Oberlin College Top Questions

Lots of social activism groups and creative collectives (hip hop, literary magazine, improv troupes, yadda)

Lots of social activism groups and creative collectives (hip hop, literary magazine, improv troupes, yadda)

There's always too much to do at Oberlin and, surprisingly, the majority of it has nothing to do with alcohol. On any given night, one has over 20 choices of activities and that can include concerts, movie screenings, plays, dance performances, dancing at the 'sco (on campus club), going to Cleveland for an event there, study party, cookie baking party, dinner plans or doing one's homework. If I'm awake at 2am? I'm probably just getting out of the library having finished a very satisfying discussion about something really important to me that probably has little or nothing to do with any of my academic classes.

There's no greek life. And I think most people are happy about that. A typical Saturday: sleep in, go to a co-op lunch (or Black River brunch), study for most of the afternoon (maybe attend a rugby game, or catch a quick afternoon recital), dinner, go to a concert (or dance performance or play or opera or movie at the Apollo), then have some drinks (or not) and go to a friend's house for a game (or movie or party). Conclusion: there are lots of different things to do--from making your own fun to the huge number of concerts and other performances offered every weekend. Parties and other activities are pretty casual. Plenty of people drink, but plenty of people don't. People rarely stray from the town and campus of Oberlin. Most people meet friends from teams/groups, dorms, and classes.

The problem with Oberlin is not that there's too little to do in our rural Ohio community - it's that there's too much! Students rarely if ever need to leave campus to find entertainment; some of the many activities include the conservatory of music, which puts on over 400 concerts a year, the student dance club/bar (the 'sco), which puts on many more smaller concerts or will have a dj playing most nights, lecturers who are brought in by various departments and organizations, sporting events, improv groups, and just hanging out with friends!

There are so many opportunities on campus, which is a reason why most students don't go into Cleveland on weekends. Because of the world famous Conservatory, there are so many classical and jazz concerts, as well as the 'Sco which has live bands and DJs every night. There are usually a couple parties per weekend but they get shut down around 2.

Whether your fancy involves playing dungeons & dragons, studying, hanging out at the bar, seeing concerts, or getting blackout at a house party, you'll find your scene. The myth that people don't go out and have parties is so far from the truth. I can't remember a single saturday or friday night where I didn't have something substantial to do. During slower parts of the semester (in terms of workload) you'll find people going out any day tuesday through saturday. Oberlin IS 'cliquey', but these cliques are large. Hipsters/art students hang out together, athletes hang out together, and etc. These groups rarely mix, either. You will NEVER see an athlete at a hipster party or vice versa. And in fact, these groups can tend to be snobbish and selective, despite each scene involving dozens of people.

Senior Patrick Willem's movie on Art Rental! For one night, at the beginning of the semester, the courtyard of Allen Art Museum fills up with students. That night is art rental. Students line up with tents, sleeping bags, board games and homework, ready to camp out all night so they can take home a priceless work of art in the morning. You can’t jump or cut in line, save a space or leave for any extended period of time. First come, first served. At 9:00, the museum opens and students come in to choose their pieces. Students can pick two pieces of art. The Picassos, Dalis, Matisses and Chagals go fast, but there are 400 works to choose from, so everyone can get something. No work has ever been damaged, lost or stolen. After they chose, volunteers and docents wrap the pieces, so student can carry them back to their dorms easier. It costs only 5 dollars to rent a piece of art. We want art to be for everyone.

Student activities are often frenzied. People keep trying to cram more and more 'experience' into their days and nights. Be careful of burnout.

The following things were true in 1973 and are true today, so this is deep in the Oberlin DNA: ethanol is NOT the recreational drug of choice by far// Greek is a submajor in Classics and not a social concept// off-campus activities? don't make me laugh, you're up at 2am? you're studying OR playing some stupid boardgame with friends and eating sugary cereal OR at a party at a one of the coops OR (and this is cliche but it's true) painting messages on the rocks. Sometimes FB is just not enough.

Basil (Baz) Simon spinning huge fire poi for Oberlin College's Beltain Festival.

I am a soccer, tennis, body fitness man. I am secretary of Oberlin Muslim studenst association. There are numerous events ranging form academics to athletics. You won't be able to catch all of them. Dorm life is a great experience. Your first year, if you don't like your dorm, would be painful but you got many choices for next year. You will get that. Every kind of dorm Quiet, Asian, Black, Noisy, etc. The two biggest events, which didn;t work for me, were Drag ball (Girls and Boys wear exchanged clothes) and Safer Sex Night. Anyway, Oberlin fits everyone just need some time.

Dating is non-existent. People are either "just hooking up," or in super-duper relationships. Lots of awkwardness. Nothing happens off-campus. Well, parties happen. Lots of events on-campus; performances, etc.

No frats/soroities. Coops take their place where students eat and live together in blissful harmony sometimes. Some people drink 6 nights a week, others never. Awesome speakers, great music around, dancing at the Sco, musical guests sometimes, hip-hop and reggae conference every-other year. Athletics are not too popular but are becoming more so. Parties are small-ish usually. more often it's 4-8 people sitting around, drinking, smoking, taking, watching dvds, movies, chilling, making music......TGIF in Wilder Bowl is awesome: fridays after class when its warm music is blasted and half the school celebrates in the sun while drinking and playing frisbee and games from 2:00-6:00.

