It's funny when you realize how few decisions you actually make until you're 18. Your parents decide where you live. Your school decides what you learn. Your peers decide what's cool. For many people, choosing a college to attend is their first truly independent decision. Not in my case, however. I chose to go to Ohio University because my girlfriend of two years chose to go to Ohio University. That is a wildly irresponsible, stupid and short-sighted reason to go to a particular college that almost never leads to the correct college choice...except for me it did.
The relationship with the girlfriend lasted half a year more, while my time at the school has been nearly four years of total collegiate bliss. Whether through divine providence or sheer dumb luck, I chose the school that was absolutely perfect for me and a school that I suspect is perfect for many others as well.
When I first looked at OU, one of my chief concerns was its relatively remote location. Sure, it's close enough to major cities like Columbus (hour and a half drive) and Parkersburg, West Virginia (forty-five minute drive) but believe me when I say that between Athens, Ohio and any other "metropolis" there is nothing but farmland and open sky. Athens is a little oasis tucked away among the Appalachian mountains. As it turns out, that seeming isolation has been my absolute favorite part of the town of Athens. When you set foot on Ohio University's campus in Athens, you feel like you're in the only town in the world. It's the perfect hyrbid of college town meets real small town America. The University and town have everything the modern college student needs (reliable Wi-fi, stable-enough buildings and 24-or so bars uptown) while still offering a sense of history. I have friends who attend public and private colleges all over the state and each of every one of them never wants to leave after they visit me in Athens.
There is almost no such thing as "off campus." The town is so small and so compact that you can pretty much walk anywhere in under twenty minutes. I think this has contributed to the University's "party school" reputation because instead of having to figuring out designated drivers or if a mile-long walk through the snow to a party or a bar is worth it, students can just wander around like drunken zombies.
The University, itself, has taken some financial hits like most other schools in the country and budget cuts have created some discord among faculty and the administration. Still, I have yet to see my education negatively effected by the school's financial prognosis. Depending on which field you are interested in, there are some great opportunities. The business school is actually quite underrated and the Russ College of Engineering is on the way up. I'm in the E.W Scripps School of Journalism, which was at one point considered a top-twenty journalism school in the country. I've been reasonably satisfied with my education. The professors are competent and mostly up to date. And they do a good job of getting guest speakers to Skype in or even visit this small Appalachian town. The idea of a journalism education is a little absurd though. It's such an "all new, all the time, up-to-date nownownow" industry that it kind of clashes with the more staid academic environment. And people within the industry are more concerned with what you actually produce than what your grades are. Thankfully, both the journalism school and the rest of the University offer a rather astonishing number of extracurricular activities to keep you occupied.
Ohio University seems to understand that the college experience is as important, if not more so, than the education you receive. I can honestly say that I have grown up more and learned more about myself in the last four years than I did in the previous 18. That would not have been possible with Ohio University.
If your idea of the optimal college experience is self-discovery and relationship building, I think you could certainly do a lot worse.