<p>Hi! I'm a current sophomore here at Oxy majoring in psychology. I would love to answer any questions you have!</p>
<p>I am taking my daughter to visit Occidental Friday (Focus Friday). She will also have an interview. Did you do an on-campus or alumni interview? Was it pretty formal? My d has only done one other college interview so far, and that one was very relaxed. Some of the info from Oxy makes it sound like this interview will be a bit more structured.</p>
<p>Thanks,
Lark</p>
<p>Hi, thanks for taking questions. I was wondering how stressful the workload is at Occidental; do you think there’s grade deflation? Also, how much writing do you do in your classes? Thanks again.</p>
<p>Lark123 - I did an interview with a representative from Oxy in Seattle my senior year of high school. I found it to be equally as structured as any other interview I had with similar schools. The interviewers are very friendly and considerate of the (sometimes stressful) situation the interviewee is in. If your daughter is relaxed and thoughtful, I’m sure she’ll do fine!</p>
<p>bryluc - The amount of writing done by each student really varies with the classes he or she is taking. In general, I’ve found that there are more writing assignments in college compared to high school. As a freshman, students are required to take a cultural studies program (CSP) both semesters. CSPs are on a variety of subjects, but all focus on improving the student’s ability to effectively read college level material and write organized papers. The professors here at Oxy have high expectations and the CSP classes really help students improve their writing skills in preparation for more difficult classes in the future. Also, I’ve never experienced any grade deflation in any of my classes. And similar to the amount of writing in classes, the workload also varies with the classes you take. Generally, most students spend a couple hours in the library doing homework every night. </p>
<p>I hope this information is helpful to both of you! Let me know if you have questions about anything else.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your response. I do have a couple more broad questions. How happy are you in general with Occidental and the psychology department in particular. What’s the academic pace and stress level like? Do you think it’s a relatively happy campus? Thanks again for taking the time to help out. It’s much appreciated!</p>
<p>Thanks. I think we both have a better feel for the school now that we spent most of the day at Oxy. Unfortunately, our arrival was a bit delayed, so she didn’t get a chance to go to a class and our tour wasn’t until the end of the day (the tour was really helpful - we both agreed it would have been much better to have been able to do it first thing rather than last thing). And tomorrow is interview day :)</p>
<p>I’m currently hoping to enter occidental college and major in psychology!
what is unique about the psychology course compared to other schools??
and what aspect of the course do you like the most?!</p>
<p>I’m sorry that it’s taken me so long to respond! I had midterms this week, and was incredibly busy. Not only does the amount of work vary based on class, but it definitely varies based on the time of the year. During finals and midterms, the library is filled to the brim and most people are short on sleep!!</p>
<p>Linda123 and bryluc - The psychology department thus far has been really great. As a sophomore, though, I haven’t really explored the department or taken advantage of the opportunities that maybe a junior or senior are experiencing. I was able to place out of psych 101 because of my AP score, and have taken two great psychology classes here so far. Based on the experiences of seniors that I’ve talked to, the psychology department is wonderful and offers many great internship opportunities. I look forward to becoming more involved in the department.</p>
<p>bryluc - The academic pace and stress level really vary, but most people are taking classes that challenge them. Students work hard here and value their academics. For a lot of students though, working hard in school is what they’ve been doing for the last four years in high school. As for the happiness level, it’s incredibly high! You can take my word, but Occidental was also ranked one of the top happiest colleges in America. Check it out: [College</a> Rankings 2011: Happiest Schools - The Daily Beast](<a href=“http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/features/college-rankings/2011/happiest.all.html]College”>http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/features/college-rankings/2011/happiest.all.html)</p>
<p>Lark123 - Good luck with everything!</p>
<p>Thanks so much for taking the time to answer, especially with your busy schedule. Your insights are incredibly helpful. Occidental sounds like a great place to be.</p>
<p>thanks for sincere respond!
