HC's Complete College Guide: Georgia College & State University

Centennial Center Sportsplex sign at GCSU Georgia College State University, Milledgeville Georgia.JPG

Location: Milledgeville, GA, USA

Funding: Public

Size: 5,568

Percent Women: 60%

Tuition (one year): $8,790 (in-state); $26,690 (out-of-state)

Most Popular Majors: Psychology, Business Administration and Management, Nursing, Community Health and Preventive Medicine, and Marketing

Greek Life: Yes

Acceptance Rate: 66.3%

For more information about financial aid, scholarships, majors, study abroad, and average test scores, visit GCSU’s website at http://www.gcsu.edu/admissions/index.htm.

adams_hall_gcsu.jpg

"I chose GCSU because there's so much history in Milledgeville. The campus itself is beautiful and historic and has so many interesting houses around it."

"GCSU's size and smaller class size made it my ideal school. I also liked how affordable it was for me to attend."

5810926097_2bca1c1a27_z.jpg

"I really liked GCSU's small size and gorgeous campus. On my first tour I fell in love with it and didn't even apply to any other school."

"I wanted a school far away enough to allow me some independence without being too far away from home. On top of that, GCSU's small class size made me feel like the professors could really get to know me and would pay attention to what I had to say. I wouldn't be just a number or get lost in a sea of endless faces."

5811483636_cdcc82a3c1_z.jpg

"I came here to take advantage of the psychology program. Halfway through my sophomore year, I changed my major. Although my initial reason for choosing GCSU went out the window, I am so glad I stayed. I love it here."

"My boyfriend went to the University of Georgia, so that was my first choice. But when I didn't get into UGA I applied to GCSU and got in. I made the right choice in coming here because I ended up breaking up with my boyfriend. Now I have some amazing friends, an awesome guy, and I've never been happier."

"My favorite things about Georgia College include it's small size and beautiful campus. I also love the greater opportunity of the teachers being more hands on with the students. I feel like relationships of all kinda are easier to build with a smaller population. I guess traditions include Midnight Breakfast and The Nutcracker. I'm sure there are many more but they do not come immediately to mind."

ga_gcsu.jpg

"I've made some great friends here through my sorority and through my classes. I've also been blessed with wonderful professors."

"Front campus! I love sitting out there under a big tree and watching people travel to class, play with dogs, and just hang out. It's so relaxing."

_DSC0893_2.jpg

"I love the downtown area around GCSU. There are plenty of shops and restaurants to take advantage of."

"My favorite thing about this school? The fact that it's hard to have a class with people you don't know. I love the sense of community here."

"I do not like the distribution and uses of some of the funds the college receives from it's students. I also hate signing up for classes as it is made more difficult than it needs to be. Otherwise I love being a student here."

"I don't like the partying and the loud people that I have to deal with. I'm a quiet person and I'd rather not be exposed to that atmosphere as often as I am."

frontcampus.png

"Registering for classes is a nightmare. There's no way to get everything that you need, no matter how early you register. Registration has been the worst part of my college experience. I wish there were another way to do it."

"As a self-proclaimed foodie, I'm a little disappointed in the dining options here. The cafeteria is mediocre at best. There is a Chick-fil-a and a Subway on campus, but the lines are long and the cooks are slow."

_DSC9984a.jpg

"I wish we had a football team. Our basketball team is all right, but I love watching football. There's nothing quite like the excitement of a close game!"

"Being a first year student was difficult but fun, all freshman at GCSU are required to live in the dorms to help them get connected on campus. Orientation included taking a tour of the campus and the dorms and a few different meetings with the staff and faculty. It was easy getting to know upper class-men but I mostly just stuck to hanging out with first years. We have a week of welcome for the freshmen at GCSU where they go to different talks and activities, but after that there really aren't many things for just freshmen."

