Oberlin College
Reviews

Drugs If You Want Em

Oberlin is a great school if you want to do drugs and a great school if you don't. I personally drink 1 night per week and smoke weed every three days or so. About twice a semester I will drop acid or take shrooms. My friends range from hardcore stoners to people who have never drank or done drugs in their life. In my community at least, social events range from events where everyone is sober to some people drinking/smoking. There is never any real pressure to drink placed upon those who don't want to, and if you want to be intoxicated for an event you are welcome to be so as long as you aren't obnoxious.

Harder drugs are present and easy to find if you are interested, but don't apear to be a problem for very many people. Acid is the easiest to find and most used "harder" drug. Most people who use drugs like acid, are also open to experimentation with other psychodelics (shrooms, mescalin, etc), but these are harder to find and usually more exspensive. Hard drugs rarely effect the lives of those who do not want to interact with them and are usually done in private. Party drugs are pretty rare, but if you want molly you can find it. Overall the drug experience is pretty swell. My drug dealer usually gives me a hug when I buy from him.

Addictive

Oberlin is hot. ish. and that ish makes it waaaay hotter. To kiss and tell, I have dated or hooked up with: A short hipster chick with huge boobs who smoked me up while we watched a zombie movie. A tight asian who looks like she belongs in an anime. A punk girl with a septum piercing and pink hair. A tall elegant woman who I met at a tango dance who took me back to her dorm room for some red wine and Bon Iver. Long story short, I visited my friend at UCSB and saw zero girls that I considered attractive after the quirky awsomeness that is Oberlin. We also have a pretty decent BDSM scene and obv gay/trans scene if you're into that.

It's Common

Students are very open about drinking/smoking cigarettes and marijuana. There isn't pressure to do so if you're not into it, but it's pretty casually spoken of here.

I LOVE IT

We have great food, a LOT of vegan/vegetarian options. but even better we have a cafeteria that serves "soul food" we have delies all over the place. TONS of dress local food. I love my big room and my roommate! Everyone is accepting and generally nice. there are tons of talented people. the atmosphere is wonderful/welcoming

Don't Bring a Car

Everything you need is within a 6 block radius. No need for a car

Top Notch

The academics are what really makes Oberlin worthwhile. Classes are, in my experience, engaging and challenging. Class sizes are small for the most part, and discussion is expected and encouraged. Professors are almost always available to talk after class, and if not are always willing to meet with an individual student at other times.

Acadmics

Simply put, Oberlin has some of the greatest academics of any college/university in the country. Truly challenging and thought provoking classes and work.

Biology Major

Overall Oberlin's biology department is very strong.

Very Accepting of Minorities

Oberlin College has a very diverse campus with many organizations designed to make people with varying beliefs and lifestyles feel comfortable. They even provide living space for people who are exploring their sexuality, a substance-free living area and a dormitory with only female residents. The students are mostly liberal and very concerned and active in providing and developing a "green" energy-saving campus.

Amazing

Oberlin is my favorite place in the world, I wouldn't trade my time here for anything. From the academics to the people to the parties, everything is wonderful.

Beautiful Campus

Oberlin Campus is absolutely gorgeous. It's a small campus but the buildings are beautiful as well as our parks. The athletic center is nice and the libraries are wonderful.

Main Street

Black River has delicious breakfast (especially the pancakes!), and the Feve has great meals all day, though it's a bit pricey. The Feve has delicious burgers (veggie too!) and great, innovative brunch on the weekends. Everyone goes to Agave at 1 or 2 in the morning (that's when they get the most business), and they have great burritos, quesadillas, you name it, they also have board games in the restaurant you can play, which is cute. There are other cafes sprinkled around town which are also pleasing. The chinese food place is also GREAT. Try Taste of Nirvana, it'll blow your mind.

It's Definitely the Place for Me

Oberlin may not be for everyone, but it is the place for me. I think I would have been happy at a lot of the schools I applied to, but here's what makes Oberlin unique:

-The music scene: even though I'm not musically talented, I love being surrounded by world-class music and musicians. Probably 2/3 of my friends have been in a band or other group at some point and I've loved seeing all their performances. And that's not even counting the touring bands and singers (some of whom are alumni) who stop at Oberlin.

-The history and town: Oberlin is a charming small town. It also has a ridiculously long progressive history (stop on the underground railroad, first college to accept African Americans, first college to accept women) that students and townies are very aware of.

-My friends are just awesome.

-While of course not every class I've ever taken has been fantastic, I've taken some great ones and the Politics department offers some incredible classes and research/fellowship opportunities.

Campus Is Vibrant

The Wilder student union houses rooms as meeting spaces, as well a many student organization offices, including WOBC (our radio station), OSCA (the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association), the SIC (Sexual Information Center), the Student Senate, and many others.

At the main desk, you can buy tickets for a variety of musical performances, Finney shows, and theater and dance performances.

The basement of Wilder has the student mail room, the 'Sco (our dance club), the Rathskellar (open for lunch), and Decafe (cafe/grocery store).

Our gym and field houses allow for our Division III athletic teams and numerous club and intramural sports to practice in all weather. The gym also has a weight room and work-out area available to all OCID holders.

Our four libraries (Mudd main library, art library, science library, and conservatory library) have amazing little nooks for working (check out the 4th floor; there's rooftop access during the warmer months). Mudd library is open until 2am Sunday-Thursday, and 24 hours during reading period right before finals. The academic commons of Mudd is a great space to study, with public computers, a lab, Azariah's cafe, and rotating art exhibits.

You'll Be Busy, but No Need for Only Parties

Not too many "nightclubs" around here. The 'Sco is the closest thing we have, which has live bands and/or DJs almost every night of the week.

