Truman State University

I enjoy being apart of the Truman State University community. I am a prospective student and Truman State University has been my very top pick school ever since I participated in Joseph Baldwin Academy program. Joseph Baldwin Academy was a program supervised by students and professors in Truman State offered to 7th graders to 9th graders.

Truman State University is not my ideal school. I would prefer to be at a different school, but Truman was local and relatively small. Fellow students are incredibly irresponsible, but nothing is done about it. Especially during the time of the pandemic. Many of the faculty also come off as lazy. They don’t teach, but they basically have other things teach or grade for them. The school board also refuses to close the school for really anything. Negative ten degrees outside? Well it’s your lucky day! You get to brave the weather and walk to class. Over 60 students in one week getting COVID-19? I hope your immune system is great because we are still conducting classes. Let’s not forget that those with the corona virus refuse to stay in quarantine. A few years back there was also a frat student that convinced multiple students to commit suicide, but the school protected him at all costs. They then pretended like they cared about the mental health of student when in reality they only cared about money. With that being said, I really don’t like Truman State University.

This is a fine school if you want no help from teachers or peers. The extracurricular activities are fun but lack in funding. For being a dry and drug free campus, the students fail to follow that on a regular basis. Most of the people you will meet there are majorly stuck up and set in their ways.

Truman State University is not a bad school, I feel I must make that clear. However, I do not think I would say that it is a great school. The campus is great, if you like small schools. If you don't, then everything feels so close together and it's almost claustrophobic. The academics are pretty good, and almost everyone I talk to here says they're here for a specific program. The number of programs at Truman is impressive, and I feel like the programs are a solid okay. Truman is a good school for people who want to go away to college, but do not want to spend a lot of money and do not have a lot of expectations for their school. Truman is a mediocre school, but a good mediocre school.

It's a great school full of tons of caring professors and plenty of activities to engage in. The town is small but it's nice. There's a whole lot of on-campus organizations and jobs to really diversify your experience. I left Truman more than prepared for getting a good job.

"There's nothing to do" "It's so boring in Kirksville" "I was miserable here". These are all things every student will hear heading into Truman or even just reading about the campus online. Kirksville and Truman are the types of places where you make your own fun. If you want to be the greek life fanatic and party on the weekends, you can here. If you want to be the nerdy kid who stays inside and plays video games inside with your friends, you can. If you want to be the gym jock, you can. I have never been to a place so accepting and loving of other people. Like my friend group has the nerd, the jock, and the music maniac. You make your friends here very easily if you try, and Truman days really helps with it. Truman days is basically a meet and greet for all the freshman on your floor and the two Student Advisors for the floor. Although you are treated like a child at some points and the work during the week feels very unneeded and repetitive. This University puts in so much effort to make their students happy and to make sure everybody finds their group of friends. Then, once you find that group of friends there are unlimited amounts of things you can do here. Between grilling out at Thousand Hills Park, to chilling out in the lounge just talking to your floor mates, to gathering up in one room all watching a movie. So do not listen to the pessimism that surrounds Truman and Kirksville, because if you come into this university with the intention to be happy, you will be. Anyway, besides the social aspect. The dorm life here is not bad. The rooms are reasonably sized for two to three people without too much cramping. The food in the dining halls are not the best in the world but once you get used to it, the food is not awful. It is just a matter of getting the right taste. The people in the dorms are mostly respectful and nice. Depending on which dorm you live in you can either have community style bathrooms or suite-style bathrooms, so you at least have the choice. The kitchens in the dorms really don't do much, don't expect to cook more than a frozen pizza. I live in Ryle hall and it is pretty nice. It has AC and a dining hall, along with a convenience store to spend meals on next door. The education here is amazing. The difficulty really depends on the major. The science majors from what I have seen are pretty darn difficult, and it's almost impossible to pull straight As. But, there are obviously easier tracks. Although, Truman does push a very important narrative that choosing a major does not indicate that you will get a job in said major. Also, it is very important to choose a major you enjoy, not one based off of difficulty or money. You are almost guaranteed a good path in life when Truman State University shows up on a resume. The school is well-known in the job field and is known to be challenging as well as known to push the students. The school itself is small so getting lost is hard to do. It is confusing and scary the first few days but getting familiar with the campus is quite easy and enjoyable. It is a pretty campus and very old style with the brick-heavy layout. The winters are devastating. Absolutely devastating. The wind chill could give you frostbite in literal minutes and the school rarely calls off even for dangerous conditions. But when the campus is green it becomes very lively around outside. Overall the campus is what you make it. You can decide to be happy and appreciate what you have, or decide that the cold weather and the Sodexo food is just not enough. But for me personally having the closest friends I have ever had and getting a good education somewhere I feel safe and accepted all around is what is most important to me. I have friends now I never thought I would have, and I am truly happy to say I am at Truman State University.