"I enjoyed my first year and felt very welcome and accepted. There was separate housing in the dorms but I stayed in campus apartments that were also a bit separated. First years mostly stuck together but there was some social mixing. No special traditions that I can think of."

campus_0.jpg

"Being a freshman is great, especially if you stick with other freshmen. You don’t feel like the odd man out because you don’t often speak to upperclassmen. You can, but even when you do do things with upperclassmen, there’s not that high school stigma. The dorms and apartments are for everyone but freshmen are obligated to live in the dorms their first year of college. Orientation entails events that acquaint you with the college and help you make friends with fellow freshmen. There are really no first-year traditions. You more or less make your own."

"Freshman year is fun but it can be overwhelming. You make so many friends right off the bat. You have a lot of preplanned activities the week before classes. There's a lot for you to do, and you sort of have to pick and choose what you want to participate in. Most underclassmen stick together, so no matter what you do, you probably won't have to do it alone."

"I believe the most popular majors are business and psychology because those are the 'easy' majors and have a low workload. The biology department also seems quite large as that is the department I am a part of. I'm a biology major and am required to do a senior capstone that could be a study abroad or an upper level difficult class. The advising system is very hands on and I have been close with all 3 of my advisors. It is extremely difficult to get into the classes I need sometimes. I am rarely able to get the classes I need and will have to just try again next semester. People mostly study in the library as that is one of the few places to study other than in individual homes."

"The most popular majors at GCSU are nursing and education, both of the cohorts for these are very good at GCSU. The work load is challenging but you just have to know how many hours to take and what classes to take together and which ones to avoid taking at the same time. I am required to complete a 300 hour internship in order to graduate from my major. The advising system works by scheduling meetings with your advisors. Every department has their own advisors to help students in that major. Your advisor changes once you become a junior and this advisor helps you make a plan for graduation and beyond. Class registration is a stressful time but in most cases students do not struggle that badly when they get the classes that they need. It is not hard to fulfill the core classes that every student has to take because the school offers a lot of these classes. People do tend to spend a good amount of time studying in the library, but some students are able to study in their rooms."

5810926097_2bca1c1a27_z.jpg

"The most popular majors, from what I can see, are English and Psychology. Perhaps Business or Mass Comm as well. The workload is relatively easy. Mostly it depends on your major and the professor, however. So it varies. Compared to other colleges though, I think the workload is appropriate.  I’m an English major and I am required to write a short story and read it to my peers. If you want to speak to your advisor, you simply email them or show up during office hours. It’s mostly dependent on you. Registration used to be a pain but has been less stressful as the years go by due to the registration time being moved from 5am to 7am. The older you get the easier it is to get the classes you need. Depending on your major it can be easy or tough to fulfill general requirements. The library is full usually around midterms and finals. Some people spend a lot of time in there by it varies from person to person. Most people study at the library or in their room."

"My favorite professors are the ones that are nice but also challenge you to learn. My classes are of course difficult because my major is difficult but no more than strictly necessary for the most part. My favorite classes have been the ones whose main subject included mammals. I think people do go to office hours and most of the teachers are very open to kids visiting."

"My favorite professor is Dr. Fowler, and she teaches in the Kinesiology department. She has always had fun classes and she is good at teaching the subjects that she teaches. She is very passionate and loves what she does which make classes fun and easier to learn from. I have gone a few office hours, but I feel like most students only go to office hours when they need something or need help from the professor."

sanford_hall_gcsu.jpg

"Some people do [participate in extracurriculars]. We have a decent amount of clubs but I’m not sure how many participate. Our most popular are obviously fraternities and sororities, as well as clubs that deal with community service. Most clubs are advertised online or in the newspaper. I’m not involved in a club. It seems a tad complicated to start your own, but you can. Lots of signatures involved."

"Most people enjoy extracurricular activities, like clubs and Greek Life. Fraternities and sororities are a huge part of campus life. Even though I'm not in one, I know how popular they are. At the beginning of each semester clubs set up tables on front campus to get the word out. I don't know anything about starting your own."

16_767intro_pic_1.jpg

"There are many activities to choose from at GCSU and most of these clubs do a great job of advertising around campus. They put signs up on the bulletin boards, signs in the dining halls and in the dorms, but the best way people get their advertisements is to chalk around campus and to use Facebook. Sororities and fraternities are the most popular things to be involved in on campus. I am involved in a sorority and I am also involved in BCM a campus ministry and I have enjoyed every second of each of these activities and will miss them when I graduate. I do not know how hard it is to start a club, but I do not think that it is that easy."