Students tend to stay up until 2a.m. and then not wake up until 9 or 10a.m. They groan when they have a class as early as 9a.m. On week-ends, there is quite a bit of partying, but this means different things for different people. For me, it meant watching a movie or attending some campus theatrical or musical production with some friends. For other people, it meant going out dancing. For others, it meant drinking until they threw up (I would not recommend this for any reason). For still others, it meant getting high on drugs like marijuana. For only a small minority did it mean locking yourself in the library and studying into the wee hours of the morning. You choose what you like; but be aware that unless you are an athlete or early morning practicer, you won't see many students emerging from their dorms until about 11a.m. on week-ends.

Oberlin Democrats are the biggest group on campus, I'm sure. The dating scene is pretty much non-existent because, unless your gay-dar is awesome, you will have trouble distinguishing those who are gay from straight and those who are available are extremely awkward/immature. Not many parties, but good shows at the student union occassionally, such as the d.j. Boize Noize (sp?). No greek life, which I was grateful for. We study a lot ALL THE TIME in the sciences, and study constantly during reading period for the humanities.

Tons of performing arts and music, ALL THE TIME. Oberlin's known for it, and were good at it. Try out for a show or go to a show. There are lots of sports, our swimmers and runners are quite good, but we're not division one. The Intramurals are more widely beloved and known on campus. Excos are awesome, one credits student taught classes. They can be on languages, dancing, karate, story telling, juggling, you name it. They are a great way to try something you've always wanted to in a relaxed setting, or teach a skill you have, and they can also get you among people you might not otherwise meet in your dorm or usual dinning table or major. There's lectures all the time, college and guest speakers -those are fun whether the subjects familiar or totally new. Movie are two bucks at the local theater, or a dollar at the film society, there's an observatory, a gym, a conservatory of music full of practice rooms and concerts and the Sco Club at the student union. The town is cute, but small, there are only a couple of restaurants; but you make friends with a few people who have cars and you can go tot he mall or Cleveland when you need a break. Mostly I was too busy to notice being in a small town.

There are no frats or sororities on campus, which I think is great because it means that nobody depends on one source for their social life. But no worries, there are still ample opportunities for partying every weekend, and usually on thursdays too. The 'Sco- the dance club on campus, is actually really fun most of the time, and they offer lots of deals throughout the week like Professor Beers, Slplitchers (which means cheap pizza and pitchers), and quarter beers (self-explanatory). There's a different dj theme each night of the week, as well as pool tables and even a cage for dancing in. There are a million and one things to do every day, and people often say that oberlin students live 30 hours days because they just never stop doing! My roommate and I co-coordinate the Hunger and Homelessness Campaign for Ohio PIRG (public interest research group), which keeps us VERY busy planning and hosting events on campus, fundraising, volunteering in town, etc. but it's a really rewarding experience. Athletic events are pretty popular on campus, especially soccer, rugby and frisbee. The dating scene is some murky territory since there is the added factor that you may not know what kinds of people any love-interest is actually attracted to! But overall people seem to do alright- I think it's a pretty typical percentage for a college campus of students who wind up in relationships. There are a ton of options all the time for activities so students are rarely bored- the administration is EXTREMELY good at programming, which is where a great deal of the student activity fee from our tuition is spent- it's absolutely worth it. People who have come to campus during my last two years have included David Sedaris, Kal Penn, Ishmael Beah, and even Jerry Springer! Really interesting bands come to play, as well, thanks to the very active student union- including Girl Talk and Of Montreal. The Conservatory puts on over 400 performances each school year, which means there is NEVER an excuse not to go to an incredible (and free) concert at least once a month. Once a month the organists put on something called an Organ Pump, which is very exciting but you'll have to come to oberlin to find out what it is! There isn't a whole lot to do off campus, but if you or one of your friends has a car there's a big movie theater about 20 minutes away and a few big shopping centers not too far either (useful around holiday time). There is of course Cleveland only 20 minutes or so away, and while there may not be THAT much to do there, there is certainly enough, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. There are lots of fun bike trails around campus, too, for when the weather is nice.

For a small college there is a lot to do. The Conservatory of Music bolsters the music scene tremendously whether it's classical or jazz or some cheesy cover band. There's always a lot to do and I find that many students are juggling a bunch of activities in addition to their academics. There are a lot of people in sports, especially intramural. Ultimate Frisbee is probably one of the most popular. There's dancing, there's fencing. There's a ton to do and if we don't have it you can create it.

There are so many organizations on campus that if you don't find any organizations for you, you probably weren't looking in the first place. Students are generally open towards each other. In all honesty, Oberlin isn't exactly the most bustling place around, but this is why you find friends on campus - to have people around you who are going through the same experiences as you is a wonderful feeling, for some people. For others, like myself for example, sticking to oneself has its own benefits. Parties happen all the time on campus, despite the weather. Fraternities/sororities are actually not prevalent on campus, though they do exist. Your social life at Oberlin is very dependent on the people you meet.