Anybody live in South Dakota?

[TLB]

I don't, but I may go to college there after I graduate this year.
Anyone who does or doesn't live there know about Mines? They've been telling me to apply for a while (I guess ACT gives out scores; I got a 31), and just today I've found out that I'm guaranteed admission, and that total costs for out-of-staters is about 15k a year. The full title is the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, it's an engineering school in Rapid City, I guess. I mean, it could be cool to go, but I'm out here in the boonies already in Wisconsin, and I don't know what it's like at all over there. I'd rather carry out my original plan of going to community college for the first two years, then transfer to a good UW school with a good Computer Science programmery-whatsits if Mines isn't insanely worth going to. I mean, I'm really the only halfway serious shmupper here in Washington County that I know of (none of my friends care, and I know ONE KID and ONE TEACHER (a really cool one, too) who even knew what I meant when I tried to explain a 2D shooter to them. The kid was all like "Oh, like 19fortywhatever! I love that game!" so I sent him a link to the x.x game room download page ^_^), but I don't want to go somewhere only to find I know jackshit of anybody and be all alone and have nothing to do (oh wai...^_~). It's a scary thought, and I don't want to spend "approximately $14,490" a year to entertain it if it turns out not to be worth it. So, anybody know what's up? =)

[GaijinPunch]

Anybody live in South Dakota

Population of South Dakota as of 2006: 781,919
Source

[Davey]

I'm out here in the boonies already in Wisconsin, and I don't know what it's like at all over there. I'd rather carry out my original plan of going to community college for the first two years, then transfer to a good UW school with a good Computer Science programmery-whatsits if Mines isn't insanely worth going to.

I thought UW Madison was a good school academically and a fun place to boot.

[junkeR]

I live in North Dakota, with even less population - but, Rapid City is a very beautiful town. I don't see why anyone wouldn't like it there.

[CStarFlare]

I haven't spent a whole lot of time in South Dakota but it's probably neither a step up nor a step down from Wisconsin.

There's a lot of places you could probably go with a 31 ACT; I'd look around before committing to even one year of $15k/year in South Dakota. Maybe it's just because I went instate and it took me about 3 years to spend that much. Unless you get accepted to a school you're really interested in, go instate.

If a shmup scene is seriously a factor don't bother; everywhere has a shmup scene as shitty as Wisconsin's.

EDIT: Sup from Minot junkeR

[Arvandor]

Summer in South Dakota = heat levels that induce suicidal tendencies.

I went down there for Sturgis this year, and while Sturgis was a lot of fun, I never want to go to South Dakota ever again in my life.

[Koa Zo]

I don't, but I may go to college there after I graduate this year.
(...), it's an engineering school in Rapid City.

Are you going to be able to visit the school before having to make a decision?

Personally, I say go for it.

I'd been through Rapid City last year, and while my memory is vague, it seemed nice enough. It sure ain't a big city, more like big small town. In case you didn't know, Rapid City is like the hub for half a dozen major tourist attractions.

There are tons of outdoors activities around the area, and the landscape is breathtaking. Within maybe 60 miles there is Badlands Ntnl. Park, Wind Cave Ntnl Park, Mt Rushmore, the Black Hills and many public lakes for camping and swimming, and some big state parks. Just a short drive west into Wyoming there is a big lake for boating, camping, swimming and fishing, and like an hour from there is Devils Tower Ntnl Park. The girls there are all built real big and strong too.

I don't know jack about mining, but I'd imagine, considering the geological features of the area, that Rapid City would be one awesome place to learn about it all.

My experience in the area was limited to the welcome center where two very friendly and helpful women provided directions to one of the two sporting goods stores in town, and then helped me plan a route through the Black Hills and some sights to see. The sporting goods store was troublesome as the clerk tried to convince me to buy a sleeping bag that wasn't long enough...
There was a "Buffalo Jump" museum at the east end of town that looked interesting as it was built into the hillside, but it was closed for renovations and repairs. (fyi, Buffalo Jumps were mass killing of buffalo by the Indians, where they would herd stampeding buffalo off a small cliff ..never taught us about that in grade school)

The roads all around Rapid City and through the Black Hills are some of the most scenic anywhere. A lot of tourists spend a day or two just driving around the roads out there. The mountain biking out there has to be incredible as well. Rt 85 running all the way up the west side of North and South Dakota was the most deserted drive I've ever made in my life. Up in North Dakota, the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of my favorite places in the world. It is right at the edge of the plains where they crumble into the Badlands, the scale and juxtaposition of features and the utter quiet and isolation still warm my heart thinking about it.
ah, as you can tell I've got a fondness for the Dakotas.

edit:

Sup from Minot junkeR

yo CStarFlare, I got the cops called on me while eating a picnic lunch (of food I just purchased) in the parking lot of the WalMart there in Minot.
Only thing I could figure, every single man I saw was wearing denim jeans and cowboy boots. I had on a t-shirt, skateboard sneakers and khaki hiking pants ...must've looked suspicious.

[trivial]

A career in mining is not for someone who doesn't like multiyear commitments to unpleasant places. The nice ones are kind of fucked out, especially if what they yield is cheaply processed.