Occidental College | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Lily

Class: Junior
Major: International Relations
Gender: F

High School: private
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

If I were going to change something about Oxy I would change the size. Oxy is very small and it feels like you know everyone after your first year. The social scene is fairly repetative. A lot of people love the size of Oxy, but if you like to have a broader social scene and have new people to meet over your four years, Oxy may not be your school. There is a lot of school spirit at Oxy, but be warned that there is a very large football team for such a small school, and they often bring down the academic quality of the classroom. I think one of the best things about Oxy, other than academics, is its location. I love living in L.A. with access to the beach, museums, concerts, shopping, amazing food, and enless potential to explore. Oxy's administration is lacking, to say the least. Oxy has gone through three presidents in about 4 or 5 years so there never seems to be centralized leadership. Another bad thing about Oxy is registration. If you can get into the classes you want they are usually great, but it can be a battle zone trying to get them. Oxy has really good food for a college campus, and the campus is really beautiful. Something cool about Oxy is that Barack Obama went there! It is a very liberal community, and most students are interested in politics, and issues of social justice.

Academic Life

Academics are Oxy's strong point. I have had amazing professors, especially in my major departments. Most of my teachers know my name, or at least recognize you enough to say hello. Professors are very accessible and willing to help. Oxy has a diverse faculty so you can really learn from Professors who are experts in thier field, and also have unique perspective on issues. Like at any college, your education is what you make of it at Oxy, but I would say most Oxy students do a lot of studying. Class participation is very importatn, and students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of campus. It's cool to be smart at Oxy. I am majoring in Diplomacy and World Affairs, and the department is stellar. Students are motivated, informed, and passionate about global politics and world issues. The professors are amazing and have all kinds of interesting international experience. We are required to take two years of a foreign language, so a large percentage study abroad. I think Oxy's academic requirements are great because they allow you to take interesting classes and have flexibility to fulfill them. We are required to take classes focusing on three different regions of the world which I think is very important to instill an understanding of different cultures and diversity. Oxy's education is truly a liberal arts education. You will graduate informed, inspired, and ready to take on the world.

Student Body

There is some racial diversity at Oxy, but it doesn't seem like there is very much socio-economic diversity. Most Oxy students are upper middle class. It is a layed back campusl. You rarely see girls carrying designer bags or wearing big chanel sunglasses, but there are a fair amoutn of uggs. It is totally comfortable wearing sweats to class, but if you like to wear real clothes thats cool too. Most people at Oxy are very active and participate in sports or work out regularly. Since it is a small community all different kinds of students interact. But recently there seems to be a lot more participation in greek life which seems to be sucking some individuality out of the school. Students are generally politically aware and active, but there are some ignorant people there who are more concerned about popularity. Sad but true. It is a very liberal campus, and people generally want to make a difference in the world.