<p>Two weeks as a break before the start of WT sounds about right. My daughter did her Winter Term project on campus this year. She moved back in on January 3rd which was a Friday (and the “official” start of WT), but her project did not officially start until the middle of the next week. I think it is down to the individual project but that seemed to be true for my daughter’s friends who were on campus as well. As Bayrunner suggests, it might make sense to hold off until you know where the project will be done.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input! My concern is getting a flight on that weekend of Jan 3-4 which will probably be heavily traveled. I realize there’s a lot of unknowns, and if it was at a less traveled time, I would definitely wait. I’m really not sure what to do. When do they make the decisions about what they’ll be doing in January?</p>
<p>gmfl71: I just checked the calendar, and Winter Term 2015 doesn’t begin until January 5th. So that’s the earliest date your daughter would need to be in Oberlin, if she is going to be on-campus. Students don’t have to decide what they’re doing until November, and many wait until the last minute. If you buy a ticket now, it’s very likely you’d need to change the reservation. I would definitely wait.</p>
<p>This is where I got the Jan 2 date but perhaps it’s a mistake: <a href=“2014-2015 Calendar - Oberlin College - Acalog ACMS™”>2014-2015 Calendar - Oberlin College - Acalog ACMS™; So it sounds like your suggestion is I purchase the ticket home after fall semester, but wait on the return flight. Like I said, it makes me nervous that if she chooses to go back to campus, it’ll be difficult in November or later to get a ticket for that weekend after New Year’s. So it’s expensive reservation change vs not getting a flight. Sounds like you’re all advising we wait. We’re new at this so I appreciate your advice!</p>
<p>I’ve checked with the registrar, and January 5th is the correct date: see <a href=“http://new.oberlin.edu/dotAsset/3cc9c9be-52f4-4151-9a4a-2f3b58f4e3fd.pdf”>http://new.oberlin.edu/dotAsset/3cc9c9be-52f4-4151-9a4a-2f3b58f4e3fd.pdf</a> . The calendar you were looking at is incorrect, and will be corrected. Sorry about the discrepancy.</p>
<p>PS. If your daughter needs to be on campus for the beginning of Winter Term, she can fly on the 5th (Monday)–the dorms won’t be open until that day, so she should not fly on the weekend.</p>
<p>This past year housing opened up at noon the day before winter term started. So she would probably be able to fly in on Sunday. However like others have suggested, I would definitely not get flights this early. Few students actually end up in Oberlin for WT because there are very few structured programs on campus, so most students choose to stay home or do an internship somewhere that is in not NW Ohio. </p>
<p>However, since finances are a big concern, have her start talking to the WT office/professors/upperclassmen as early as possible and get some ideas for a project and to figure out where she wants to spend the month! Most first-year projects aren’t too serious, so she may even have ideas now! </p>
<p>Also: WELCOME TO OBERLIN 
</p>
<p>Thanks to all for this great information about Winter Term. While we are on the subject of plane tickets and breaks, what do most Oberlin students do for Fall Break? Do many stay on campus or do many leave? Should I think about getting a plane ticket for our first year student for the weeklong October break? I will probably hold off a little because she plans to audition for dance ensembles, orchestra, and maybe an a capella group and I am thinking they may use some of fall break to rehearse, but that’s just a guess. Thank you.</p>
<p>That is a great questions, MaryKTX, I’ve already purchased flights from and back to Cleveland for our incoming freshman for the fall break. We made the decision that she wouldn’t come home for Thanksgiving since they only have the 4 days so coming home in Oct for a week was a nice substitute. But my D would also be auditioning so I’m hoping now that there wouldn’t be rehearsals over a break.</p>
<p>I think it is a safe bet to have her come home for that week. My daughter came home for the fall break; most of her friends did as well. I don’t recall that there were rehearsals over the break - but I will double check with her. She did not come home for Thanksgiving because that break is so short. She did come home in December, but then headed back to do Winter Term on campus. April break she was home. If you’re in/near NYC or Chicago there is a handy bus service that goes right from the student center. It’s a very good deal.</p>
<p>New Obie Parent here - D is vocal performance. I too was looking the calendar and breaks. We are about 10 hours away by car. Our airport is small so we have to book early. Since Thanksgiving break is short, I was thinking she should come home Fall break instead. Can they stay on campus for Thanksgiving? If she cannot stay, what time can they leave on Wednesday? </p>
<p>Yes, students can stay on campus during the Thanksgiving break (and also during fall break if they want). Many students do.</p>
<p>My D always came home for fall break and never came home for Thanksgiving. My guess is that like mine, your D will find a friend who lives closer to Oberlin who will invite her home for Thanksgiving. </p>
<p>Thank you, One more of many questions- D is a Con student. We are looking at South and Dascomb(Freshman). Any suggestions? </p>
<p>Unless she’s applying for a program dorm, she won’t be able to request a specific dorm–she just needs to think about whether she’d prefer a dorm of all first-year students (in which case she’ll be assigned to Dascomb or Barrows) or a dorm with students from all four classes (in which case she could be just about anywhere). It’s a pretty small campus, so proximity to the Con shouldn’t really be a concern: the farthest dorm is only about a 10-minute walk away.</p>
<p>Ever since DS was admitted to Oberlin, I’ve been puzzling over the reasoning (or IMHO, lack thereof) behind the academic calendar. I keep thinking “Why don’t they make the October break shorter and give the students the full week off at Thanksgiving?” I believe I read that only about 9% of students come from in-state. Don’t they think that the students want to go home for Thanksgiving? They don’t make it easy. I also think Parents Weekend should be earlier than November, but I could live with that one I guess Any experienced Oberlin parents able to shed light on this? </p>
<p>As a faculty member, I assume the reason has to do with the rhythm of the academic calendar. Students really <em>need</em> time off in the middle of the semester–they’ve been working very hard, and recharging the batteries at that point makes sense. Thanksgiving comes only a week or so before the end of classes; if they took a week off then, it would be hard to regain any momentum for the end of the semester. Makes sense to me, anyway…</p>
<p>Thanks for that perspective, Dave. My older son’s school (Yale) had a four day weekend in Oct and then a full week at Thanksgiving (not to mention their two week spring break - though I do know that last one is almost unheard of!) That worked very well and I guess I was hoping for a similar schedule To follow up on this - since you’re faculty there - two questions. First, do most students still leave for Thanksgiving or do many stay on campus (and are dining halls, etc open?) And two, do students tend to take off earlier than Thursday (like skipping Wednesday classes)? Thank you for your input! :)</p>
<p>I just checked Yale’s calendar to compare. They start fall semester more than a week earlier than we do, which is how they fit in two substantial breaks. And their spring semester begins in mid-January, which is how they fit in such a long spring break. We have a Winter Term, which I personally think is a great benefit. It all depends on how you carve up the time.</p>
<p>Not sure I can answer your questions about Thanksgiving definitively. Many students do stay on campus (and yes, the dining halls are open, serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to those who are here). Some are taken home by roommates or friends who live relatively close by. And yes, I think a significant number do skip Wednesday classes, though I’m not sure how many.</p>
<p>This isn’t specific to Oberlin, but I’ll post it here anyway. We still have nearly 2 weeks before graduation but I’m thinking ahead to getting D moved to Oberlin. We’ll be shipping boxes ahead and I’m wondering if anyone has recommendations for boxes to use for this purpose? Also, would you recommend UPS? Or…? I’m completely a newbie in this area as I’ve never moved more than a car ride away.</p>