The Oberlin LJ

So I was just notified of admission... Does anyone care to MSN with me? I have a bunch of questions to ask.

impmon0079@hotmail.com
(Yes, my MSN address is a name of a cartoon character because it was made seven years ago)

Edit)
Apparently not a lot of people seem to do MSN. So here goes:
1) I'm thinking of deferring for a year before I enroll, for a number of reasons. Is that possible? If so, do you need to give the admissions office some valid reasons, or is it entirely your choice?
2) I'm currently digging western philosophy. But I have no one to consult when I'm stuck with the texts. Do you think the philosophy professors will reply if I question them through E-mail regarding the texts?
3) Maybe it's a bit early to be thinking about housing, but what do you think about program houses, the French house specifically? Are the residents eager to speak the language? I mean, when you wake up your roommate in the morning, do you say "leve-toi" or "wake up?" Is there a lot of conversation going on?
4) I'm Asian, but I would like to dine in the Kosher-Halal Co-op since I'm interested in Muslim and Jewish culture. Do you think it's a good idea?
5) I think I'll be visiting the campus in March or April... Do you recommend that I visit the campus on All Roads Lead To Oberlin, or any other day? I don't really like crowded tours, though.
6) How is Otaku life in Oberlin? Is the Anime club a much of a community?

First off, thanks to everyone who commented on my home search. I submitted an offer yesterday and have my fingers crossed. (Sorry, I can't say for which property, or how much.)

I've been pretty appalled by the poor reception my Verizon phone gets in town, especially seeing as the company has an outlet right at College and Main. Boo, hiss! This Oberwiki article says that Verizon's the best in town, which gives me little hope.

So -- what's worked for you?

Edit: I did the *228 trick this morning: We'll see if it makes a difference. Also, I stopped by the Verizon store, where the knowledgeable guy behind the desk gave me a plausible reason for my phone's problem: It's an older Treo 650 that relies on an analog signal that Verizon's phasing out. I resent the planned obsolescence, but will probably get a new phone after I move here anyway. That should solve it.

Thanks for all the tips!

                 Hey. I'm going to be a freshie at Obie this fall, and I was wondering if anyone had any housing advice. You know things like “this is the dorm where the most people walk around naked,” “such-and-such dorm is a pit,” or “that dorm is where they found the dead body locked in the freezer.” Any help is appreciated!

Hi! I'm writing for a friend of mine who'll be a freshman at Oberlin in the fall. He has some questions about specific professors who are teaching first-year seminars in the fall.

Has anyone taken a course with Harlan Wilson (Politics), Stephan Mayer (Psychology), Annemarie Sammartino (History), or Marta Laskowski (Biology)? Anything to know about them? Any professors that are so awesome he should definitely take a class with sometime in his four years??

Thank you so much!

Hi!

My partner and I are going to be moving to Oberlin this summer, and I'm just curious:

is it possible to survive there without a car?

Anyone in this comm have t-mobile? if so, can you tell me if it's any good in oberlin?

my mom has an extra phone and wants to add me to her service but not if it does'nt work in oberlin (Duh).

What bank do Oberlin students use on campus? I have a summer job and I need to open a bank account, but to keep things simple I would like to use a bank that is also on-campus. The banks around me are PNC Bank, Citizen's Bank, Mellon Bank, National City, Dollar Bank (i.e. relatively major chain banks)...are there any of those near the Oberlin Campus that would simplify the process of switching my account from here to Ohio?

Thanks!
Samantha

Ok, so as an incoming first year student, I'm planning on buying a laptop for Oberlin.

I know the Oberlin website has recommendations for what computer you should buy in terms of windows vs. mac. For windows, Oberlin especially recommends a gateway M275, which is REALLY EXPENSIVE, and apparently has some detachable monitor touch screen thing, which seems like something totally uunnecessary. So would something like that be totally unnecessary? What kind of laptops people would you reccomend that are reliable and work really well at Oberlin? I personally want a PC notebook, but you can probably recommend macs, and then have the moderator save this thing as a 'Computer Recommendations' memory or something like that.

Thanks,
Sara

Here's the list of opinions I've received about dorms. I've quoted people where names were given. To keep this relatively clean-looking, i'm going to disable comments -- if there's anything you want to add (and I hope there is -- we're missing a lot of dorms on here), send me an email (skendall) or comment here and i'll be glad to put it in.

for completeness, a link to The Official Housing and Dining Page

without further ado:

( Dorms )

Hey guys. I'll be a freshman at Oberlin next fall, and I'm getting a laptop for graduation, and I wanted to know if it'd be better to get a Mac or a PC to be more compatible with the school system...like, whatever type of computers you have in the library or tech lab. Personally, I'm pretty set on a Mac but my parents are making me double check this before spending the money.