"There are many clubs and extracurricular activities that students participate in. They usually find out about these by word of mouth from friends or teachers. Some of the most popular include Ultimate Frisbee, Lacrosse, and the sororities and fraternities. I've enjoyed being in environmental and biology clubs and honor society's. I don't know how easy it is to start a club."

"The most popular sport at GCSU is basketball. We have a decent basketball team. The most popular game to attend is homecoming, but people go to other games too. Our school offers club sports and a lot of intramural sports which can get very competitive. A lot of students participate in intramural sports and enjoy them throughly. I would not say that there is a separate sports click because they have other friends as well. "

"Our well known sports teams include basketball and softball. It's popular to attend the basketball game and yes there are many intramural teams. I don't know of a separate athlete culture."

cheer3.jpg

"We do have a well-known girls’ basketball team, but that’s about it. Not football team. A lot of students don’t go to sporting events but I think it’s becoming more popular. Yes our school offers intramurals. Lots of students participate in those. There isn’t a separate athlete culture. "

"I don't like sports, so I honestly can't say much about the sports program. I like this school because it's got events for people who love sports as well as people who don't."

"Women are a majority on this campus. Girls normally wear yoga pants or sports shorts. The gender ratio is not even but I don't believe it bothers anyone."

"Being a woman on campus doesn’t feel any different, especially because there are more women than men on campus. Girls usually wear leggings and long tees, along with boots. There is a women’s studies program as well as a women’s resource center. I’m content with the gender ratio."

Graduates___Front_Campus.jpg

"Being a girl on campus is not bad here. There are more girls on campus at GCSU than there are males. Girls wear normal clothing, some girls wear sweat pants to class, some wear dresses. The girls just wear whatever they want and everyone accepts that. There is a women's center on campus. I like the gender ratio on campus and I feel that other girls do too, and I know the boys like it."

"It's nice to be a woman at GCSU because women are in the majority. Girls wear pretty much whatever they want, though the style here is geared toward the preppier end of the spectrum. For the most part, people wear whatever's comfortable. As for programs, the school offers a minor in women's studies as well as a women's center filled with resources. I think the gender ratio isn't important to most people."

"There is one dining hall on campus at GCSU and the food there is subpar, but there is also a place to eat on our West Campus and there is a Chic-fil-a, Subway and Einstein's Bagels on campus. My favorite place to eat on campus is Chic-fil-a. Some people do go to the dining hall all four years that they are here, but most people get off a meal plan when they move off campus. In the dorms there is a kitchen on the first floor, in the west campus apartments, there are kitchens in every apartment and most off campus places have there own kitchen as well so they are pretty easy to find. People that eat in the dining hall get most excited for the food when it is a day when people are coming to visit the school because that means that there is going to be good food served."

"Our campus has only one dining all. The food is okay. It’s not amazing but it’s not bad. Some days it’s better than others. My favorite place to eat on campus is at the Chik-fil-a/Subway. Most people go to the dining hall for the first two years then stop. But it’s dependent on the person. It’s sort of easy to access a kitchen. A lot of people get excited for friend chicken and mac n cheese. There are lots of restaurants within a short walking distance from campus because our downtown is within about ten feet of campus."

gcsu4.jpg

"We have one dining hall and the food is not good but it is consistent. My favorite place to eat in campus is Sandellas, an eatery in West Campus. I believe most people do not visit the dining hall past the first year. When moving of campus, it is easy to have a kitchen."

"I went to the dining hall my freshman year. I'm a picky eater, so I didn't enjoy it. My favorite place to eat on-campus is Chick-fil-a. I have an apartment with my own kitchen, which I where I eat most of the time."

"People go downtown on the weekends and there are many parties that happen. Usually particular to a sorority or fraternity. Alcohol use is prevalent but I'm not as sure about drug use. Alternatives to drinking are staying in and watching movies or playing board or card games. People tend to stick to one friend group sometimes. Parties go throughout the week too."