I really appreciate it!</p>
<p>Hi-thanks for answering these questions.</p>
<p>Oxy is my number 1 school right now, but I’m a bit concerned about the people at Occidental. I’m currently at a high school that is very cliquish and exclusive of people that aren’t part of the cliques. People are extremely judgmental and shallow. I’m a kind of worried that Oxy, being in LA, will have a lot of shallow, judgmental people as well. Is that the case, or are the people there friendly and welcoming? was it hard to make friends?</p>
<p>Hi Celsox - From my experience, people have been very friendly and welcoming at Oxy. Some people stick with their close group of friends, but that does not mean Oxy students overall are not open to meeting new people and making new friends. I made many different friends last year as a first year, and even now as a sophomore I am constantly meeting new people and getting to know them better. Oxy students enjoy being involved, so students here meet and befriend each other all the time as they are participating in different projects and activities.</p>
<p>What’s the Physics major like in Oxy? Chemistry?</p>
<p>Okay, thank you. Also, what is the smog situation like at Oxy? Is it only noticeable at the beginning/ end of the school year?</p>
<p>npatronus - Although I am not a physics or chemistry major, I have heard wonderful things about both departments. My friends have taken challenging yet interesting courses in both fields, and they say that both departments prepare you well for grad school and research after graduating. </p>
<p>For more information on the physics major, please visit th following webpage: [Occidental</a> College :: Physics](<a href=“http://www.oxy.edu/x9567.xml]Occidental”>http://www.oxy.edu/x9567.xml)
For more information on the chemistry major, please visit the following webpage: [Occidental</a> College :: Chemistry](<a href=“http://www.oxy.edu/x9587.xml]Occidental”>http://www.oxy.edu/x9587.xml)</p>
<p>Celsox20 - I personally do not notice the smog at Occidental, nor does anyone complain about it here on campus. I come from the bay area but I do not experience any discomfort.</p>
<p>Hi! Oxy is my first choice, and I was wondering if you have any tips on the application process</p>
<p>Hi,
We visited the open house on 11/11/11 (I like writing that) and enjoyed the visit. As a parent, my one worry is that no one spoke of good job prospects for Oxy graduates. Our tour guide, a senior, seemed to be adrift with her plans. Also, we sat in on the Humanities presentation by faculty, and they were very ambiguous about the fate of graduates. They mentioned that lots of kids seem to pursue law school, which is a TERRIBLE idea now. Do recruiters even visit Oxy?</p>
<p>Wanted to respond to your question about job prospects. My DD recently graduated '10 in economics. She is working and has roomates from college. She is working in her field ,her roomies and their friends have all found professional level jobs (advertising,marketing, software technology) that they had been well prepared for at
Oxy. I have always experienced Oxy students as grounded, aware and very committed and hardworking. I believe Occidental helped bring about the best in my daughter.</p>
<p>lmulcahy94 - If you know for sure that Occidental is your first choice, we encourage you to apply to our next round of early decision admission called Early Decision 2, with the application deadline being Jan. 2. My best tips for you are to be aware of all the application requirements and to submit them on time. First-year application requirements can be found at the following webpage: [Occidental</a> College :: First-Year Application Requirements](<a href=“http://www.oxy.edu/x10377.xml]Occidental”>http://www.oxy.edu/x10377.xml). Scheduling an interview can also be a positive contribution to your application. Interview information can be found at the following webpage: [Occidental</a> College :: Interviews](<a href=“http://www.oxy.edu/x1978.xml]Occidental”>http://www.oxy.edu/x1978.xml).</p>
<p>momcalling - Thank you for addressing momsquad’s questions! Those are wonderful examples of Occidental students’ job prospects after graduation. We are happy to know that your daughter and friends are doing well.</p>
<p>momsquad - Though pursuing a law degree is a popular option among Occidental students, there are many other fields that students go into after graduation. I know of Occidental grads who went on to medical school, complete PhD and MA programs in multiple fields, work for government agencies such as the U.S. Department of State, work for different branches of the U.N., teach English abroad, research in the U.S. or abroad, join City Year, get their teaching credential, and work for NGOs of all kinds. Our alumni network and the Career Development Center is also very helpful in connecting students with jobs and internships. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Hello Oxy,</p>
<p>I was wondering how the Pre-Med advising was at Oxy? I have read somewhere that they send more kids to UCLA DGSOM (my dream school <em>drool</em>) than undergarads from some of the Ivies!</p>