<p>I visited Oberlin over a three-day weekend so if anyone has some questions about dorm life, classes, parties, or about the campus, I will try to answer to the best of my abilities!</p>
<p>What did you most like/not like? Do you thing you will go there?</p>
<p>you should file a report under the college visits section too!</p>
<p>I loved the quintessential college campus. There were different housings, buildings and the classes are very interesting (except this one Psychology class I sat in....I nodded off a little bit :( ). The students still had time to hang out and party, things are very chill! Campus was also small enough to walk through the entire thing within minutes.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, one thing that did irk me: I didn't like the dorms' bathrooms so much...I know it's not really the school's fault but it was an utter mess. There were beer cans on the sink, two toilets out of three did not function and the floor was a mess. </p>
<p>I never received a financial aid package so I will wait on that. I think I will attend SI Newhouse at Syracuse though. Oberlin's pretty up there on my list...but just too 'hippie' for my taste :D</p>
<p>Good luck wherever you choose to go. But I hope you don't make a decision based on a messy bathroom in a dorm. I can assure you that there are messy bathrooms in dorms at campuses across the country (all I have to do is look at a bathroom after my kid is finished taking a shower).</p>
<p>Oh, definitely not just based on that! Like I said, I still have not gotten a financial aid package from Oberlin while SU offered me a pretty good deal. Also, I am more interested in the journalism style of writing than creative, which is the reason I may choose SI Newhouse over Oberlin :)</p>
<p>Any thoughts on how Oberlin compares to Skidmore? You said it seems too "hippie" - do you think a girl who is relatively quiet and socially conservative although liberal in political orientation would fit in?</p>
<p>I didn't apply to Skidmore nor do I know too much about the school. I could tell you that if you like things lax and laid back, Oberlin will be great for you because it is pretty calm BUT there are dances and concerts weekly. People seem to know how to have fun (the students say Oberlin parties were ranked second on Playboy hahaha) but are concentrated on their work as well. I felt at home there and that is one important thing (and I'm from NYC).</p>
<p>There is this thing called 'TGIF' (on Fridays of course) where, if weather permits, students gather in an area and there is a DJ playing music. When I was there, people were hanging out, dancing, playing frisbees and just socializing.</p>
<p>I think school events and nice dormrooms will help you meet people and become close to them but I suppose that can happen at any college. I would recommend that you go to Oberlin if you do like the quiet environment....until the events start anyways.</p>
<p>As far as political values go, I can't say I know much about that...I was only there for three full days and I was no where near anything political :/ There IS this Sex Ed club where it seems to be very 'out there', very informative sessions and not the typical 'Be protected' kind of meetings that some parents/students are not loving. This club is student run and is not exactly advertised...people just find out about it through friends. So maybe it's a mix of both views.</p>
<p>I'm rather quiet and socially conservative, as well, and I love the people I've met, at least on Facebook.</p>
<p>As a staffer at the, um, "Sex Ed Club" I'd like to clear up a few misconceptions.</p>
<p>Here's the mission statement from the Sexual Information Center (SIC) website:</p>
<p>"SIC is a student-run, non-profit organization dedicated to nonjudgmental and unbiased comprehensive sexuality and sexual health education. Education and counseling are offered through trained, knowledgeable volunteer staff members. We seek to create an environment of free and open communication where students and community members can receive the information they need and feel comfortable asking any questions.</p>
<p>SIC also strives to make sexual health products and services available to as many people as possible. To this end, SIC sells safer sex supplies and other sexual health products to the community at no mark-up. Referrals and rides to low cost sexual health and family planning clinics are also offered."</p>
<p>I'm glad to hear that you got something out of the info session. It's too bad that some students/parents were turned off by it--we're trying really hard to be a resource for everyone, no matter what their perspectives on sex are. </p>
<p>Even though SIC wasn't mentioned in the "Fearless" brochure sent to prospective students (which definitely rubs me the wrong way, that choice was out of our hands) we do advertise on campus for events. SIC isn't an underground organization one only finds out about through friends. We're supported by the College, both financially and otherwise, and have an office in Wilder.</p>
<p>cayumie-- how many ppl were in the psych class u slept through?</p>
<p>Haha, about five?</p>
<p>5--- thast awesome!</p>
<p>Depends on how you wanna look at it, another class I attended had approx. 20 kids so it might be just the class that didn't attract students. Unless you're into that sort of thing, go right ahead and have fun.</p>
<p>I sure didn't like to wake up to go listen about the membranes of the ear in what was supposed to be "Psychology and its place in the Arts" :/</p>
<p>haha.. that sounds really cool</p>
<p>What dorms looked good?</p>
<p>Freshmen make a generic choice between first-year-only dorms (there are 2 - Dascomb and Barrows), mixed-year dorms, theme houses, and co-ops. They don't appear to be able to choose a particular dorm. There used to be photographs on the website, but they have revamped it since. I found a picture of Barrows at this site: <a href="http://www.oberlin.edu/colrelat/welcome/octour/stourbarrows.html%5B/url%5D">www.oberlin.edu/colrelat/welcome/octour/stourbarrows.html</a></p>
<p>You can get more outside pictures here:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.oberlin.edu/campusmap/%5B/url%5D">http://www.oberlin.edu/campusmap/</a></p>
<p>i think the nicest dorms on campus are talcott and baldwin - but talcott is usually only for upperclassmen and baldwin is girls only and i think usually upperclassmen. burton and noah are pretty nice, but again, noah is upperclassmen and burton may only have a few spaces for first-years. there are some other places that i don't know much about, like i've heard j-house is really nice but i've never seen it and barnard looks cute from the outside but i don't know how it is inside. these are all based on aesthetic purposes only. community wise, it is different. though barrows and dascomb are probably the worst looking dorms, they have a really lively scene.</p>
<p>I only got to stay in the co-op house. The living room was cozy, equipped with a giant kitchen area. The upper floors are the dorm rooms which is typical; little rooms for double. Like I mentioned, that house's bathroom was really unorganized...but that's not the school's fault. The only other house I visited was Third World House which was actually a lot nicer but the kitchen rooms are tinier, which is probably because most eat at the cafeteria.</p>