NEED HELP / ADVICE ABOUT OU STUDENT LIFE

[PLaw]

Okay, after being locked and loaded on going to TTU for the past three years, my son made a u-turn and has decided to go to OU next fall. He plans to enroll in the aviation school.

I've been around Norman and the campus all of my life. My dad is a NHS grad from the late 40's and they still live South of Norman. Unfortunately, we were like a lot of other Okies that got transplanted to West Texas and I went to Tech. I have very little experience with the OU student life scene.

Okay, all of the said, I (we) need some advice about the best dorms, things to avoid, and if you had it all over to do again - what would would you do?

Thank you for any guidance you can provide.

BOOMER

[Serge Ibaka]

There are 3 very large dormitories (Walker Center, Couch Center, Adams Center) where the majority of freshmen live. They aren't great, by any means, but they're good-enough, and they're the best place to be from a social-standpoint.

Avoid the Cate-Center dorms.

Greek Life is really big on campus, and if your son intends to pledge, he'll probably have it made. If Greek-Life isn't his sort of thing, there are still kids always congregating around the dorms (all of the dormitories are within a 500 yard radius, and there are always social-events to serve those students).

If your son doesn't pledge, I would simply suggest that he finds a way to get involved on campus--there are co-ed service fraternities; there are intermurals; etc.

I didn't really take part in this sort of stuff until I was a little bit older, and I didn't meet as many people my Freshmen year as I would have liked.

[PLaw]

Spot on, Serge. Thank you for the advice.

I was a Sig Ep at Tech and pledged during my second year. I realize that frats have differing personalities from campus to campus. Sounds like you are a Greek - any advice on OU's frats.

My son has lettered two years for a 5A football team in North texas, has good grades borderline top 10% of his class of 600, and generally no tolerance for BS and those that don't do what's right.

[Leroy Lizard]

If your son is majoring in aeronautical engineering, then I would suggest to him to avoid the Greek life. He's not going to have time for such foolishness.


And away we go!!

[Serge Ibaka]

Spot on, Serge. Thank you for the advice.

I was a Sig Ep at Tech and pledged during my second year. I realize that frats have differing personalities from campus to campus. Sounds like you are a Greek - any advice on OU's frats.

My son has lettered two years for a 5A football team in North texas, has good grades borderline top 10% of his class of 600, and generally no tolerance for BS and those that don't do what's right.

Nope. I wasn't in a fraternity, but I'm sure that somebody around here can give a quick run-down on the current state of the OU Frats. I don't know too much about them.

Either way, I would be happy with your son's decision. I like Norman, and even while it is Greek-dominant, I think that there's something for everybody.

Also, you can go to every OU home-game on the cheap, and you can't beat that!

[PLaw]

If your son is majoring in aeronautical engineering, then I would suggest to him to avoid the Greek life. He's not going to have time for such foolishness.


And away we go!!

Engineering is my contingency plan for him, but he wants to focus on the professional piloting program OU has, which is ranked in the Top 10 in the country.

Boomer

[Sooner_Havok]

There are more dorms...the athletic dorms to be exact. Since a college can't give special treatment to the athletes, the dorms have to remain 51% non-athlete.

They are more expensive than the other dorms for sure, but I am sooooo glad I lived there for my dorm years. If your kid wants a room to himself, they can do that too. They even have their own cafeteria, with really good food. Hell, either Wednesday or Thursday night was surf & turf night. Nothing like coming home from a hard day of class and chowing down on a New York Strip and some crab legs.

Plus, as an added perk, you get to hang out with all the athletes. Even the ones that live off campus still come up to the Bud (the main athletic dorm) to hang out, shoot some pool, and play some playstation. Hell, I got the whole 2002 Sooner football team to sign a football for me.

The Bud is the nicer of the two male dorms, each two person suite has it's personal bathroom, and all the aforementioned amenities are located in it. The Jones (where I lived BTW) is not as nice, and has shared community bathrooms. You can get a single there and it has an alright lounge w/a tv.

You live literally right across the street from the Stadium, it is pretty nice. The down sides are the cost (like I said it is more than the normal dorms, how much so I can't say) and the meal plans. While the caf does have superior food, you can't use meal exchange points like you can at the other dorms. If you don't eat in the caf, you don't eat.

