Kai earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Florida State University. As a tutor, she specializes in English tutoring, writing tutoring, and many other subjects. Read on to learn about her time at Florida State University.
Describe the campus setting and transportation options.
Kai: Florida State University has a beautiful campus. There are lovely brick buildings and beautiful scenery, including old oak trees and well maintained vegetation. It is quite a large campus, but transportation was extremely easy with the many bus routes across the campus. There were also bus routes for students who lived off campus so they could have a ride home. Many students did have bikes and cars, but finding parking often took more time than was ideal despite the many parking garages. Safety was never an issue on campus, because there were safety poles everywhere where you could press a button that would alert campus security.
How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants?
Kai: Professors and teaching assistants were always available, whether through email or office hours. Many professors had office hours every day. Academic advisers were also easily available, as long as you didn’t wait until it was time for scheduling. That’s when the wait times were the worst.
How would you describe the dorm life—rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students?
Kai: I would definitely recommend dorm life for your freshman year of college. It’s an easy way to make friends. I am still close with the friends I made in the dorms six years later. Living in a dorm also makes it easier to get to class on time, because you do not have to worry about transportation. The dining halls were also great because of how close they were to the dorm rooms.
Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?
Kai: I feel as though all of the majors/programs were equally represented and supported. I studied English because it was my passion, and I thought it would give me the most flexibility when it came to finding a job once I graduated. There were three advisers for the English department, so I felt extremely supported. The professors were also extremely helpful, even outside of the classroom.
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?
Kai: Greek life does play an extremely significant role at Florida State University. I believe 70% of the students were involved in it. (The percentage may even be higher, but I’m not sure of the exact statistic.) I started my first semester in a sorority, but decided it was not for me. I’m not the most outgoing person, so I found it hard to enjoy the many social events that they participated in. I did make a few close friends during my few months in it, and it’s also how I met my first boyfriend in college. He actually introduced me to my best friend, who was not a part of Greek life, and I decided I would rather hang out with him and his friends than my sisters at the time. Once I quit, it was easy to make friends because I always had my “wingman” with me. I also had friends from high school who went to Florida State University with me, so going out with them made it easier to make new friends as well. College is the time to branch out and try new things, and making new friends is definitely a part of that.
How helpful are the Career Center and other student support services?
Kai: The career center was extremely helpful for me as a freshman. I started college as a biology major, and quickly learned that that was not meant for me. The career center helped me find my passion, and encouraged me to follow my heart, which was always set in English. Another service I took advantage of was the counseling center. The counselors gave me the help that my friends couldn’t provide. The health center was also a great resource, helping from the common cold to just your normal checkup. There were several events where different graduate schools would come to campus to help students who weren’t sure of what they wanted to do once they graduated.
How are the various study areas such as libraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious?
Kai: I spent many hours at the library during my years at college, especially during finals week. That was when the library was the most crowded, but you could usually find a table on one of the many floors. There were also study rooms that you could rent out for an hour at a time, in case you wanted to study with a group. The student union was also a popular area, because there were many food establishments located there. It was an easy place to meet with friends.
Describe the surrounding town.
Kai: Typically, students would stay near campus, because basically everything you needed was there. There were many fun places that were walking distance from campus. There was always something going on around campus.
How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes?
Kai: Florida State University had a huge student body. The general classes that were required for every major were typically held in lecture halls, which were quite crowded. The same goes for electives. When it came to classes specific to my English major, the classes were small and personal. I was very pleased with my class sizes, including the large lecture halls. There was a nice balance between large and small classes.
Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one you regret the most.
Kai: One experience that I will never forget was when I was sitting outside one of my teacher’s offices, waiting to speak with her about an assignment. All of the English professors had offices in the same building, so a professor I had a few semesters back walked past me while I was waiting. He was probably in his seventies, so I didn’t expect him to remember me, but I said hello anyway. He taught me in one of my writing workshop classes, where he would read our pieces and give us one-on-one feedback. It was one of my favorite classes. He walked by and I smiled and said, “Hey! You probably don’t remember me, but I had you a few semesters ago.” He looked at me and said, “I don’t remember your name, but I remember the story you were working on…” and proceeded to recite specific details from the short story he had edited for me. To me, that was even better than him remembering my name. It gave me the motivation and reassurance that I had picked the right major, and that I could possibly succeed as a writer. That was my best day at Florida State University, and one I will never forget.
Check out Kai’s tutoring profile.
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.
