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Thanks for the info everyone! Would love some more feedback.
Yeah, Im coming to Montclair because I wanted to be near New York but didn't want to have to constantly deal with the traffic, the rush, and all the other stuff that comes with Manhattan everyday. Although I love NYC, I need a bit of a balance because DC is not NEARLY as fast. So I was looking through Jersey and MSU seemed to be the perfect school for me. I do realize that I'll probably be the ONLY person from outside of Jersey or NY attending this school, but hey, that dosen't phase me, I can't stand DC. As for not needing a car, Im glad to know that, because I'm not a big fan of driving at all, Id rather sit back on a bus and relax until I get to my destination.
Now, what is the reputation for MSU in the area, is it a school with barely any education, does it have a good reputation, I don't want to graduate and then upon my first interview, have the interviewer laugh at my MSU degree.
You won't get laughed at with an MSU degree. As long as your work hard and maintain a decent GPA, you'll (hopefully) have no problem getting a job. I know plenty of people I went to MSU with who have gotten prestigious jobs.
Montclair State doesn't have the prestige factor of larger national public universities, but it is one of the more competitive NJ state schools and has a pretty good reputation within the state. I would say that only Rutgers, College of NJ, and Rowan's engineering program are more competitive.
For me, Montclair State was a mixed bag. I certainly enjoyed it better than high school, but some things could have been better. Nobody questioned the quality of the degree, however.
Oh yeah, and there is a Whole Foods on Bloomfield Ave. for another source of food (start saving now).
Food- student center has better food then Blanton in my opinion. There's a diner, mcdonalds, and subway off campus, but you can take the shuttle to the NJ transit station (by the village on clove road) on campus and its a short walk to any of these places. For actual restaurants Alexus Steakhouse is good and walkable from campus, and theres a good sushi place on 46 as well as a Chili's and Taco Bell. if you go into the town of Montclair, there are loads of choices.
Grocery- I liked the shop rite on 46. Its about 3 minutes from the school and i found has the best deals. Theres a King's supermarket on bloomfield ave about 5 minutes from school. The Pathmark on 46 sucks.
Bars- Pub 46 is very popular (minute away from campus). Besides that people go downtown montclair mostly. The Office, Just Jakes, and Teirneys along with Pub 46 is where we used to go to. Theres another decent strip of bars on Van Houten ave in Clifton.
entertainment- theres a movie theater in Montclair and another in Verona. Breaker 46 is a pool hall right by campus if your into pool (you can BYOB). Bowling alley in Clifton on Van Houten ave. Garden State plaza mall is about 10 minutes up the Parkway (10+ screen movie theater at the mall). NJ Jackals play minor league baseball on campus which is kind of fun (they have student days with free tickets to MSU students). A nice little hiking spot by the resevoir if your into the outdoors (walking distance from campus). Theres really a lot of things to do in the area.
It's a good school, and I am sure you will like it. good luck!
I received a good, solid education there. Your personal experience would depend entirely on what you want out of it & what you put into it, but I think that would apply anywhere. FWIW, I was hooked up with a great internship (in Manhattan, at G&J Publishing) through my senior seminar/internship core program, and not one person laughed at my MSU degree!
Here's the truth (I graduated from Montclair), Montclair is a mediocre school. The school life is average, the programs are average, the professors in general are average, and everything about the school is very average. I didn't have a problem getting a job, but I had to get a job in NJ because most places outside NJ have no idea where "Montclair State University" is located. I graduated from the Business school and really, it's not a school that will get laughed at (definitely not), but it's not a school that will get an enthusiastic nod. It's again, very average.
I received a good, solid education there. Your personal experience would depend entirely on what you want out of it & what you put into it, but I think that would apply anywhere. FWIW, I was hooked up with a great internship (in Manhattan, at G&J Publishing) through my senior seminar/internship core program, and not one person laughed at my MSU degree!
I landed an internship at the NY's mayor office at the UN and when I mentioned that I was from "Montclair State University" ALL of the other interns replied, "oh, is that somewhere upstate?"