Thanks.
Claire

Hi,
I have been accepted to Oberlin and absolutely love it.
However, I have one qualm. I am obsessed with the outdoors, and Ohio does not present the best outdoors opportunities.
What are the outdoor options like at the school? I know there is an Outing Club, but how active is it? Are there a lot of people around who are avid outdoors people? I know a few people on campus, and when I ask if there are a lot of backpackers/climbers/etc, they all say "Oh, I'm sure they are here. I just don't know any." It makes me kind of nervous that I haven't actually found someone who IS one.

This is the only thing holding me back from Oberlin! I would love to be in a community of people as enthusiastic about the wilderness as I am. Not that I'm restricting myself to those people...

Any help would be great,
Thanks so much,
Meredith

I'm getting a cell finally and I was wondering what the good provider on campus is. It would suck to finally have a phone and not be able to use it. I know there were posts about this earlier, but I can't find any of them. So please if you guys have any idea what works well and what doesn't let me know.
Thanks,
-Alan

Hey, I applied to Oberlin and I'm just trying to get a better feel for the dynamic and social scene and such at the school. I mean I have a friend who's a freshman, but still. All right, questions.

- I know that Oberlin is extremely left-leaning in its politics, the students as well as the professors, but I'd like to know that it's possible to disagree with the prevailing opinion and not be crucified. Is that possible? I mean, the fact that the campus is so politically active and aware is largely why I'm drawn to it, but I'm hoping that there's room for diversity of opinion and such.

- Also, I know that drugs are inevitably going to be around, and I'm not at all opposed to them, but is there a social scene that doesn't center around drugs? I mean, I hear an awful lot about constant stoned/drunkenness, and that just doesn't sound appealing to me. Obviously I know that it's up to me to do what I want, but I'm just wondering whether it's been your experience that the drug culture is really really prevalent and hard to get away from ever, or whether it's fairly easy to socialize without constantly being around people in altered states.

Thank you infinitely to those of you who take pity and answer me.

-Michelle-

Hey everyone. Alright, so I'm gonna be a froshie next year (I got in ED), and have a question. I totaly want to be prepared whenever the housing request form rolls on in, and I was wondering if you could give me fun descriptions of the dorms, and generalizations of the people in them.

Because, after all, nothing is more fun than stereotyping your fellow students!!!!!!

(As a note added after I wrote this - I realized that I was confused when it came to buying books my first semester. As in high school, I figured that as we'd not received a reading list from our teachers, we'd just get it on the first day, then go pick up our books. This is not so. You are expected to have your books on the first day of class. I mean, you won't be crucified or anything, but it's still nice to be on the same page as everyone else. (Contain your laughter at that joke, please.) Therefore, you need to go to The Campus Book Store, go downstairs and find your class's section in the row of books. There will be stacks of books labled 'required' and 'recommended.' Buy whichever ones you want, but that's the "reading list." Carry on.)


Alright everyone, here's the deal. You will need to get books at some point in your Oberlin career, and when this time comes, you have four main options available to you.

First off - The Library. All hail this institution and it's wide selection. But, we all know it's advantages and disadvantages. I'll not rehash these.

The Campus Book Store - Expensive as all hell. It is owned by Barnes and Noble, but with nowhere near the comfort, size, or selection of my beloved B&N. Some of you will curse me for being a big business whore, but I am what I am. And give me some Starbucks while I browse, please. Anyhow, there are two levels to this store - the top, with it's random array of books and topics that is unimpressive to say the least. If you go into this store, don't by anything from the top floor - see Mindfair Books below - the thing that will serve you best is the second floor, beneath ground level. This is where all books needed for classes are sold at rates higher than you would have thought legal. We're talking $200 apiece for some chemistry books, as with math. Humanities people often get away with spending less cash, as we don't often need the really expensive books that the science/math folk do, but it's still hard on the wallet. I remember some random Penguin classic or something akin to it was originally $12.99, marked up to $20 because they knew you needed it for class. Now, what's really messed up is that when you bring this book up to the front to pay for it, they'll ask where you got it from. If you say 'upstairs,' you'll walk away saving seven dollars. Something is not right about this.

Thus my alternative option - Online booksellers - If at all possible, buy your books online, used from amazon.com or half.com or wherever you can. You will save untold fortunes. A friend of mine needed something like a $50-60 book and found it online for $8. Look around.

And my preference - Mindfair books - They're a used book seller attached to Ben Franklin's, and they're really a nice service. Things are very reasonably priced, and you can often find the same book offered there as in the top floor of The Campus Book Store, and you might even find a cheap book that you needed for class, too. They take trade ins for store credit, and all sorts of good things like that. So, please, check out Mindfair books, as they're about a minute and a half walk from The Campus Book Store.

