By: Becky Carter

As a high school student, I never put much thought into where I would potentially settle down for college. Despite being one of the most important decisions to make, I neglected the possibilities and left it for my future self to decide at the last minute. Luckily, everything turned out perfectly for me.  

I come from Van Buren County, which ranks as the second smallest county in Tennessee by population counts. In general, traveling to some of the nearest cities requires at least an hour-long car ride. Needless to say, I became accustomed to staying close to home, which heavily influenced my decision making.  

My goal in choosing a college centered around being a reasonable distance from home while not being heavily populated by my high school classmates. It was important to me to get a fresh start without falling back onto familiar faces. Besides earning a degree, I wanted to push myself socially, since my hometown lacked diversity and numbers. With regards to diversity, MTSU has thoroughly delivered, as I have had several opportunities to make new friends from different racesand backgrounds.  

While most people assume I am joking, a big reason I chose MTSU is because of our famous, locally made chocolate milk. Being a chocolate milk fiend since childhood, I was delighted upon hearing about our ongoing supply for campus. Coincidentally, when I was looking into potential minors, I investigated the offered classes under agriculture. Eventually, I stumbled upon the Milk Processing and Marketing course. Besides offering one of my favorite drinks, the campus provides the opportunity to learn the steps and regulations it goes through to reach me. This instantly hooked me in, and I declared my minor quickly afterwards.  

The school’s commitment to helping me with funding was a major factor in my decision. MTSU’s offers for scholarships blew every other college out of the water. The idea that I would be able to attend school without taking on student loan debt was unimaginable to me, but somehow MTSU has made it possible. 

There were several reasons that I decided to enroll at MTSU, but there were even more for continuing my education here. Our campus is home to so many great clubs and activities. My personal slice of heaven comes in the form of our Tabletop Club. It meets every Friday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., and it has opened me up to some of the greatest people I have met at MTSU. From my own experiences, I highly recommend joining clubs as soon as possible. I promise you will not regret it!

I have also never been much of a commuter, so I was very pleased to learn about our wide selection of housing options. For my freshman year, I was housed in Jim Cummings Hall, which is a great dorm for new students. Since most of your neighbors are your age, it is exponentially easier to make new friends. Now, during my sophomore year, I live in Rutledge, and its environment is refreshing. My dorm is filled with incredibly laid-back people, and because we have less residents it has been easier to create a small, tight-knit community. (Which makes knowing that Spring 2023 will be its final semester as an available housing option even more disheartening). 

Even those who live off campus can appreciate our wide selection of restaurants. In my hometown, we have little-to-no fast-food restaurants, so dining on campus is always a pleasant experience. For once in my life, I can eat in the same building every day and not get tired of it! I personally enjoy the Middle (behind Corlew Hall) because it has Subway and Chick-fil-A, but I appreciate having two buffet/cafeteria-style options also. (McCallie’s and Farmers Market) 

The last thing that really made me proud and certain of my choice was the Rec Center. I have never been an athletic person, but our gym on campus has a great selection and a friendly environment. I have always had anxiety when it comes to trying new things, but the staff is incredibly friendly and there is a lot of beginner’s equipment to try out. Don’t forget that students get free admission! (That’s the best part!) 

As you can see, I have a plethora of different reasons why MTSU was not only a great choice for me, but it was the perfect one. I could ramble on forever about the great qualities of our campus, but I recommend you come see it for yourself.