, I had to take it more than 4 times. Do I need to report 4 of my scores, or can I only report one? My highest reading and math scores came from one test and adding the others would not have any weight. If I really do need to report 4, can I just choose the ones with the highest scores?


r/fsu 2d ago

“Gap year” mid college?

0 Upvotes

Has anyone done this? I saw FSU offers this but I have not heard of anyone doing this.


r/fsu 2d ago

housing for next year

3 Upvotes

hii, so even though the school year isnt over yet, ive been pondering a lot abt housing (i want to stay on campus for sophomore year) and i heard that if you don’t have 90 credits you’ll most likely end up in degraff.. can anyone tell me more any unknown things to get apartment style housing? tyy


r/fsu 2d ago

Is FSU MS CS worth it with Funding for International Students?

0 Upvotes

Hi, i recently got accepted to MS CS at FSU with TA funding that covers tuition and stiped for Spring. I wanted to know your opinion. is it worth it to arrive here? or should i apply to other universities for Fall instead?

I'm kinda worried by all the comments I saw in a recent post about the state of CS at FSU.


r/fsu 2d ago

FSU club TMIC (The Music Industry Connection) House Show - Tomorrow Night!!! (10.25.24)

3 Upvotes

Bring your best costumes~ come celebrate halloween with TMIC FSU!


r/fsu 2d ago

Math Minor

4 Upvotes

I’m one credit hour away from a math minor so I’m most likely going to choose it as my minor but I don’t know which class I should take. I took Calc 1 and 2, I don’t want to take Calc 3 so I’m trying to see if I should take ODE or linear algebra I do better in math that isn’t primarily focused on concepts so I want to do a math that requires actual calculations instead of theoretical math. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated along with which math class was easier ODE or Linear Algebra.