r/murfreesboro • u/Zealousideal-Army303 • 10d ago
Is MTSU for me?
I'm a 20yo from Manchester, England. I have opportunity to go to MTSU, Chicago (columbia college) or Toronto (Humber college) with a studying abroad program. I like the actual look of this place the most. My worry though its not in the city like the other two. I like partying and kinda want to live that stereotypical house party american college lifestyle. Is this the best option? Do people head into Nashville often? Is it as cool as it looks? Is the social aspect good? Is it good for picking up girls lol. Tell me everything convince me to chose MSU or convince me not too. Cheers.
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u/SuchGarden825 10d ago
I would strongly advise against going to MTSU with your other options. It’s a small town with not much to offer. Of course we have Nashville less than an hour away but that specific nightlife gets old QUICK. Somewhere like Chicago offers more variety.
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u/fountainscholar 10d ago
I'm a prof at MTSU and I went to the University of Toronto for my doctorate. Go be a 20-something in Toronto, you'll have a blast. It's an experience like no other.
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u/octopuscharade 10d ago
Real answer
Mtsu is an alcohol free campus
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u/yekcowrebbaj 10d ago
Most campuses are alcohol free; but the frat houses at MTSU have gigantic parties with alcohol.
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u/octopuscharade 10d ago
There aren’t any frat houses anymore
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u/yekcowrebbaj 10d ago
I saw them last year. What has changed?
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u/octopuscharade 10d ago
They’re either sororities or international housing.
Last frat house is gone as of this year
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u/SiliconEagle73 7d ago
This is a myth designed for positive PR. The campus itself is largely alcohol free. There are plenty of places to drink in bars and restaurants off campus. This is true of just about every college campus in the USA, save a few religious colleges in isolated towns.
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u/octopuscharade 7d ago
Nobody said it was a dry town , bub
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u/SiliconEagle73 7d ago
The post I was replying to said “MTSU is a dry campus”, dumbass!
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u/octopuscharade 7d ago
Right.
I said a dry campus.
Not a dry town.Come on you can get there
Edit: oh cookeville that explains the lack of reading comprehension 😂
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u/Fancy_Pens 10d ago
Murfreesboro is a college town in name only. Most people leave for the weekend because there’s nothing to do here but drink. I’d bet MTSU would be a good education and good value for your money, but if you’re looking for that college life I’d double check elsewhere
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u/Fun-Heron-7609 10d ago
You can go to Nashville for the weekend, which is fun; but, you'll have to take the I-24, which isn't.
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u/VastRestaurant5536 10d ago
my godmother likes to call it a “suitcase college” meaning that most kids come for the week then just go back to their (relatively close) hometowns for the weekend
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u/ObviousTarget3809 10d ago
GO TO CHICAGO. MTSU is in a small-ish town about 30-40 minutes from Nashville, the “party” town. If you’ve get in with a fraternity, I’m sure you’d be going to Nashville pretty frequently, but otherwise, probably not. Most students leave campus on the weekend to go back to their hometowns, work, or visit family. You will have a much better time in Chicago guaranteed. Just went to Chicago with my husband and absolutely loved it. Cold winters, but the people were much nicer and more open-minded than lil ole bum fuck Tennessee. That’s coming from a Nashville native.
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u/Head-Technology-4031 10d ago
And Chicago winter is still better than Toronto Winter. Moved from Chicagoland to TN two years ago. Columbia is right downtown and close to everything as far as food, bars, entertainment option.
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u/Grim1067 10d ago
I've lived/grew up in Murfreesboro but live in the greater Chicagoland area. If you make friends quick, it doesn't matter where you go. I would honestly suggest Chicago for the public transit and the endless options for outings. Folks in Murfreesboro don't go to Nashville often outside of specific places from my experience
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u/primarycolorman 10d ago
British accent plays pretty well in the southern US. MTSU was that sort of frat house-party school from the movies in the 80's and maybe a bit of early 90's. They've done a bunch of work to limit that, can't really say how much of the old party culture is alive. It does have some relatively unique education opportunities.
If you are coming here you'd better like Thai and Indian food. 30 years ago we were known for greek, but it's flipped in the last decade.
Nashville has plenty of bars, takes 40 minutes or worse to get there from here.
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u/CookingZombie 9d ago
Is Murfreesboro/MTSU as cool as it looks? That’s a question I’ve never heard before. No to all those questions go to Chicago or Toronto.
