<p>...And I will respond. </p>
<p>Just so you know - I'm a rising Junior in the College, focusing on politics. Questions about the con are pretty far outside my purview. I'll answer just about anything related to life on campus though.</p>
<p>Thanks Gipsy,</p>
<p>My D is considering Oberlin. How hard is it to get to and from the Cleveland airport. I understand there are shuttles during holiday periods but other times? </p>
<p>Can you tell me about winter term? What kinds of things have you done during winter term? How hard is it to find/get things to do during winter term? Do most people go away? </p>
<p>Do you ever go into Elyria or Lorraine? If so, what for and how do you get there.</p>
<p>Is there intramural swimming?</p>
<p>Here is a queston</p>
<p>When do you apply for Excos?
I’m becoming an obie this fall could I still apply for excos???</p>
<p>thx</p>
<p>@qialah, here’s airport information:
[Oberlin-CLE</a> Airport Shuttles - Oberlin College](<a href=“http://new.oberlin.edu/transportation/shuttles.dot]Oberlin-CLE”>http://new.oberlin.edu/transportation/shuttles.dot)</p>
<p>and about Winter Term:
[Oberlin</a> Blogs | Winter Term](<a href=“http://blogs.oberlin.edu/learning/winter_term/index.shtml]Oberlin”>http://blogs.oberlin.edu/learning/winter_term/index.shtml)</p>
<p>Qialah: Generally, it isn’t that hard. There are of course the shuttles on holidays, but you can contact the same company for a pickup most any time (though it costs $45). The less expensive option that a lot of Obies utilize is making friends with someone who owns a car, and getting them to give you a ride for a lesser fee. </p>
<p>I’m sure you’ve already been reading about Winter Term, so I’ll focus mainly on my experiences with it. It is VERY easy to find a faculty sponsor for most any project that you’re interested in. All you really need is an idea and a place you want to do it, and you can get approval. My freshman year I went and did maintenance on a wooden schooner in winter dock and managed to have it approved by my adviser under the department of French and Italian. This past year I did a more conventional internship. The real problem with winter term is that generally most organizations are looking for someone for a period of longer than 1 month, so what you can do becomes limited by the organizations who are willing to hire you on. And yes, most people go away, as January is a fairly wretched month in Ohio. </p>
<p>The only times I have been to Lorain and Elyria were to go to a nearby mall and to see doctors. There’s really not much there, nor much incentive to find some way to make the ride out. </p>
<p>I have never heard about intramural swimming.</p>
<p>springbrother: After you arrive in the fall, there’s an exco fair at which all the different excos show up and allow you to sign up. It’s not something you do through the normal registration system. So yes, you will still be able to get into them as a Freshman.</p>
<p>Regarding Winter Term, you don’t have to connect with an organization on a project or be hired by anyone. My D learned to play (a song) on an instrument she’d never touched before. She’s not in the Conservatory but is a musician. She did this at home. Her advisor approved it. So, if you’re a pianist, or have no musical background at all, learning to play a real song on a trumpet or guitar can be a legit winter term project. And if you know someone who has expertise with the instrument and can provide the lessons, you can complete such a project at ZERO cost (as long as you have access to the instrument). In other words, you can successfully complete a winter term project without ever leaving your parents home, if you want. Brainstorm some ideas. Paint a credible oil portrait of the President of the United States or the President of Oberlin College? Use your imagination for your Winter Term project.</p>
<p>On visits my D and I have been to Elyria to the movies and eateries at Cobblestone Square. If you have a car, or know someone who does, Crocker Park is a more upscale venue. It’s in Westlake, around the corner from some million dollar homes, has upscale shops, restaurants and a spectacular multiplex theatre set up (two floors) and the refreshment counters serve things like pizza and even egg rolls. This are is about 5 miles from hotels in North Olmsted where a lot of Oberlin families stay during move in and visits. There is nothing wrong with Elyria, although some consider it to be a bit more “downscale,” it is only half the distance from Oberlin as the North Olmsted-Westlake area. I find the drive between Oberlin and North Olmsted ridiculously easy because there is never any traffic on the route I take, day or night. So the 20 miles is nothing, IMHO. I’ve stayed at the Marriott Courtyard in North Olmsted so often, the reservation staff there actually recognize me now, and my D is only a freshman. They automatically give me the Oberlin College discount. But be careful, sometimes the Oberlin College discount is slightly higher than the current promotional rate, and sometimes lower. There are other hotels in the immediate area, a big enclosed mall right across the street - the Great Northern Mall, and three other outdoor malls witihin one or two blocks. It’s all very safe and very middle class. Then, of course, there is the upscale Crocker Park development of promenade type shops about 5 miles away, if you have money to blow.</p>
<p>If you have a car with a navigation system, there is plenty to do out there if you become bored with the tiny town of Oberlin. Liquid Planet in the Crocker Park development is awesome, and will fit a college budget. Nice place to eat and talk on weekends - it’s usually filled with nothing but young people - before hitting the cool movie theaters. Check out the menu: [Liquid</a> Planet - Great food and juice… for life!](<a href=“http://www.liquid-planet.com/LP/main.asp]Liquid”>http://www.liquid-planet.com/LP/main.asp)</p>
<p>How much work is there? Is it overwhelming? What is the pre-med program like?</p>
<p>here’s a link to the winter term group projects that were offered this year. Although you can stay home over winter term, many remain on campus and enjoy the quieter Oberlin during a winter month there, studying German or Greek or electronic music, or knitting a garment, and others do more far flung short internships or projects like composition workshop in Banff. It’s a very positive feature of Oberlin’s curriculum, which few other colleges offer.<br>
