Students are head-over-heels for Ohio Wesleyan’s small classroom-based academics. “The classes at Ohio Wesleyan are very personal and intimate,” says a sophomore music major. “The professors are always willing to meet with you and help you out, and the atmosphere of many of the smaller classes is relaxed and enjoyable while still being well-structured.” Another student comments on her favorite class, a “history class about Latin America in Revolution. True the subject matter really interested me, but the way that the class was set up was really great. There were only 10 students and the professor and we discussed the readings for that week. It was entirely discussion. And never did I feel that I had to say what the professor wanted. The floor was open for any student to say what they thought about the subject in question.” Even students who had trouble adjusting to Ohio Wesleyan for other reasons were almost universally in-sync with the academics, despite some gripes with the fairly rigorous core requirements. “One thing I don't care for too much is our mandatory curriculum. For example, I am a politics and government and pre-law double major and I still have to take 3 science classes. That isn't very enjoyable in my book.” A senior on the pre-med track echoes the sentiments of most OWU students: “I can't say enough about the academics. The courses are challenging but they prepare you. No one leaves OWU unprepared for their next step - as long as they put the work in.”
Some of the most common complaints about OWU have to do with the housing crunch. Says one student: “Due to the poor quality of our dorms, students want off campus. They are bound and determined to get off campus one way or another and it can cause some problems.” However, OWU also has some unique opportunities for on-campus living. One OWU alum explains, “The Small Living Units (SLUs) are one of the COOLEST things about OWU. A house of 10-16 students united by a cause or theme (environmentalism, feminism, language, art, peace and justice, philosophy, black culture, faith, and internationalism). You get a real kitchen, shared common living spaces, a real sense of community, and a house to call your home, but you don't have to worry about rent or groceries because you stay on the university's housing and meal plan.” Another student continues: “The point of the SLUs is to give back to the OWU community in some way. So, each student living in the SLU has to complete a house project based upon their theme.”
OWU makes a concerted effort to involve all of its students with community service to some degree. “Community service in general is huge at OWU. Almost everyone is involved in a community service organization. Greek life is very important as well. It is not uncommon for one of the fraternities to be having a party or social function.” About one-third of OWU students are involved with Greek life, and each fraternity and sorority is engaged in some aspect of community service. “Greek life is huge on campus. There is no better way to get involved on campus or to meet people than to join a fraternity or sorority.” However, quite a few students point out that frats are having trouble staying alive, and many have recently been forced to shut down. “Fraternities are the place to party, but they're going extinct pretty quickly. Just this year, two of our fraternities, FIJI and SAE, were shut down, and another was shut down either last year or the year before.”
“OWU's student body is an interesting thing. We have one of the highest percentages of liberal arts colleges for international students and I think that it adds to the education outside of the classroom.” Indeed, OWU has an unusually high population of international students, and students are happy about that. However, there is certainly still a huge contingent of students from Ohio and the Midwest. A lot of students complain that admissions should raise their expectations a little, especially considering the intense academic workload. Says one international student: “The rate of acceptance and the retention rates should change dramatically. Too many under qualified students are being accepted into the school, and too many are sent packing. Students should be more informed to the difficulty of the course work.” Another student puts it a bit more bluntly: “Most people have a ‘dont give a fuck attitude’ as they were not that involved in the college selection process and therefore ended up at OWU because OWU offered them money for no reason.”
OWU has about 95 registered student organizations; among them The Transcript, which is the oldest independent college newspaper in the US. The Owl, OWU’s lit mag, is one of the oldest literary magazines in the country, too, and there are plenty more independent papers and magazines. Another student comments on the ease of adapting OWU to your interests: “One thing I love about OWU is that if you want to join a club that doesn't exist, you can create it. Drum up the support of your fellow students in a few weeks and BAM! you've got a club.”
Students tend to complain quite a bit about the lack of nightlife in Delaware, Ohio. “Delaware is a town with a college in it; it's not a college town except that students get discount,” says a senior. Another student agrees: "The town is small and sad, there's nothing to do there and the school doesn't do anything to help the boredom." Indeed, most students agree that there isn’t much to do and it can get a little lonely in town, but there are some benefits. Says another student: “It's a beautiful town, really. Small, for sure. But it's home to the best ice cream in the midwest, and the best pizza shop too. The houses in Delaware are amazing - so many styles of architecture thrown in beside one another, and half the trees are flowering trees. Idyllic.”
In general, there is a large population of students who seem very content with their time at OWU. But quite a few might agree with the following: “OWU is a great school. Depending on your background, though, there is a 50% chance you will HATE it. I know tons of people who love it here. They are the ones who are very involved in sports, Greek life, clubs, student govt, etc. Unfortunately, though, an equal number of people hate it.”