Thank you all for such positive comments. A good majority of my friends in NYC live in the Bronx, and they all say things about how Jersey is just a dump and you can only find things to do in the city, but im actually glad to hear that Jersey is not all that bad.
definitely hit up bloomfield ave in montclair. Straight shot down valley road and you'll run into it.
Not sure how old you are, but there are a good amount of bars there, shops, good food and a wide variety of it. Just got the wellmont theater opened up for some shows, all types of music and a few pretty big acts. There are busses on grove st that go to NYC, MSU just got a new train that runs to NYC and hoboken. Definitely check hoboken.
Thats all I can think of right now, glad to see another MSU'er
I will be attending this college next year? I was just curious as to what the neighborhood around it is like (to be honest, it looked like suburban boringness to me, but I only saw the immediate neighborhood off of Route 3)
Also, how would you get into the city w/o a car, on weeks and weekends.
And what grocery stores do you all have down here, I've found Target, but I need a place for all food, and there aren't any Giants, Safeways, Shoppers, or Food Lions like in DC. So like... for a college student, where would I go for basic needs, where are the fast food joints, and how do I get into the city w.o a car?
I graduated from Montclair State and loved it! I majored in English and minored in Journalism, and felt that I received a fine education. I had to go to a state school because I had to pay the tuition myself, and didn't want to get financial aid. Many of the students are very hard-working and are the first in their families to graduate from college. I know that I worked TWO part-time jobs (one of them on-campus) in addition to going to school full-time. But I loved it. I miss school . . .
There are some great professors there. If you ever take evening or summer classes, don't be surprised if you get adjuncts, but some of these are the best professors. Tenure makes some professors lazy or encourages their worst traits. Trust me on this.
Even though the school is big, classes are (mostly) quite small. You have to make an effort and go see the professors during office hours if you have any problems. For the most part, they are very helpful. Also, join activities. Because it is such a large school that is the only way to really get to know people, especially if you live off-campus. There are numerous campus activities but you have to make the effort.
Montclair State can be quiet on the weekends, because for years it was mostly a commuter school. Even the students who lived on campus went home on the weekends. I think the school is trying to remedy this with more on-campus housing.
There are numerous supermarkets in Montclair. Kings (pricey) & A&P are in Upper Montclair and easy to get to by bus. Pathmark and Whole Foods are on Bloomfield Avenue (be careful hanging out Pathmark in the evening, there are some unsavory characters at night). There is a terrific Stop & Shop in Bloomfield with great prices, but not easy to get to without a car.
Montclair has a cool downtown. There is an Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie is moving in! For food there is Starbucks, Raymonds (very highly rated), and an Elevation Burger just opened. Many many restaurants are highly rated: 2009 Readers' and Critics' Choice Restaurant Poll-www.njmonthly.com
As for New York, Montclair has plenty of buses to New York 7 days a week. The train also goes to NY Monday through Friday.
Thanks for the info everyone! Would love some more feedback.
Yeah, Im coming to Montclair because I wanted to be near New York but didn't want to have to constantly deal with the traffic, the rush, and all the other stuff that comes with Manhattan everyday. Although I love NYC, I need a bit of a balance because DC is not NEARLY as fast. So I was looking through Jersey and MSU seemed to be the perfect school for me. I do realize that I'll probably be the ONLY person from outside of Jersey or NY attending this school, but hey, that dosen't phase me, I can't stand DC. As for not needing a car, Im glad to know that, because I'm not a big fan of driving at all, Id rather sit back on a bus and relax until I get to my destination.
Now, what is the reputation for MSU in the area, is it a school with barely any education, does it have a good reputation, I don't want to graduate and then upon my first interview, have the interviewer laugh at my MSU degree.
I doubt you will be the only out of stater. Who would think that at my daughters college , Middle Tennessee State University that there would be students from New Jersey, and not only that there are a few from Manalapan and Marlboro where we moved from. Also they get a range of students because their Aerospace and Recording Industry majors are tops.
Diane G
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