[StoopTroup]

Does your Son have his Private Pilots License yet?

If so....how many hours has he logged?

I ask as maybe he ought to just go get it and log a few 100 hours before enrolling in that. If he's not comfortable up there by himself...why go through the Pilot Program?

If he gets the Pilot thing down and he's a good kid who follows the rules...it won't matter what Frat he's in....guys will be begging him to fly them around to places. Later he can get a job doing anything he wants and work on the engineering deal too.

If he's already a pilot...I bet he can get in most any Frat he wants.

[Leroy Lizard]

Plus, as an added perk, you get to hang out with all the athletes.

That's a perk? ****, I tried to avoid them when I was going to school, especially the dumbass basketball players. (Note: I didn't go to OU as an undergrad.)

[soonerscuba]

The best way to judge a frat is how you relate with the guys, also knowing reputable, non-cokehead (so Fiji is already out ;)) girls to point you to some of their friends in houses helps.

[yankee]

i rushed greek as a freshman, if you have any questions about it i might be able to answer. PM if you want.

[texaspokieokie]

advise tx school, to avoid out-o-state tuition.

[Leroy Lizard]

advise tx school, to avoid out-o-state tuition.
^^^^

This. If he goes to OU, make sure it's for the right reasons (esp. academics).

[badger]

advise tx school, to avoid out-o-state tuition.

Didn't you say your parents still live in Norman? Change his permanent residency to your parents' house and you should be able to get in-state tuition. Some colleges at OU offer in-state tuition waiver scholarships as well, but definitely, get out of outta state tuition any way you can.

[SicEmBaylor]

Is it too late to talk him into Baylor?

[StoopTroup]

I think he wants his Son to get a degree.

[Serge Ibaka]

^^^^

This. If he goes to OU, make sure it's for the right reasons (esp. academics).

Ditto this.


You live literally right across the street from the Stadium, it is pretty nice. The down sides are the cost (like I said it is more than the normal dorms, how much so I can't say) and the meal plans. While the caf does have superior food, you can't use meal exchange points like you can at the other dorms. If you don't eat in the caf, you don't eat.

I have had some friends who stayed in the Athlete's-dorms, and I always felt a little bad for them because they couldn't eat with all of the other freshmen--they were on an entirely different meal plan. Plus the big, general cafeteria is pretty awesome too (and it was re-fasioned just this past year). The athletic dorms kept some freshmen a little too isolated IMO.

[texaspokieokie]

Didn't you say your parents still live in Norman? Change his permanent residency to your parents' house and you should be able to get in-state tuition. Some colleges at OU offer in-state tuition waiver scholarships as well, but definitely, get out of outta state tuition any way you can.

but his transcript will be from tejas.

[OUMallen]

Rush a fraternity. Seriously. He'll be super happy he did and it's worth the money.

[Jacie]

At OU I lived a year in a dorm, spent another academic year in an off-campus apartment with a roommate, and finished up living in a frat house. I didn't pledge until my junior year and only did so because a good friend was a member.

Flash forward some years later to my wedding day. Who do you think was there? Frat brothers, a lot of them. Those were the guys I became friends with for life.

Unless he already has a friend in a frat, prior to pledging, he should do his homework and visit the IFC, located on campus. There he can find out how many actives are in each house, collective GPA, if any are on social probation, etc.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Spot on, Serge. Thank you for the advice.

I was a Sig Ep at Tech and pledged during my second year. I realize that frats have differing personalities from campus to campus. Sounds like you are a Greek - any advice on OU's frats.

My son has lettered two years for a 5A football team in North texas, has good grades borderline top 10% of his class of 600, and generally no tolerance for BS and those that don't do what's right.

Hey, you may steer him to not be Greek... ;)

When I was an underclass, the Greeks were all in funny stuff... Just go and sit in Norman Municipal Court... Fun times... I was there because I was always towing Lamb Chops out of our church parking lot (after calling and giving fair warning).

Don't pledge DU - different kind of frat in my day - supposedly... ;)

I just kiddingly rag. I have no ill will for frats, just not my cup of tea. There are great for some, not so for others. Just lots of fun with lots of testosterone and a group of young guys. Same thing for the dorms... Just ask me about bottle rockets.