"There is not much to do on the weekends except for going downtown, most parties take place during the week. Alcohol use is pretty prevalent especially when people go downtown. There are not many alternatives to going out except for having a movie night or just going out to a movie with friends or something along those lines. A lot of people use the weekends to catch up on sleep and school work and they just stay in and hang out with their friends. GCSU offers a transportation service at night called SNAP and it is to help students get around or for people not to drink and drive. There is also a bus that runs nights to get students back home safely."

08-18 SNAPuse.jpg

"On weekends, people usually hang with friends, go out to eat, and/or host parties. There’s not much else to do here. There are fraternity and sorority parties but mostly those in the Greek scene go to them. However they usually welcome everyone. People either go to Greek parties or parties of people they know. I think alcohol and drug use are pretty prevalent. It’s not so much that people feel pressured but that there’s not much else to do. An alternative to partying or drinking is playing board games or going to trivia. People tend to stick with a friend group predominantly but are open to go to others. People at GCSU tend to be very open with who they hang with. If you know a friend of a friend, you can usually go to your friend’s friend’s party. Definitely more inclusive. Yes, people party during the week, mostly on Thursdays. It’s super easy to get around at night. You can walk or ride SNAP."

"There's not much to do here on the wekends unless you like to party. I usually use my time on the weekends to catch up on sleep, watch movies with friends, or run errands for the week."

"The dorms are very nice, they are suite style so there are four people to a bathroom. The rooms are nice and if situated right the rooms can be pretty big. You can pick a roommate, but most of them freshman year are randomly assigned. The dorms are very safe in which students have to swipe in their school IDs to get in the building. The freshman dorms are all located on the same street which is about a block away from campus, its in waking distance to the campus. Every freshman is required to live in the dorms. Most upperclassmen move off campus, just to have more freedom and to be able to live with their friends. Dorms do activities but not as many people show up as the CAs would like."

"I do not know what the dorms are like. I was in the campus apartments because I need my own room. It is very popular to live off campus when past freshman year."

wells_hall_gcsu.jpg

"The dorms are nice. Usually you room with one person and then have a suitemate. The other options are a single room, a three person, or apartment style at The Village (which is more costly). You can either pick or be randomly assigned. I’d say dorms are pretty safe. The freshman dorms are located either directly on campus (Bell Hall), or ten minutes away (which is where the other dorms are located). Not everyone is required. It is popular to live off campus if an upperclassman. Yes, most RAs think of events that residents can go to in order to get to know one another. The success of these varies from dorm to dorm. "

"As far as dorms go, GCSU's are great. I lived in the dorms my first two years and loved most aspects of dorm life. I felt a little cramped, but otherwise fine. Now I live off-campus, like a lot of other upperclassmen."

"The town of Milledgeville is quite small and there’s not much to do. We have an abundance of restaurants, and one movie theater that shows 6 movies at a time. There are restaurants within walking distance. A couple stores, such as a CVS or gas station. The relationship between the school and town seems pretty good. My likes and dislikes were answered in an above question. Yes, during the weekend most people drive to UGA. Some people do do internships off-campus. There aren’t many on-campus internships to do."

"Beyond school, there isn't too much to do here. Most people go home on the weekends or travel to visit friends at other schools. Milledgeville has a movie theater and several good restaurants, as well as a nice downtown area."

dt.JPG

"Milledgeville is small and hard to explore but there are no places within walking distance from where I am. From campus there are many though. I don't think the normal residents of Milledgeville like the college students much but we do contribute a lot of money to the society."

"Milledgeville is a very small town and there are restaurants within walking distances but there are not too many stores that are within walking distance. Most stores that are close are boutiques for clothes. The night life options are mostly just bars and clubs, most things do not stay open late so that makes the options for nightlife very limited. I do not like that there really is not much to do around the town, but I also like that it isn't too big of a city. Most things that people do are off campus activities and most internships are not in Milledgeville because there are not many opportunities for those in Milledgeville."

milledgeville-gov-m_319696a_1.jpg

Want more information? Visit www.hercampus.com/gcsu!

Central_Campus_Dusk_2.jpg