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I knew I didn't want to go to a big school, and OWU was just right for me. Not too small--you won't know everyone on campus or even in your class--but not too big either--you do know at least half the people you see every day and your professors know who you are and what you're interested in. As for Delaware, it is a small town, but Columbus is close enough to drive down any night you want more of a "big city" experience. Restaurants and shops seem to come and go in Delaware, but there is almost always something new and exciting to discover because of it. The residence halls aren't especially new, but they are a decent place to live (especially Welch and Smith). And if you don't like the dorms live in the SLUs!! :) 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.
Jennifer Alum
Important things to note about OWU include that it is a liberal arts college, so it is one the smaller side and does not offer a degree like a BS, only a BA. this is good however, as BAs go on to make more money anyways. looking at the posed quesitons: how one rates the size is based on an individual's desires, for me, i love the size. people are perfectly fine when i tell them that i go to OWU . . . some people are even impressed (just recently i was talking to a woman sitting next to me on a flight who was aware of the school). i spend most of my time in the science centers (the main building and the adjacent science library, but that's because i'm a chem major and need the additional resources on that part of campus . . . the chem department has a site license to a couple of special software programs) . . . the town is nice and leaves the university alone for the most part, though the newspaper follows the sports rather well. additionally, many local businesses interact with the campus . . . we have off campus food points that can be used in several restaurants including subway, a homemade ice-cream shop, a coffee cafe, a couple nice sit-down ones . . . . OWU's administration is a problem spot right now, a lot of the higher ups have been moving about, which is a little annoying because it makes one wonder how much leadership we have (we lost a president, the dean of students, and some other high positions) . . . . there is no egotistical school pride, it's not overwhelming, we are, however a very athletic institution, winning the NCAC all-sports trophy several times
David Sophomore
The best thing about OWU is the atmosphere. Even though OWU is in a large city, the university is still small enough that you will not feel intimidated and make new friends with students and faculty quickly. Everyone will work with you to make sure that you are as comfortable as you can possibly be while on campus. The one thing that I would change about OWU is the accessibility of the dorms and some of the academic buildings to make them more accessible to the physically impaired. When I tell people that I'm an OWU student, I always get a positive reaction from them because they have heard positive things about the school from my parents. I usually spend most of my time in my room studying or in the Student Union center. The residence hall that I live in is known as the honors dorm. It has many things that other residence halls do not have including study rooms and a gymnasium. The Student Union Center is where our mailroom, food court, bakery, and some campus offices are located. The food court and bakery are great places to grab a meal or snack as well as catch up with friends and meet new ones. OWU is definitely a college town. Since it is in the city of Delaware, there are always new places to go and something to do so you are never bored. School spirit is evident here. You will always see students going to some sporting event, or wearing OWU apparel. OWU's Administration is very friendly. They will do everything they can to help you and ensure your success as a student at their school. They will listen to any ideas, comments, and suggestions you may have. One thing that is unusual about OWU is that even though it is a liberal arts college, you still have the option to design your own major/minor if they do not have one that interests you. One experience I will always remember is taking the campus tour. I had my own tour with my mom and a tour guide so I felt like I saw everything I wanted to see, and had every question answered. When I was touring the campus, I pictured myself as a student there and saw my dreams of graduating from OWU become a reality.
Ashley Junior
OWU is the perfect size for me. I know a lot of people around campus, making it seem more friendly in a way. But at the same time I don't feel like I know every single person on campus. Most of my time, when not studying in Slo*** or the library, is spent just hanging out with friends in the dorms or the SLUs. If the weather is nice, it is great to hang out outside of HamWil or Welch. Delaware, OH is a very interesting place. It's both small and big at the same time. Its proximity to Columbus is very nice and sometimes it is just necessary to get out of Delaware and head down to a real city (Columbus). OWU definitely has school pride, like any school, but it doesn't have so much that it's annoying. That's one thing that made OWU more appealing to me, the students aren't overzealous about sports teams or anything like that. There are a lot of little things that make OWU what it is. For instance, during finals week there was chalk provided for anyone walking down the Jaywalk and they were allowed to draw or write whatever they wanted to. This kind of free expression is one of those little things that sets OWU aside from other more typical schools.
Alex Junior
OWU is small and I like that, a big reason why I looked here. I didn't want to go to a big school like OSU and so I checked out other colleges like OWU (ex: Otterbein). Some times, people have never heard of OWU, but I've met quite a few who have recently and they don't seem to think anything bad about my school choice. There are a few things I'd like to change, but those problems mainly dealt with roommate issues and how, really, poorly they were dealt with. I wished the agressor couldn't manipulate things as easily as they can because both sides need to be heard. Classes were great--many choices to choose from, although getting it at a good time is a problem--but the dorm life wasn't what I expected. I won't go into detail, but most nights I called home crying to my mom because of a certain roommate who had issues with every little thing with me and her suitemate. It was horrible, but luckily moving on is easier that I thought. I usually spend most of my time in my dorm room, or in class, and outside sometimes when it's nice out. Other than that, I sometimes go out for special events but that's about it. I'm an indoors person mainly but I do like to spend some times outside.
Emily Sophomore
The rate of acceptance and the retnetion 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. The town is small, filled with enough to do, and great for a academic work environment. I spend most of my time in my room or in the library when im studying. I also spend a significant ammount of time doing experiment and lab work in out beautiful facilities. OWU administration is forever changing and i have stopped carring a long time ago. Controversy? im not sure there are too many of those. People who recognize what OWU has to offer realize show substantial rpide and speak prowdly about the university when brought up on conversation with friends or others. Students complain about the difficulty of course work, the work load, the math department (which sucks!) and usually the difficult science requirements.
Alex Junior
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