<p>I'm going to be visiting Oberlin this weekend, but I was wondering if anyone could share the best parts of life at this college, and alternatively, the worst parts of life at this college. On paper, Oberlin is pretty much my dream school. I was wondering about real life, though, because more often than not the two are VERY different.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone can really answer that question in a way that’s useful to you, because so much depends on your own tastes and expectations. I’d suggest that you visit next weekend and then post more specific questions about what you liked or didn’t.</p>
<p>How did you like Oberlin?</p>
<p>Oberlin was an absolutely wonderful place for me. The students are unusually intense and committed to their beliefs, they work very hard, and they play very hard.</p>
<p>I transferred there because I wanted academic rigor and intellectual challenges. While it wasn’t as friendly or fun as the college I was attending (Beloit), it pushed me to new levels and discoveries. I cannot express how much this meant to me or to my life. It was the ideal liberal education for me.</p>
<p>That being said, this was in large part because I didn’t work hard enough in high school and had many gaps in my education (and self confidence). Therefore, I believe I was less sophisticated than students today, esp, when compared to the competitive pressures that students contend with for the top schools. I was playing catchup with people of great talent and ambition. There was absolutely nothing mediocre about the academic standards and qualities of the students. </p>
<p>I got into many arguments because I was more conservative than most students there. It was fun, got me to think, and in many cases changed my opinions in a more progressive direction.</p>