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Public Computers Are Around, but Personal Is Good, Too.

All of our libraries have public computers and labs, with a mix of Macs and PCs. You can also check out laptops for 3 hours for in and out of library use.

Every dormitory has wireless internet, as well as the classroom buildings and the Student Union. Many outdoor spaces are also covered, making having a laptop available in the warmer months indispensable.

There are also 24 hour computer labs in four dormitories, with printing facilities.

Each student gets a print quota of $40 per semester, which is the equivalent to around 300 pages. If you run out of the quota, you can use Obie Dollars (like your Oberlin debit card tied to your ID) or add money to your card.

Club Sports Rule

While our Div III teams have their ups and downs, our stands tend to be filled for a variety of athletic matches. Sitting in the Yeo Zone with college pride apparel will earn you punches on your Yeo Zone card and you can accumulate OC Athletics sweatshirts and hats. Popular and successful teams include swimming and diving, cross-country/track, and soccer.

More popular on campus is our club sports, specifically our rugby and ultimate Frisbee teams. Our women's rugby team hold rugby prom every fall, getting down and dirty on the pitch in evening gowns. Our men's and women's Frisbee teams host regional tournaments every year.

Intramural soccer, kickball, and softball have a fair amount of student turn-out, as student organizations compete against dormitories and co-ops in a show of organizational pride.

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.

Cinema Is the Best

For the cinema program, there is a huge range of film and digital equipment available for checkout by students enrolled in cinema classes. There are also editing stations in the main library, and 24-hour access to an editing lab in the art building.

We also have a new partnership with the community, doing media and community outreach in the Oberlin city schools during the school year and with high school students through summer film camps.

The cinema department is not tracked, so past the requirements of one production and one theory class, you can decide your own balance of hands-on and critical offerings. A senior project is required by all cinema students on a topic of your choice. Final film projects are screened at our local movie theater in the spring.

Our program is still new in the scheme of things, which means that our network of alumni involved in cinema is still small, but we're growing every year.

You can also do semesters away at the NYU/Tisch Film School or at the Prague Film School.

I wrote a great deal about this on my Oberlin blog:

http://blogs.oberlin.edu/learning/college_courses/three_way_plug.shtml