Oberlin College Top Questions

All of my professors know my name. My favorite class is "Intro to Musics of the World". I'm really interested in ethnomusicology. My least favorite class is music theory, but that is because it doesn't come naturally to me. The amount of time a student studies really varies, some students study a lot all the time, whereas some students only study a lot during the week. I study a lot, but not so much that I have no social life, or time to take this survey! Class participation is not extremely common, but definately not uncommon. It really depends on the subject. People tend to keep quiet in classes that they aren't as comfortable with, though it could be different in the College, I only know how it is in the Conservatory. Oberlin students definately have intellectual conversations outside of class, though not so much that we don't talk about everyday things. I feel like there is always a good intellectual conversation to be found if you want it, but you can always find a rest from academia if that's what you want. Students are competitive, but not bloodthirsty. I feel like there is a healthy amount of competition, which is saying a lot considering that most conservatoires are notorious for their competitive atmospheres. The most unique class I've taken was Opera Theater. We did a lot of "Viewpoints" during the first half of the semester. "Viewpoints" is kind of an abstract way to get in touch with your body and movements while you're onstage. It helps you become more aware of your surroundings are fellow performers, but sometimes it was pretty weird. I really enjoyed the class though! It was my favorite class that semester. I'm a vocal performance major. It's an excellent program, but it is unlike many of the Oberlin programs in that we have so many required classes that there isn't a whole lot of room for flexibility. It is an intense program, but if classical voice is what you want to study, this is a fabulous place to do it. I don't personally spend much time with my professors outside of class, but I know a lot of people who do. I know some people who have meetings with their professors over coffee or go to offices hours a lot. Oberlin professors try to be available to their students as much as possible. As I am solely a conservatory student, I don't know much about Oberlin's academic requirements, but the Conservatory requirements are reasonable. There are a lot of them, but all of them are pretty essential, so I definately see why we have to take them. The Conservatory offers pretty much pre-professional training, preparing you to get jobs after you graduate, but that is just the nature of studying music. The college seems to be much more geared toward learning for the sake of broadening one's own horizons.

Do professors know your name? yes · Tell us about your favorite class. Least favorite? Favorite class: harpsichord private lesson. Least favorite class: continuo realization class · How often do students study? Every day or every two days · Is class participation common? Not so much, except in philosophy classes. · Do Oberlin students have intellectual conversations outside of class? Yes they do. · Are students competitive? Not so much, individuality is more present and so somebody really cares about the rest of the students in the class. · What's the most unique class you've taken? Philosophy 123. · Tell us about your major / department. My major is harpsichord, oberlin has the best undergard harpsichord department in the country. · Do you spend time with professors outside of class? once a month yes. · How do you feel about Oberlin 's academic requirements? There are good. · Is the education at Oberlin geared toward getting a job, or learning for its own sake? Learning for its own sake.

I am very close with about 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the professors and administrative members that I have had contact with; I go to their office hours, have a beer with them, extend class discussions outside the classroom. To have intellectual conversations in casual settings is a major marker of Oberlin students. Everyone is inspired, all the time. My two favorite classes were American Government, and African American Humor. Academics are not in any way competitive. I don't know if I have ever had a conversation about grades with any of my peers in my entire time here. Oberlin has a healthy balance of learning for pursuit of knowledge, and positioning students to get idealistic and socially principled jobs after graduation. Very many students graduate to work in NGO's or other non-profit orgs.

All my professors know my name. Small classes are great. Some people think just cuz the classes are small you can't skip, but that's not true. I mean, i never WANT to skip, because I really love all my classes, but i have before and the profs totally understand. Professors LOVE when you come to office hours and most professors are even better one on one than in class. Oberlin is definitely all about learning for its own sake. you gotta love school to come here.

Academics tend to be very good at Oberlin, yet extremely demanding. Science majors have it the worst in terms of workloads. Obies can be extremely intellectual outside of the classroom, which is one of the reasons I chose this school--the students are actually engaging. The Experimental College offers the best range of unique classes out of the norm--I've taken a juggling class and a Kurt Vonnegut class, and other unique classes on subjects like Shamanism and the X-Files are offered as well. As a liberal arts school, the knowledge we gain is extremely topical and geared very much towards bettering ourselves and the world. I happen to like it that way, but a control freak or job-obsessed maven may think otherwise. Students here are very uncompetitive, which makes for a good atmosphere. Class sizes are very small compared to other institutions, so I've heard, and there are many ways professors interact with their students aside from just class and office hours. The dance club on campus, the 'Sco (short for Dionysus Disco) offers a "Professor Beers" night where students who bring professors get cheap beer for their table. I think since I've been here, every one of my professors has known my name by the end of the semester.