University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Top Questions

If you find your niche in OU, it can really be an amazing. I definitely felt lost in the huge student body my freshman year. I didn't really make new friends, felt lost in my classes, and didn't enjoy much of anything. Upon joining Alpha Phi Omega, the co-ed service fraternity, I found who I belong with and my experience satisfaction skyrocketed. The campus is beautiful, Oklahomans are always nice, and I live for Saturday OU Football. Of course there are downfalls for every school. Financial aid and help can be very scarce. I have had issues every semester with our financial aid office which has caused me to take semesters off and they don't seem to care about the students there, only about new ones. Parking is also a HUGE donwfall. They sell too many passes in ratio to spots available so during busy times of the day you can get stuck parking a 20 minute walk away. However, with those two major annoyances, I continue to love the university and wouldn't want to experience college anywhere else.

I think it is overall competitive. I think it is very good for the value.

The University of Oklahoma is a great institution. Everyone is very friendly and approachable. The school is run very tightly but still allows students to have a lot of fun. We work hard and play hard. The school pride is very high and students have a lot of input in the decisions around campus.

For a school of 20,000 people, OU feels very much like a small community. Somehow, it seems like pretty much everyone I know knows everyone else I know--not because I met one person and started hanging out with their group, either. My boyfriend's roommate has a class with me, and his friend from high school was my lab partner. I met a guy on my floor who I hung out with a couple of times in high school but hadn't talked to in three or four years. My boyfriend's suitemate ended up being my suitemate's best friend from high school, a high school which only graduated about 30 seniors. Basically, the campus isn't ever scary because of the number of people. I wish Norman had a better location--other than OKC (which doesn't have much), there really isn't a whole lot to do here if you're not a part of Greek life. I think OU's size is just right: you get the benefits of going too a large state school with the feel of a small university. A lot of people from my high school go here, so it's not a big deal when I tell people this is where I go--although to be honest, I made really good grades in high school, and people who knew me were surprised I went here instead of UT or A&M. Last semester, I spent a lot of time in the Union for studying, or in my suitemate's or boyfriend's rooms (we all hang out together), but my roommate moved out this semester, so now everyone hangs out in my room pretty much all the time. If you're looking for a great college town, you won't find it in Norman, in my opinion--but if you stay involved, it's something you won't need. Like any big school, the administration can be difficult and impersonal, but the advisers do their best to be friendly and helpful, even if they don't always have the best information about your major. Everyone's very friendly. I'd say the biggest controversy I've heard of recently is the protest we had yesterday for gender-neutral housing. I missed it because I was on the other side of campus, but I heard a lot of people talking about it--the LGBTQ club, I believe, are trying to get at least a floor of gender-neutral housing for the purpose of homosexual people being allowed to live with a roommate of the opposite sex. While this is a college, a lot of people here are from conservative backgrounds, so it caused a bit of controversy. One thing OU never lacks is school pride: it is by far the favorite school in Oklahoma, so people who live here or grew up in Oklahoma love it and keep coming back. Students love the school and hate Texas (UT, not A&M) and OSU. There really isn't anything unusual about OU that I can think of. My most memorable (not necessarily my favorite) night here so far was when my best friend came to visit and my friends and I took her to a hookah bar about ten minutes north of campus. The proprieter, Mo, made all the girls extremely uncomfortable by sort of hitting on us, and the atmosphere was super sketchy. It wasn't to the point that we were scared or anything like that, it was just awkward, but ended up being a really funny story. We've been back a few times since, but the place is rather pricey, so we don't go often. Most frequent student complaints are about maintenance or Oklahoma infrastructure: the light in my bathroom was pretty much out for most of my first semester, and my suitemates and I had to submit at least four maintenance requests before it finally got fixed. But the maintenance guys are really nice! And what I mean by OU infrastructure is stuff like the drainage system--or, rather, the lack of one. Girls, rainboots are definitely needed here. There are puddles everywhere when it rains.