Truman is one of the most difficult, yet rewarding school ever. Everyday I feel challenged in academics but have such a wonderful time working with other students and professors. While the food service should definitely be improved, the school is awesome!

Before I began attending Truman State University, I had learned all about how it was dubbed the "Harvard of the Midwest." While that is a clever marketing tactic, students certainly get a rigorous academic experience that is not to be taken lightly. If academics are not taken seriously, the student is penalized heavily, in terms of GPA, and it can be extremely difficult raising a GPA so that one can earn back scholarships and relieve financial burden. Housing is decent, but there is certainly a culture of "which dorm is the best and worst." The option to have a fixed housing rate for two years does allow for one to move into better housing at not extra cost if desired. Mental health is somewhat of a problem because students are under constant pressure, and the food can leave one wanting, especially if eating at a dining hall every day, and especially because food is provided by Sodexo. Getting involved is easy because students receive weekly emails and can also view large cork boards in the dorms, on every floor, with posts of activities, tryouts, and other opportunities. Overall, Truman does look quite good for it being a small campus, and while Truman certainly has areas that could be improved (brickwork on paths between classes, low enrollment, food), it is a good school, providing a student knows what they are there for and takes advantages of services such as the Writing and Career Center. Otherwise, just as with any other college, it can be seen as the worst place to be. Note, also, that Truman is located in a small town, which can turn out to be not so great for students that come from big cities, as services such as Uber and Door Dash are not available and there is no dedicated mall. It also doesn't have as many of the chain retail stores and restaurants that students might be used to in their home town.

I really do love Truman State University. The accessibility of academic and social resources is fantastic. Being in a small town with not a lot to do around the city, the school compensates very well. There is something to do on campus every day and especially on the weekends. There is a huge emphasis on academics so for a student who is mainly concerned with class, this is a great school. Go Bulldogs!

Truman has been a solid experience for me. Everyone is bright and we have a high academic focus. The classes are mostly small and personal. Professors strive to be as approachable and helpful as they're able. The small town culture of Kirksville can be offputting if one is used to a city scene, but ultimately it is quaint and refreshing

Big selling point: small classes. Big caveat: you can't get into them. Truman's science department has absolutely gone downhill. There's a reason attendance is down: the coursework is more difficult than it should be for many lower-level classes, it's hard to get into classes in the first place, and while Truman likes to boast that they have amazing professors, the honest truth is that there's a wide variety, just like anywhere else. To be fair, the cost is good. But if you research the mental health of the average Truman student, you’ll find there’s a reason it’s so cheap.

Truman State University seems like a nice place to be. The dorms are nice and the discussions I've had were all interesting and got me thinking. The time I spent there during JBA also made me acquainted with the food served there, there is a pretty nice selection with some vegan options for those who like that. Overall Truman is an amazing place that I wholly intend to attend.

Do NOT go here if you plan on taking anything other than Business or Communications. Any given STEM related professor is more than likely arrogant and impossible to work with. They expect you to do excessive hours of coursework with no regard for other classes' workloads. They keep office hours but only as a formality, they rarely answer questions or help with issues unless they're in a good mood or like you. There are a few good professors within each department, but they are far outnumbered by those who only care about their research. The overall mental health on campus is abysmally low, and there have been multiple suicides within the past 4 years alone. The administration handles each situation poorly and any mental health assistance is overwhelmed and overworked. The academic culture tortures those who are in non-Business or Communications majors, while those who are in those majors party constantly and breeze through classes with little to no effort.

As an incoming freshman, who has had a sibling attend Truman State before, I am very familiar with the campus and social life. I love the three hour drive to come up during the harvest festival and to hang out on the square. I look forward to attending college here because it is a small campus, it provides a family feel for people. There is a variety of clubs and activities for all kinds of people.

The community is wonderful. The moment you step on campus, it will feel like home. No matter your major, interests, or experience, there is something here at Truman. There are so many student activities, majors, and just fun events around Kirksville as well. Great school that can compete with any school academically !