<p>momonthehill,</p>
<p>Not sure if you know this or not, but when I was on an OSU tour, the guide explained how because the main library is down, students actually "order" the library books online for easy pick up from the other bajillion libraries. That way, you can reserve specific books and know exactly where it's going to be (no running around all over campus in search of that one philosophy text!).</p>
<p>Thanks Momonthehill, and congrats to your daughter.</p>
<p>Hello! I am a 2004 graduate of Ohio State so I hope to shed some light on your questions.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I did campus housing for three of my four years and found the process quite painless. I lived in Taylor my first year and then Drackett for my second and third. All three years, I was fortunate to get my first choice of residence halls. I don't think that students get housed in study lounges anymore, but I do know that there is always a chance (though minimal, based on the dorms available) that your daughter may end up sharing a "suite" with three other gals (which, is incredibly congested).</p></li>
<li><p>I felt that Ohio State was a very safe campus experience. But then again, I never really did wander around by myself at three in the morning either. Like anywhere else, students shouldn't really walk around alone at night.</p></li>
<li><p>I was happy with the food. There are many, many options. There's Mirror Lake Cafe, the dining halls, Buckeye Express, Wexner Hall Cafe, and there's a more "high-end" type of gourmet restaurant that accepts meal plans located around the towers... I can't remember what it's called. And then, of course, there are many, many independent establishments right around the vicinity of campus. </p></li>
<li><p>The campus is GIGANTIC. Aside from the Union, there are endless places to meet with friends. Nearby cafes and restaurants (right across the street from the union), Mirror Lake Cafe, libraries, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>My faaavorite library of all time was the Medical School (attached to the medical center) library located on South Campus. It was always quite, always had plenty of seating, FREE printing, a sizable computer lab and many studious and productive students that took advantage of it. THere is also a 24 hour Wendys and Mark Pi located in the hospital basement and a gift shop with delicious treats.</p></li>
<li><p>I think by contrast, the north campus dorms are a little less lively than the south campus dorms. Personally, though I was in the honors program, I thought the south campus honors housing (seibert) was nothing special. the rooms are old, there are communal bathrooms, and no air conditioning--ick! I have never lived on south campus but i will admit that peers i know that have really loved it. Although it's more lively and "rowdier", there is more of a sense of freshmen community there as well.</p></li>
<li><p>There are no cliques at Ohio State. It is too big of a school for that. Your daughter will absolutely find a group of friends within a year.</p></li>
<li><p>Professors are generally very approachable. Gigantic lecture classes may be intimidating but I am willing to bet that b/c of that, not many students actually seek professors out. But before anyone goes to the professors, the TA's should be the first line of defense one goes to. I have had a number of mediocre TA's, but after freshman year, I rarely had any TA's at all. Oh, another annoying thing about freshmen lectures, and perhaps it was just my own unique experience, but I had a couple of professors with incredibly heavy accents. As a result, it was difficult to understand the material.</p></li>
<li><p>In the honors program, there is NO problem in registering for the classes one needs/wants. Non-honors freshmen might have a tiny bit of a problem, but that diminishes after the first year as students gain more priority in the scheduling process.</p></li>
<li><p>I would not bring a car the first year or two of college. And then when one lives off-campus, it would be more ideal. Many off-campus housing units comes with parking, so that is always a nice option. Otherwise, depending on the time of day, parking can be difficult. But it was never an issue for me that I really thought too much of. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get to the airport from campus--very easy. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>I hope this helps! I loved OSU and it prepared me well for graduate school (columbia university) and beyond. Best of luck to your daughter!</p>
<p>Oh--and just to back up with ambidextrous stated...</p>
<p>I had one or two gigantic classes my freshman year. But after that, my largest class was maybe around 30, with the average being around 15. I LOVED it and became close with my professors that I would have felt very comfortable asking for letters of recommendations from. My smallest class was ever was a five person East Asian literature class. That was especially wonderful because we would often meet on the Oval or in cafes for class.</p>
<p>Educators, thanks for the helpful and informative post. :)</p>