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I absolutely love the University of Oklahoma. For me, having grown up in a small town, going to a large school is a nice change. It is just large enough to where there are lots of opportunities and you are able to constantly make new friends, but small enough where you don't feel lost and out of place. As far as reputation, OU is highly ranked among state schools for its academics and athletic programs. There is a free, on-campus tutoring program and writing lab, which are extremely helpful for classes. Most of my time on campus is spent in the library or student union (because i LOVE starbucks). Norman is a great college town, it has kind of a smaller, comfortable feel, but is not lacking in opportunities or things to do. OKC is just a short 24 min drive away if you're looking for more of a big-town feel. As to the familiar issue of parking, it is actually not too bad. Compared to most schools the same size, OU's parking is significantly cheeper and more affordable, Freshmen are allowed to have their own car on campus. OU is also not short on school spirit. On game day (football) fans pitch tents all over campus to tailgate. There are many activities and free food. All sports at OU aside from football and men's basketball are free to students. Overall, i love the University of Oklahoma, and wouldn't trade my experience her so far for anything.

I love everything about this school. I had no idea where I wanted to go to college, but one visit to OU changed my mind. I do have to say that the best thing about this school is the quality of education it is possible to receive. It all depends on how much you choose to get out of your classes and schoolwork. When attending Camp Crimson, a guest speaker told us one thing that has stuck with me over the past semester: "You can earn an Ivy League level education at OU if you want to. That much depends on you." One thing I would change is the tobacco policy at our school. I hate walking across campus, enjoying it's beauty, but having to inhale smoke from passers-by. Some think OU is too big, but once you are actually on campus, you realize how perfect everything really is. When I tell people to come to OU, they usually tell me that OU was not their first choice. When I explain how much I have loved this school, they usually change their mind! I spend most of my time in different classes. I rarely stay anywhere for too long. I love the library and the different restaurants around campus. OU is definitely a college town, but that is not all it is. Norman has a fantastic art community and plenty of activities to participate in around town. Last semester, I spent a lot of time off-campus volunteering with the Non-Profit Leadership Student Association, and it was so much fun! There aren't many controversies on campus this year, save for the regents and President Boren striving to enforce a tobacco ban. The school's administration is comprised of some of the nicest and smartest men and women around the country (in my opinion at least). They do all they can to ensure students are happy and receiving the best education imaginable. Is there a lot of school pride? Is that a rhetorical question? School pride is the biggest part of OU! Apart from all the traditions, stories, and tales of ghastly hauntings, OU is just your average top-rated university! One experience I'll always remember is my very first football game. It began with a cheering crowd, a Boomer Sooner chant that shook the ground, a stadium-wide recitation of the Alma Mater, and the loudest cheering I've ever heard. The "One" video played, the starters ran out, and the game began: the most exciting night of my life.

In my opinion, the best thing about OU is football season. Most social functions in the fall semester seem to revolve around it, including the annual trip to Dallas in early October for the Red River Rivalry between OU and Texas. Almost every student from both schools travels to Dallas for the weekend, and the experience is comparable to a college spring break. The one thing that I would change about the school is the parking situation, which is terrible. The best place to hang out around campus is Campus Corner, which is the primary bar and shopping area for OU. The school has a real college town feel to it, even though the population of Norman is over 120,000. The social scene here is outstanding, as one would expect of a school with over 20,000 undergrad attendees. The school administration is good overall, especially since President Boren has been here. Before Boren arrived, the school was known strictly as a "football school". It has now come to the point that it is a school that I will be very proud to have received a degree from.

The University of Oklahoma is one of the top public schools in the nation. It boasts one of the lowest tuition rates in the country, but really gets you on fees. OU's advising staff can either be extremely helpful and knowledgeable or extremely confusing. For what it lacks in advisors, OU makes up with caring and involved professors. These professors will go to the moon and back for any student who shows he cares and is interested in his education. Many former students have their professors to thank for the job they acquired right out of college. Right outside of campus, you will find Norman, a perfect college town. Campus Corner, which holds restaurants, shopping, bars for those who are old enough, and live entertainment, is within walking distance. Norman is just the right size; plenty to do, but not so big as to be overwhelming. Conveniently just thirty minutes south of Oklahoma City, Norman provides the feeling of home in a college town with the attractions of a large city only minutes away. Of course, with any college town comes school pride. However, OU holds a special place in students' hearts, mostly due to Oklahoma football. You have not experienced a football game until you sit in the student section of a home OU football game. Many people, students and alumni alike, take OU football personally. This is the pride they hold in their school. But this pride extends to any and every sport and activity, be it rugby, theater, dance, or art.