火爆社区

It鈥檚 not just that Oregon State University seems to have it all, from 鈥渁mazing research programs鈥� to an 鈥渋ncredibly beautiful鈥� campus and 鈥渋nviting community.鈥� It鈥檚 also that the administration does its utmost to ensure undergrads feel supported from the moment their first semester begins. This includes sending 鈥渇requent emails to check in on students鈥� progress鈥� and weekly 鈥渦pdates on career development, research, and community building鈥� initiatives. Students praise many of OSU鈥檚 offerings, from technology鈥攁nd specifically engineering, given that the school has 鈥渁n on-campus nuclear reactor鈥濃�攖o 鈥渆xcellent wildlife, ecology, and natural resources鈥� programs. The hands-on nature of business classes also stood out to this first-year student: 鈥淲e had to create microbusinesses with teams and sell products we made. It gave me a lot of insight and experience.鈥� No matter the course of study, undergrads generally receive a nice balance between 鈥渄iscussion-based classes and experiential learning.鈥� Moreover, 鈥渢here are so many innovative peer education programs that supplement traditional lecture classes and give students another way to learn.鈥� Though 鈥渆xperience varies quite drastically from professor to professor,鈥� students say that most of their instructors are 鈥渁ccessible, knowledgeable, and engaging.鈥� Indeed, 鈥渋t鈥檚 pretty rare that I have a class that feels like a drag.鈥� Overall, professors seem to be 鈥渧ery understanding of personal issues and are willing to be flexible and work with individual students to be sure that they succeed.鈥� As one enrollee concludes, 鈥淚 have been blessed with some fantastic professors who have gone above and beyond in the time they put into me and my learning goals.鈥�

If Oregon State University were 鈥渢he set of a movie, then it is very fair to say that we have a very diverse cast that come from all kinds of ethnic backgrounds.鈥� A wide variety of personality types as well, united by being 鈥渧ery smart and having fun quirks鈥� from magnetics to country dancing. Students suggest that 鈥渢he majority are very welcoming and nice and helpful鈥� and that 鈥淚 never had trouble starting conversations with anyone.鈥� Students note that while their classmates are 鈥渄riven鈥� they also manage to give off a 鈥渞elaxed鈥� vibe. Case in point: 鈥淵ou鈥檒l see multiple people wearing pajamas to class.鈥� This all makes it easy to recognize that most 鈥渆veryone is down to have a really good time.鈥� Indeed, 鈥淚 believe that everyone feels a sense of belonging here because of that.鈥�

For the hardworking students of Oregon State who need a break from their studies, 鈥渢he massive amount of extracurricular clubs and activities is amazing. Anyone can find a group of people with...similar interests.鈥� That鈥檚 great, whether you鈥檙e into formula racing, bouldering, or drag; there鈥檚 even stuff like 鈥淐oncrete Canoe (the civil engineering club where we build a canoe out of concrete, then race it against other school鈥檚 concrete canoe teams).鈥� There are even non-credited courses like a 鈥渂ushcraft class.鈥� As this individual boasts, 鈥淚 slept out in the woods for two nights in a tarp shelter using my skills!鈥� For more traditional entertainments, students can 鈥渆njoy the active Greek life surrounding the campus.鈥� Students also note that because 鈥渢he beach and mountains are both only an hour away... outdoor recreation is abundant.鈥�

Don鈥檛 miss the micro-internships at Oregon State University. These brief, flexible, and focused (and paid) opportunities let you show a variety of employers exactly what you can do. The school also has all the research opportunities: literally, it鈥檚 one of only two universities to have all four grant types (land, sun, space, and sea). In general, students are 鈥渨orking with industry partners to be able to gain as much experience as possible before leaving,鈥� and one student specifies how this opportunity affected their career: 鈥淚 began with little to no experience in the microbiology field and now am one of the main researchers studying a specific strain of chlamydia and will likely publish a paper on my research in the next few years.鈥� The school reports record-high demand for its career services, and delivers, especially for its engineers: the median starting salary per PayScale.com is $61,200 and 36% of students work within STEM fields.