[Office</a> of Winter Term](<a href=“http://www.oberlin.edu/winterterm/currentwt_group.html]Office”>http://www.oberlin.edu/winterterm/currentwt_group.html)</p>
<p>Those are interesting projects, Mamenyu. Thank you for sharing. But a lot of freshmen are homesick. No way was my D going to stick around campus or travel somewhere for four weeks when she could be home around family and friends, doing a project she made up. None of her HS friends left the state to go to college. But for kids who are less attached to home and hearth or more adventurous, those are great project possibilities.</p>
<p>brad,</p>
<p>the level of difficulty honestly depends on the level of courses you’re taking. There’s variation in difficulty among professors and departments - I honestly have no idea how difficult the workload for pre-med is. However, if I had to rate the workload on some kind of absolute scale, I’d say it averages about a 7. There’s a lot of work, but still enough time in the day to slack off for a bit, spend time with friends, and get in your various activities. Depending on the time of year and your courseload, that will fluctuate between a 5 and a 9. </p>
<p>Also, about Crocker Park: Yes, cool place to go, but I’ve been there all of twice during my Oberlin career. It’s too far for anything except special occasions, although I do know students with cars who go every couple of weeks. </p>
<p>And about what Plainsman says about individual Winter Term projects: while true, individual projects can be more arduous depending on the sponsor. Some require lengthy, in-depth essays once the student returns to classes if the student has been doing an individual project, and I know a lot of people who would rather just put in the time working during the break than be chilling out at home.</p>
<p>^
My D left her car home for her freshman campaign, but she will have a car for sophomore year. She’ll be one of the kids making the easy drive up to Crocker Park every other weekend. :)</p>
<p>Gipsy, I don’t know why you think 20 miles or so is “too far.” When I was an undergrad, I drove 40 miles EACH WAY from my parents home to college in NYC, EVERY DAY. Now imagine NYC traffic, the tunnels, the GWB Bridge, rush hour, and 40 miles, each way, every day. So, the drive from Oberlin to Crocker Park by comparison is like going around the block, unless you’re a real city person (I hate mass transit) or just don’t like driving. It takes only 20 minutes to get to Crocker Park, 25 if you’re a grandma-type driver. </p>
<p>To each his own, I guess.</p>
<p>I have a few questions about orientation.</p>
<ol>
<li>Where do people stay before/during orientation week? I looked at some hotels around the Oberlin area and they’re mostly all booked for the end of August. Do people stay in hotels in Lorain or Elyria and drive to Oberlin for orientation?</li>
<li>How long do parents usually stay with their kids for orientation? I know there are some events that parents must attend.</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Mediopollito, we stayed in North Olmstead, which has a number of good hotels/motels and is also very close to Target-like stores. It is literally only 20-25 minutes to Oberlin from there–an easy straight shot down the highway. Decent restaurants around. Highly recommend that area. I know some families have stayed in Elyria. As far as how long to stay, it may depend on your child. We stayed three nights (traveling from the West Coast) and saw our son all day the first day, and just some the second. He had appointments and auditions after that. None of the events are mandatory, but I highly recommend the evening welcome to all incoming students and families–very entertaining. The second day, our son had stayed in his dorm, and we picked up some remaining “needs” in North Olmstead. After lunch with him, we went to the art museum and said goodbye. Then my husband and I went to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!</p>
<p>I think it is possible to arrange to stay with Oberlin residents who offer housing for that period and donate the proceeds to a charity. It is nice to stay in town and have breakfast there (Black River is slow but has a nice breakfast menu). The Oberlin Inn is well located but usually booked long in advance (as you have discovered); it is also fairly crummy - could use a real overhaul, which it seems the college is planning to include in its develop plans for that area (it owns the Oberlin Inn). You can’t miss the few restaurants in town, which are quite good and fun (of the highlights: The Feve is sort of New York-ish; Black River is sort of Berkeley-like; Weia Teaia is fusion-y - maybe more popular with parents than students).
Cleveland has some interesting things to see in addition to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - around where Case Western and CIM are located there is a botanical garden, an art museum, and a small Italian town with good restaurants and bakeries.</p>
<p>SJTH & mamenyu: haha thank you! I’m actually a student, but my parents needed some information about where/how long to stay. We found a hotel in Elyria (also about 20 minutes away), and I think we’ll be staying there. </p>
<p>Do students move in on the first day of orientation?</p>
<p>Yes, they do. There are lots of students there to help carry the boxes into the rooms. You will enjoy the events, and your parents will too! The hard part (for parents anyway) is leaving!</p>
<p>medio, you can find a copy of the orientation schedule at [Orientation</a> Week - Oberlin College](<a href=“http://new.oberlin.edu/new-students/orientation/]Orientation”>http://new.oberlin.edu/new-students/orientation/). As you’ll see, it indicates that the parents’ part of orientation ends at midday on September 1st, so presumably your parents will want to leave soon thereafter.</p>
<p>Any advice on dorms for a conservatory student?</p>
<p>South is the closest dorm o the Conservatory, and to the jazz building (since its moved from Hales).</p>
<p>South is pretty close to the conservatory. I think Fairchild, Harkness, and Dascomb are a little closer - and Talcott and Baldwin are both directly across the street. That said, incoming first-years don’t get to pick where they live (unless they apply for a co-op or program house), so there’s not really a way for them to guarantee that they’ll end up near the con.</p>