Alright, here goes. I'm just gonna list things that I've found useful, some of which I'd have forgotten had I not been reminded of them:

Pencil sharpener, ruler, scissors, paperclips, stapler/staples, envelopes and stamps , printer paper (if you have a printer), can opener, bottle opener, bicycle lock, credit card, checkbook, insurance card, health care card, a bag about the size of your backpack for carrying small stuff - overnight trips, etc, glasses repair kit, flashlight, q-tips, nail clippers, aspirin, cold medicine, address book for people back home, trashcan, dictionary/thesaurus (if you're opposed to www.oed.com), clothes hangers, flashlight, fan, camera, rain gear, scarves, first aid kit, cleaning supplies, alarm clock, swimsuit, some dress clothes, extension cords and power strips with surge protectors, twenty dollars in quarters (yes, $20), headphones, small tool kit (screw driver, hammer, a few nails, etc.), laundry detergent, laundry hamper, blanket you can take to a lounge and curl up with, sleeping bag, Lysterine, sticky notes, bookends, white board, index cards, shower caddy, full length mirror (they're about $12. It's nice to see the rest of you once in a while.), day planner, dust buster, paper towels, kleenex, one plate, fork, knife, spoon, and mug.

That should about do it. The obvious things I tried to leave off, such as shampoo and posters. And of course the henweigh, but the college probably sent those out already.

-Max

hey how much space am i actually going ot have in my room. i guess what i am asking is how much of mystuff am i actually going ot have room for? im living in fairchild-i dont know if that makes a difference.

Do most Oberlin students use Lorain National Bank?..or is something else local more practical/common?

What is/are the banks at Oberlin and what are suggestions on what I should do regarding moving my account to Ohio or keeping it in my hometown?

I just receieved my residential information and I was wondering which halls offer group showers as opposed to the individual stalls? So far I know only Barrows and Harkness have them. Do any others?

Thanks for all of you who are so helpful!! I'm gonna be annoying with more questions though..
I'm really focused in theater and english.. any good classes or teachers I should look for?
Also - which dorms are convenient and good for a freshman like me, who will focus in theater and humanities?
Thanks again!
mwaaaaaah, Melissa

Hey all.. I'm an upcoming freshman to Oberlin. I saw the post about the dorms, and it was really helpful. I'm thinking about choosing Dascomb, but I'm not sure. I feel like this is such a big decision! haha.. can anyone offer any more advice? Thanks so much!
Mwaaaaaaaaah, Melissa

hey in an incoming freshman and i was just wondering from oberlin current students and/or graduates liek a brief discription on the differnet dorms. I know i'll get some info on all of them but i thnk its a lot more interesting nad informative from the actual people living in them, thanks!

hiiiiiiiiiii.
i'm a high school junior and i've heard lots about Oberlin...it's been in the back of my mind throughout my insane college search...and although i feel like it's somewhere i definitely want to apply to and possibly go to, i've been realizing that i don't know all that much about it...could anyone help me learn more?

more specifically:

-HOW hard is it to get into
-would it be possible to study voice without actually being part of the conservatory (i've heard about the college music degree, but does that not really compare with graduating from the conservatory?)

sidenote: i want to study music, voice/opera, but am afraid that a conservatory setting would intimidate me too much and steer me clear of music in the end...the liberal arts idea attracts me

-is it really out in the boonies? and if so, does that really matter? i mean i know one gets caught up in the goings on of school life
-i know it's alternative, but exactly how alternative?

i don't know, help me.

thanks a ton:)

How would everyone like a List of Stuff You Might Not Think to Bring to Oberlin? I know there were a few things I wish I had brought but that I never saw on any of those Things to Bring to College lists...

• a trashcan: Oberlin doesn't provide them; at least, there wasn't one in my room
• a few cheap plates & silverware: or maybe just some forks and cups
• a (portable) phone: if you want; the ones in Dascomb are really crappy, and a lot of freshmen get stuck there
• an answering machine: your friends will thank you (sunsetscreamer)
• a shower basket (rekling)
• a bathrobe: if you're into that sort of thing (rekling)
• hangers: again if you're into that sort of thing (rekling)
• shower shoes: I used crappy plastic flipflops (chameleon613)
• extension cords and/or power strips: very useful for my electronic-gadget-oriented self (loquaxcaesar)
• some medicine: Advil/Tylenol, cough drops or something, Pepto-Bismol, and a lot of Kleenex: trust us on this one (loquaxcaesar)
• Yaffa (sp?) blocks: "stackable plastic drawers/boxes" (loquaxcaesar)
• comfort food, especially if it's unusual: you can get a lot of kinds of food around here, but A) it's a bit of a walk sometimes and B) they don't have everything (Marshall)
• a lamp: when your roommate goes to bed but you still have work (or something) to do (or for when somebody breaks your overhead light and you get fined $35 for it)...get a small directional one, and not a halogen lamp (Marshall)
• a sleeping bag: you never know when you're gonna get sexiled. (Marshall)
• a coat as well as warm waterproof boots and probably a bunch of sweaters too: weather in Northern Ohio is fucking wack (foogieland)
• a calendar: " mapping out assignments REALLY helps" (Meg)
• skimpy clothes: Safer Sex Night, 'nuff said (Meg)

(Of course, most of these things can be bought nearby the College, so you don't actually have to bring them...)

Please add to the list 'cause I know there are things I've forgotten already or won't ever think of! We could even stick the list in the community's Memories for future generations of Obies...