Oberlin: Intense is Good
Written: May 12 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: intense, different, high expectations
Cons: the same, if you aren't into those things
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| jamesmcook's Full Review: Oberlin College |
In Short: Oberlin is intense. Oberlin is different. Oberlin engenders high expectations. If you think these are good qualities, then this is the place for you.
Relevant Background:I was a student at Oberlin College from 1989-1993, and a hall director there from 1993-1994. I moved on to grad school at the University of Arizona, where I got a PhD in 2000. I'm currently an assistant professor at Duke University.
Intensity in all things is a Virtue
The one word that best describes Oberlin is intense. Every aspect of Oberlin is intense: academic expectations, political discussion, extracurricular activities, student personality, social interaction, even dining hall food (Oberlin pioneered in veggie and vegan cafeterias). This is a good thing, in my book. It means that you will learn as much from your peers as your professors. It means that you will be challenged to actually justify your remarks. It means that you'll sit up until 3 AM, not (necessarily) partying, but discussing the policy implications of the income gap and the philosophical basis of modern religion. It means that you can have a wild time in the middle of the corn fields. It means that you will have to work to outshine your peers. It means that you will actually get an education.
There are down sides to Oberlin's intensity. Students tend to get so excited about issues (especially concerning identity politics) that if you are a little shy you might find yourself a bit intimidated. Another byproduct of intensity is stress. I remember that every night during finals week, students stopped work every night at 10 PM, walked to the outside of whatever building they happened to be in, and participated in a five-minute primal scream. As a hall director, I worked with some students who didn't handle interpersonal or scholastic stress too well, and who had some psychological difficulty as a result.
That said, if you are a strong person who enjoys challenges, Oberlin is a place to learn, grow, struggle, and thrive.
Oberlin is different
There was a popular t-shirt worn on campus when I attended: it said "People who were geeks in high school can be cool at Oberlin." This is true. If you were (or are) an outcast in high school, you can find your niche here. Imagine a place where being a bit of a dork or having a strong intellectual opinion is not only tolerated but encouraged. You have just imagined Oberlin.
This applies to appearance as well as personality. A popular ditty making the rounds my sophomore year was titled "Everyone at Oberlin looks like Jesus." This being the aught years, the hippie look has faded a bit, but there's a lot of patchoulli, a bright splash of hair dye, plenty-o-piercing and a whole lot of unclassifiable stuff people just thought up in, on or around people. You don't HAVE to do this stuff to fit in -- there's a fairly sizeable "normal" contingent too -- but there's a lot of it.
Oberlin is different in terms of politics -- especially identity politics. Perhaps because there are a lot of rich kids on campus (check out that big ol' tuition), class politics never seems to take center stage. Instead, identity politics (race, gender, sexual identity) are dominant. For better or worse, conservatives are on the margins at this school, not liberals.
At one point, the administration started trying to shift Oberlin's image to make it resemble its "competitor colleges" more closely. That effort, thankfully, failed. What gives Oberlin its sassy charm and competitive edge is its difference from other liberal arts colleges. I hope that never goes away.
High Expectations come from Within
Oberlin engenders high expectations, but not in the typical Harvard-MIT-Stanford way. At those schools, you are expected to compete with other students to show that you are the best. Predictably, the academic environments there are characterized by splintered community, grade grubbing and short-term vision.
At Oberlin, there is a general expectation that one should think seriously about what one is doing. Students tend to compete with themselves a great deal. The short-term result is the same as at the above name-brand schools: high quality work. The long-term result at Oberlin (but not necessarily at those other schools) is a strong motivation toward excellence even when nobody's looking.
The down side of this is related to intensity -- Oberlin students tend to be perfectionists, and since they aren't perfect, they often are disappointed in themselves. Obies can get pretty neurotic at times, and often under-evaluate themselves and their school.
The Big Sum-Up
I'll conclude by noting that, when talking to past and present Obies, you may encounter a fair amount of criticism of the school. Keep in mind that such comments reflect to a large extent the high standards and intensity of the academic, political and social community. Students' dissatisfaction with anything but the best -- from their professors, their peers and themselves -- is what keeps Oberlin one of the most dynamic and alive places I've ever seen. I vigorously recommend Oberlin College to students who are eager, focused, and maybe a bit odd. Oberlin is different -- and different is good.
-James Cook '93
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jamesmcook
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Member: James Cook
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Reviews written: 167
Trusted by: 40 members
About Me:
I am a father, writer and gregarious gadabout.
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