<p>How do you guys feel about Oberlin's being...in the middle of nowhere? The nearest city is Cleveland, which, believe me, is far from paradise. </p>
<p>For those of you who go to Oberlin, what do you do for fun? How does Oberlin's location impact your social, personal, or any other aspect of your life?</p>
<p>I don't go there, but I like the school...however, I HATE the fact that it is all by its lonesome surrounded by nothing...I am such a city person and if someone could pick the school up and drop it in, say, New York, I would be sooo happpppy!!! so anyways...just my two cents</p>
<p>An old thread maybe, but bump!</p>
<p>I'm with superstarr567. I decided that the middle-of-nowhereness just wasn't right for me. I ended up deciding to go to a LAC in a city.</p>
<p>Any alumni or current students that have some input?</p>
<p>It's 35 miles from Cleveland, not completely isolated. I don't care about the surroundings AT ALL. It didn't play any role in me choosing a college.</p>
<p>frrrph, are you going to Oberlin this year?</p>
<p>I commented a little about this in the Oberlin vs Wellesley thread, saying that Oberlin's location has advantages over Boston. Because Oberlin is pretty isolated, we have an extraordinarily vibrant campus life. Everyone tends to stay on campus and socialize here, as opposed to spreading out across a city. Events and parties are very well-attended and (especially freshman year!) it's easy to meet people there. My friends who go to urban colleges tend to feel much more isolated from their fellow students than those who go to, for example, Bowdoin or Wesleyan. </p>
<p>I think a lot of freshmen come into Oberlin thinking they'll be bored in rural Ohio (I certainly did) but you quickly get absorbed by everything that's happening on-campus.</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that this is coming from a NYC girl studying in London this semester--I love cities and consider myself a city person, but I'm still so glad I chose Oberlin over an urban school (or any other school).</p>
<p>What do I do for fun?
- Student organizations (OSCA head cook, Grape photo editor, SIC staffer, occasionally work on student-faculty committees)
- Hang out with my friends in dorm rooms, Decafe, Oberlin Market, meals at co-ops, off-campus houses, shows at the 'Sco, sometimes I bartend at parties
- Occasional weekend trips (mostly NYC)
- ExCo classes (for example, "drag ball; the exco", belly dancing exco, "how to make the most of your $40,000")
- See my friend perform (music, improv, dance concerts etc.)</p>
<p>And keep in mind that there's so much more I wish I could squeeze in to my life--like joining the pottery co-op, being a docent at the art museum, teaching an exco...</p>
<p>Well done, agreenbee. The academic demands of Oberlin simply don't leave enough time to be 'on the road.' And as you point out, whatever time is left is taken up with all the great things there are to do on campus.</p>
<p>Most of us are probably going to grow up to live in a city anyway. Colleges located in urban enviornments give you a city live, which is fun, but not as unique as a college life.</p>
<p>Comments from an alum: Since graduating from Oberlin I've lived in SF and New York City and have enjoyed both, but I'm very happy I didn't attend a college with an urban location. You have your 20s (and 30s, if you don't tire of it) to live in NYC or SF or Rome, etc. At Oberlin, campus life was so compelling and so varied that I almost never went on road trips. In contrast, my sister went to NYU: I'm not convinced she learned very much apart from where all the cool bars and restaurants are in NYC. If you're paying lots of money for a private education I'd recommend focusing on the educational experience. If you're like many Oberlin graduates, you'll be spending the rest of your life in a city.</p>