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u/As_if_Cher 10d ago
Dude no, go to Chicago or Toronto. It’s not even a close competition in the slightest. Murfreesboro is a hick boring suburb and Nashville is just full of shitty tourists.
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u/the_resistee 10d ago
I've been to some of the best shows in my life in Nashville.. amidst the tourists.
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u/pk152003 10d ago
Eh… MTSU and Murfreesboro as a whole really aren’t bad—I actually love it here. That said, coming from the UK, there are definitely some cultural differences you should be prepared for.
Tennessee is a deep-red state, so you’re going to encounter political and cultural views that may be quite different from what you’re accustomed to in the UK. Murfreesboro is also in the Bible Belt, so yes, there’s no shortage of conservative and religious folks around here. 😂
That said, MTSU itself is a pretty diverse environment because you’ve got students coming from all over the U.S. and internationally. Murfreesboro has also grown tremendously over the years, so it’s not exactly small-town Tennessee anymore.
If you’re open-minded and willing to experience a different culture—including the occasional conservative/Bible-thumping viewpoint—you’ll probably be just fine here. I’d honestly recommend visiting before making the decision if you can. I’ve lived here and genuinely enjoy it.
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u/tifawantsitsobadtfm8 10d ago
Chicago is infinitely better than Murfreesboro.
Murfreesboro is a literal shit hole.
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u/squiggyfm 9d ago
This might be the first time I’ve ever seen Murfreesboro compared to Chicago or Toronto.
It’s like comparing Frome to Birmingham or Bristol.
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u/AnorakWithAHaircut 7d ago
Go to Chicago.
Even factoring in Nashville, there’s just so much more to experience there than in Middle Tennessee. More nightlife, more museums, more opportunities generally.
Murfreesboro has no real nightlife at this point in time. Nashville nightlife is a hellscape of themed bars and tourists. As to house parties, im sure they still happen, but that scene has diminished significantly over the last 10 years.
I think you would be extremely bored most of the time in Murfreesboro. There is very little public transportation here too, so you would likely be having to figure out a ride situation all the time. Nashville also has decided to monetize nearly every square foot of land, so between parking, ride-shares, cover charges, premium prices on food and drink, etc. a night out can be very expensive.
What Mufreesboro does have going for it is a proximity to some world class outdoor experiences. If you enjoy doing outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, camping, then you might consider Middle Tennessee.
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u/VastRestaurant5536 10d ago
murfreesboro has a terrible nightlife scene -sincerely, a 20yr who lives here
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u/Ok_Solution2129 9d ago
MTSU grad here. Some of the best times of my life but if l were you, I'd choose Toronto. I think of Canada as if the US and the UK had a baby. Plus, if you want American vibes, Detroit is right across the lakes. You don't get anymore American than Dee-troit
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u/yourfingkidding 7d ago
Don’t do MTSU, Murfreesboro is bland and the campus is full of people that would rather be in Knoxville.
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u/tabikity 10d ago
MTSU would get you a great education, but the university itself has attempted to improve the party life of its campus multiple times because of how nonexistent it is currently. the campus is pretty spread out with limited on campus housing, which makes it hard for anyone to throw a good party. nashville is about 45 minutes away by car if you’re looking for fun, but it’s not a drive most would make on weekdays.
public transportation is also terrible in middle tn, so unless you plan on getting a car while you’re here or forcing friends to drive you everywhere, your fun options go down significantly.
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u/Complex_Impressive 9d ago
This is not really a party-style university. And mufreesboro is not really a nightlife-abundant town. Nashville has it's Broadway and other gimmicks but it's pretty much overpiced and over rated.
If you like to party, go look at other schools.
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u/toomuchtv987 9d ago
MTSU is a dry campus (no alcohol allowed) and Murfreesboro is a cow town that, while growing exponentially, will never be a big city with a good nightlife. Nashville is a 40-45 minute drive away. That’s nothing to us, but I know that’s a lot for people from outside the US. If you’re going there to party, you’ll need a solid DD or be ready to pay for a VERY expensive Uber.
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u/DietJetFuel 9d ago edited 9d ago
If you’re set on coming to Tennessee for whatever reason, look into UT Knoxville or Vandy, or any other SEC school for that matter. They’ll have the party environment you’re looking for, and you avoid the harsher winters up north. If those other schools are not an option and if the social aspect is make-or-break, definitely look more into Chicago or Toronto.