There are on- and off-campus parties, usually worth going because of the DJs or the bands playing at them. But truthfully, there are so many options that you don't always need a party to keep your evenings entertaining.

OSCA, Music, and Passionate Profs

The Oberlin Student Co-operative Association (OSCA) was the most defining part of my Oberlin experience. I learned to work in an industrial kitchen, plan ahead, how to think in large proportions, and how to collaborate with anyone in discussion, while washing dishes, or while preparing an elaborate meal.

OSCA is the largest student organization on campus, entirely student run, and the most affordable and valuable part of the college experience. Not many people leave college knowing how to live with other people, how to clean your own place, how to discuss and reach decisions in a large group, and OSCA did that for me.

During certain times of the year, you can walk back and forth between two concert halls 100 yards apart and hear music for six hours straight. These concerts range from visiting performers, faculty recitals, and numerous student recitals and ensembles.

We have over 500 concerts a year, hundreds of theater and dance performances, and many visiting bands. You have to plan your academics well to be able to do everything and then some.

Even if you are not in the Conservatory, there is music everywhere. Ensembles and lessons are audition-based, which means that students in both the Con and college are eligible. Many informal groups, ensembles, and jam sessions happen everywhere, unprompted, and driven by the desire to be creative.

Our professors care so much about us, too. I was told as a first-year that if a professor didn't invite my class over for an out-of-class get-together in my first semester, then something was wrong. Professors go out of their way to make sure our experiences are worth every minute of our time and every cent of our tuition. I have several forever-forged friendships with instructors that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Really Great

I love Oberlin. I feel at home here. There's good people, good classes. I'm from New York, so it was a bit of a transition to a small town, but I've never regretted my decision to come here.

Co-Ops

Amazing option. We have one of the largest co-op systems of any college. The food is much better than cafeteria food, and there's a lot of options for people who have dietary restrictions (i.e. kosher, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free) It's also cheaper to join.

CDS + Co-Ops Offer Plenty of Options

Oberlin students are required to be on a dining plan the whole time they are enrolled. However, there are several options...

Campus Dining Services provides several dining halls, a handful of sandwich/snack/coffee locations, and a campus food store. The food service company, Bon Appetit, is known for its environmental policies that involve a huge amount of local food, many vegetarian options, vegan options, and a focus on composting and reducing food waste. The food is generally quite good for dining hall food.

The Oberlin Student Cooperative Association is an option that 600 students a year partake in- the largest co-op system by percentage in any US college. Students set policy, buy produce, prepare meals, clean kitchens, and run the over $2 million nonprofit organization. Vegetarian, Vegan, gluten-free, Kosher, and Hallal friendly. Students put in hours doing various jobs in return for at-cost dining with yummy local fare.

Hippies Rule

Alcohol and pot are the drugs of choice here, but there is absolutely no pressure to do either. Everyone does their own thing at Oberlin.

Oberlin: a Place to Chillaxx

Oberlin College is far less strict in terms of ruining the academic lives of students over underage drinking or drug use than most other colleges. Instead of immediately dismissing students who are caught, Oberlin takes the extra time to give the student a chance to partake in a re-education program about drugs/alcohol [depending on their offense] and it usually works. Oberlin is very good about maintaining a good, clean campus with minimal underage drinking without expelling student offenders.

Always Something to Do at Oberlin College

All of the facilities at Oberlin College are excellent, but the one that stands out the most is Mudd Library. It can be described as an endless treasure trove of knowledge, or it could be better described as the perfect study environment. Since the college allows the library to be open for such late hours, all students are able to utilize it to its fullest extent. I remember there was a time when my computer crashed in the middle of writing a paper at 1 am. If I were at any of the colleges my friends attended, I'd be forced to just stop working. However, since I am lucky enough to attend Oberlin College, I was able to walk down the hall from my room and use one of the campus' many in-dorm computer labs that are always open.

Wilder Hall, the location of the student union, is also an excellent on campus facility. Inside of Wilder Hall, students can find the Multicultural Resource Center, plenty of great study spots, the meeting places for student organizations such as La Alianza Latina, the Latino/Latina Alliance on campus, and plenty of other helpful and interesting things, including the 'Sco, Oberlin's very popular on-campus dance club.

Oberlin College's excellent facilities are definitely part of the reason I am so happy to attend school there. When I take a look around the beautiful little campus, I am proud of everything I have achieved and I am more than happy with my college choice.

Main Street Dining Options

Oberlin's campus is extremely small, and basically the only off-campus restaurants that people go to are on Main Street. We have asian fusion at Tooo Chinoise and Weia Teia, two Mexican places, the Mandarin, Black River Cafe, the Feve, Yesterday's Ice Cream, Lorenzo's Pizza... All of these places have great atmospheres and are pretty tasty... and most of them have specialties, whether they be the Feve's weekend brunch, or BRC's chocolate lava cake. Weia Teia and Tooo Chinoise also have great $5 lunch specials. I really wish we had some Korean and Japanese food places though.

Oberlin Health & Safety

Oberlin's campus is very small, and our Safety and Security cars can be seen basically everywhere without being intrusive. More often than picking up students for getting into trouble, they will be shuttling students who have called in to admit they are heavily under the influence and need a ride home. Safety & Security officers encourage students to do this and proclaim to be nonjudgmental. I feel very safe walking around, even at night. Besides for some thefts that have occurred when dorm rooms have been left unlocked, there has been almost no crime.

Transportations Options Are Weak

Due to the failing economy bus services in the area have been disbanded. This is not the school's fault and they have helped by creating a shuttle that goes to the airport during high traffic breaks. However, you cannot go anywhere outside of Oberlin unless you or a friend has a car.