Occidental: The Big Picture
Coming from a huge public school in Santa Monica, I was looking for a smaller place to figure out what my strengths and interests were that I wasn't able to develop in a huge school. Occidental is the perfect size for me. When I go to parties on the weekends I always see people I know, and not just people I have seen around but people that I have developed relationships with in the dorms or in classes. The best thing about Occidental is the people. There is such a huge variety but everyone really wants to be here. Every school has its problems and things that the student body complains about but there is no place I'd rather be than Oxy. I have made really great friends here and I can honestly say that I think my entire class will be excited to get together far after we graduate.
While we are not a huge school pride school, school pride is never frowned upon. When there are football games or basketball games, everyone gets together to celebrate.
Occidental Academic Life
I know all my professors by name and they know my name. When I send them emails about a paper or an up coming exam, I can count on a response within twenty four hours, and its extremely personalized. They courses are rigorus but not extcurtiating and the professors legitamently want you to do well in the course. All the professors are really excited about what they teach and if you show interest in their subject they will be more than willing to help you figure out how you can do your best in their class.
Occidental's Student Body
The student body is very open and accepting. We have fuctions regarding awareness and counciousness about LGBTQ and all different racial groups. There are a large amount of students that are very politically active but it does not dominate the discussion on campus which can be relaxing in comparison to other liberal arts schools.
Occidental Student Activities + Social Life
There are tons of off campus houses that host parties every weekend. With the high percentage of upperclassmen living a few blocks off campus, there is a lot of opportunity to get off campus over the weekends to hang out even if you live in the dorms. While the "dances" at Oxy sound very middle school they are put on by students for various reasons and celebrations so it become more of a social gathering then boys and girls standing on different sides of a basket ball gym. Still, if dancing is not your thing, the offcampus parties are my personal favorite. There is always alcohol and music and there is never a "list" or people that are not allowed in, unlike many UC's that are dominated by fraternities. Also the offcampus parties are almost always within a block of the school, so no one ever has to drive and not drink if they don't want to.
Occidental Naked Truth
I love Oxy. When it came time for me to chose where I would go to college I was only thinking about big UC's. When I realized I had no direction in what I wanted to eventually study in college I knew I would need a lot of help from college adults to find the right place for me. I wanted to go somewhere where people would notice if I fell off the map or was not in the right place academically. Oxy has huge amounts of support and has been the perfect place for me to move away from the comfort of my home and parents and in to a more independant place in my life. I have learned more about myself in the past two years that I did all of highschool and while that is to be expected at any school, Occidental's student body and faculty played a huge part in my positive expereience over the past two years. Also, I absolutely love Eagle Rock and being in a city. I am not surrounded by students all day every day. Families walk through Oxy daily with their dogs and children. High school students are often skateboarding on the outskirts of the campus and always remind me that there is a world outside of the "Oxy Bubble".
