meleana

It's Hard to Leave Campus.

Transportation on campus isn't a problem at Occidental College. It's transporting off campus that needs improvement. Firstly, the bus system in Los Angeles isn't good to begin with. There aren't enough buses, so you have to wait a long time for another bus to come around. It isn't quick to get from Occidental College (near Pasadena) to Santa Monica by public transport. It might take 2 hours when driving there might take at most 20 minutes. Secondly, campus security may only drive 1 mile from the campus, which is one street away from the main bus stop. This is troublesome, because the neighborhood around our school is considered dangerous. Walking around when it's dark, especially alone, is considered a silly endeavor by the students. Thirdly, the Bengal Bus, our only shuttle, only runs from 6pm-10pm. There are only two shuttles that run, and each shuttle sits at most 6 people. The good thing is that the shuttle can go just about anywhere. The bad thing is that there isn't a set schedule for the bus, so you might have passengers that want to go to Pasadena and passengers that want to go on the opposite side of the campus to Glendale in one car, which is very inefficient. People with cars are considered very lucky to those without them.

A Diverse Curriculum

A liberal arts school, Occidental College, has a Core Program in order for students to become well-rounded when they graduate from their respected major. The program involves students to take at least one science course, one math course, fine arts courses, CSP courses (equivalent to English classes), courses about different regions (such as Asia and the Middle East, Latin America, Europe). The courses available are incredibly interesting. One of my CSP courses was called Criminal Dreams, and the professor, who's also the head of the English department, used Freudian analysis on the Sherlock Holmes stories in order to psychoanalyze the stories' author, Arthur Conan Doyle. Other interesting courses include Music and Trance, Bioethics, and the Russian Experience, a History.

Most people at Occidental College seem to be involved with the humanities majors, especially Politics and Diplomacy and World Affairs (a highly recognized major). These are majors that involve community awareness, and the people at Occidental generally are active with the community. The hard science majors are rigorous, and the people in them are very likely to join a professor's lab for research.

For me, I'm a physics major, and I want to do a the 3-2 Engineering Program that Occidental provides, so that if I keep up my GPA and take the required program courses, I am guaranteed admission to Columbia University after three years at Occidental. I will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Occidental and a Bachelor of Science degree from Columbia University after completing the program.

The professors at Occidental often impress me not only with their passion for their subject but for their ability to teach and to respond to students' needs. Many of the professors really force you to think for yourself, forcing you to be analytical and critical thinkers. If you ask a direct question, they won't answer it for you, they'll help you to think out the answer to your own question yourself.

Occidental College Is Located Within a Large Neighborhood.

Students aren't allowed to live off-campus until they're juniors. Although I haven't lived off-campus, I know that most off-campus houses are sports or Greek houses. They require you apply to live in those houses. Occidental is located in the heart of a neighborhood, so there are many houses within walking distance to the campus. There are many restaurants and shops students can go just outside the neighborhood.