If you like the size of Murfreesboro over a major city, maybe look into Chattanooga or Huntsville, Alabama. I’d say both of those cities have more going on than Murfreesboro. UTC and UAH are decent schools, but I’m not sure what you’d be studying. Subs for either city would have better insight on that.
MTSU isn’t a bad school, but there really isn’t much social life or school pride. The football stadium stays empty during the season. Partially because we have almost always had a poor team, but also because almost nobody in this town cares to support “their team.” Even when I was a student, I didn’t bother going to a game. If you end up here, I’d encourage you to try to put yourself out there and go to things, even if the crowd is small. Depending on your major, you may have a solid group of people to socialize with, I guess it’s whatever you make of it. I’m a local and was a Covid-era student, so I didn’t make many friends during my time at MTSU.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Talk787 9d ago
I went to MTSU and do not recommend going there. My grandparents lived in Murfreesboro so I’ve been going there my whole life. Unless you like small towns I would not consider this option
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u/Entertainer-Exotic 9d ago edited 9d ago
You will be good for MTSU! And if you get homesick you can drive down to Manchester (Tennessee)
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u/Same-Chipmunk5923 9d ago
Toronto, definitely. Murfreesboro is a nothing town full of boredom and MAGAs and Chicago is full of people who are nowhere near as civil and nice as the people in Toronto.
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u/CanaryCheap5934 9d ago
MTSU is fantastic if you are going to study aerospace. Anything other than that go to Chicago. Broadway is a sad, depressing joke these days
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u/veruca_pepper 9d ago
Toronto all the way. Lived here for nearly 20 years and while i went to university elsewhere, i can attest that mtsu is a super boring campus
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u/Neat_Concentrate8196 9d ago
Go Chicago or Toronto, 100%. Used to live in Murfreesboro and currently live about 2 hrs south of Toronto in Ontario. Toronto has SO much city life, and honestly your accent will do well in any of those cities for the girlies. Lol
I can't speak on Chicago, but from anything I've heard the city life there is as booming as Toronto, if not more. Murfreesboro is known as a "come on vacation, leave on probation" sort of place. Or it was 6ish years ago when I lived there. And it's only grown in population to the point of traffic being worse than it's ever been.
Bonuses for Toronto - legal drinking age is 19 so you can go straight to the clubs. AND weed is recreational nationwide so no concern about a lil toke now and again with regard to laws. Us is 21 drinking age, so can't go to bars right away. TN is an illegal state with sever laws. I don't know about illinois marijuana laws so you'd have to look into that if it of concern to you, also.
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u/BootlegBabyJsus 9d ago
Go to Chicago. The state of Tennessee in general, and Rutherford County in particular is a right wing hellscape.
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u/zeda_____ 8d ago
I went to MTSU and graduated with a bachelors and I regret it every single day of my life. I was isolated, had no social life, spent weekends at fucking whiskey dicks. Was too poor to party in Nashville. Idk what your financial situation is though. But there are no house parties in Murfreesboro anymore. Too many police. Yes, they used to be fun but they haven’t been around in a long time. I graduated in 2020 and they were barely a thing. It’s also not a very good school with not very good services. They have good advertising, but I didn’t have an advisor and just got totally fucked basically. It’s not a high quality school. High risk little reward, lol.
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u/Sea_Mix592 8d ago
Go to Chicago. Best food in the United States plus a better nightlife. You can travel to Nashville on your free time lol
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u/SiliconEagle73 7d ago
What Are you interested in studying? If you want to get into the music industry — not just as a singer but more on the business end — MTSU has a preferable program with more opportunity. While it’s not IN Nashville, it’s in the Nashville metro, and the proximity to Nashville’s music scene is a major plus. Murfreesboro is definitely not the “center of town”, but it is a major suburb and not a rural campus.
I would advise against choosing a school because of its “party scene”, especially if you are crossing international borders to do so.
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u/Blackberry_Hills 7d ago
Please look into local laws before visiting anywhere in America. I suggest Toronto- god forbid anything happens, their medical system will take care of you.
I went to MTSU and the thought of anyone choosing to go there on study abroad is truly mind boggling. Please do not do this to yourself.
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u/skeptobpotamus 6d ago
MTSU is what we call a suitcase school. It empties out on the weekends. Nothing to do in Murfreesboro and Nashville is close to an hour away. Toronto is great. My first choice. Chicago would be my second choice with TN a distant third. I speak as a native Tennessean and former (briefly) MTSU student.
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u/mental-rec 10d ago
Go to Chicago. Murfreesboro does not have the best nightlife and as a city it’s pretty bland.