From activities and professors, to athletics and dining, and everything else in between, it’s hard to pick out just a few reasons why UW Oshkosh is so awesome. So, I thought I’d break it down to the basics: the ABCs.
For every letter of the alphabet, I chose an aspect of UWO that I like. Of course I could list 5-10 things under every letter… and I did at first, but I’ll contain myself to just one each. (Maybe next time I’ll try an acrostic poem.)
Affordable
According to U.S. News and World Report, UW Oshkosh is the most affordable UW school! So you can get a top-notch education without completely breaking the bank. Win-win!
Beautiful campus
We are a Tree Campus USA, so, as you can imagine, it’s gorgeous here. The landscaping crew also does a great job keeping things pretty on the ground level!
Clubs/organizations
You can choose from more than 160 clubs and organizations on campus! There is an organization or club for just about any interest you could possibly think of. But the nice part is, if you can’t find one you like, you can start your own. (Or just attend all the free events these clubs usually sponsor!)
Dogs
Unfortunately, you can’t have dogs in the residence halls… (I wish!!) But our Counseling Center DOES have a therapy dog, Annie, who is super cute and helps students relax if they set up an appointment. We also have a “Pet Perk Me Up” program, which brings dogs into residence halls for students to hang out with for a bit, because we know how much you miss your pets while you’re away at school!
Events
There is something going on pretty much every day of the week, so you’ll never be bored! You can check out speakers, music events, comedians, plays, movies…the list goes on, and on, and on…
Fox River
UWO is located right on the Fox River. You can rent stand-up paddleboards and kayaks from the Student Recreation & Wellness Center for really affordable prices to fully enjoy this awesome perk of our campus. Some students even go fishing. 🙂
Great professors
And I don’t just mean great, I mean like REALLY great. Not only do they care about your education, but they care about you as a person! You’ll get to know them well since our average student-to-professor ratio is 22:1 and we don’t have any TAs.
Health Center
If you’re ever feeling sick, you can get a free checkup at the Student Health Center! Here, you can also have lab tests done, get some medications, receive vaccinations and more.
Interim
UWO is the only UW System school to offer two interims (winter and spring) at no extra cost, as long as you’re staying between 12-18 credits per semester. It’s really to your benefit to take interim classes because it’ll lighten your load during the regular 14-week semesters and help keep you on track for graduation! And it is one of the things that helps make us the most affordable campus!
Just awesome, in general.
…I might be biased, but I don’t think it gets much better than UWO. This. Place. Is. Awesome.
Kolf Sports Center
This is where all of our indoor athletic events are held. There’s this group of students who call themselves the “Kolf Pack” and they get crazy for every game to help pump up the fans and the athletes! It’s a lot of fun. And, again, almost all of these athletic events are FREE for students to attend.
LGBTQ Resource Center
The LGBTQ Resource Center is in the Center for Equity and Diversity, which is also home to the University Women’s Center! Both of these offices put on really cool programs and events and offer students a great meeting place and a ton of resources.
Movie theater
You can check out fairly new movies at the Reeve Union Theater for only $1 matinees and $3 nighttime showings! (And FREE movies during Titan Nights!) There is also a concessions area, which has really cheap snacks, popcorn and soda.
New buildings/technology
Clow Social Science Center is currently undergoing renovations, which means BRAND NEW nursing facilities and lecture halls. (New labs, technology in January 2016! Woo!) If that wasn’t enough— Reeve Union is getting a major upgrade, Fletcher will be getting renovated in fall 2017, we’re building a new RecPlex (outdoor, domed, heated playing field) and the other part of Clow will be renovated soon as well.
Opportunities to travel
UWO offers a huge variety of international study abroad programs to over 20 countries all around the world! These trips can vary from a week to a full year. You also have the option to take part in the National Exchange Program, which allows you to choose a university somewhere in the United States, and study there for a bit while still paying UWO tuition and taking the courses you need to graduate.
Polk Library
A.K.A my second home. I love the library and all the resources that are available there! The best part is that it’s open 24/7 during finals week, with free coffee, of course.
Quite compact
Okay, so Q was hard, but I think this works! Even though UWO is one of the largest UW schools in terms of enrollment, it only takes 10 minutes to walk from one end of campus to the other. Plus, most of the academic buildings are on one half of campus, while the student life stuff is on the other. So, really, once you’re on one side, it’s only about 5 minutes between buildings!
Residence life
Living in the residence halls is so much fun! Not only will you meet a lot of friends in your residence halls, but you’ll also have the opportunity to participate in fun activities that your CA will set up for your floor. Each residence hall has its own charm, so research them all and pick the one that fits your personality the best.
Sustainability
UWO is the No. 1 most sustainable school in the state, and No. 3 in the nation! (Also, S for squirrels…those little buggers are all over the place.)
Titan Underground (TUG)
TUG is cool because it has a chill, coffee-shop vibe during the day, and turns into an entertainment hub at night. Delicious food, pool tables, comfy study areas, games, open mic nights…there’s a little bit of everything!
University Studies Program (USP)
USP is UWO’s new and awesome general education program. It combines the classes you need to give you a broad knowledge base, with real-world experiences and skills that will help you down the road! If you’re going to a 4-year school, you’re going to be taking general education courses anyway… so with USP, you can take them with more purpose. Everything connects together and makes sense.
Volunteering
As a Titan, you’ll have tons of opportunities to volunteer, whether it’s during Hands on Oshkosh, through a Greek Life philanthropy or on an Alternative Spring Break trip! UWO students volunteered more than 52,000 hours last year alone… and donated $2.5 million to charities! That’s incredible. Go Titans!
Writing Center
If you’re ever struggling with writing a paper, whether it be issues with proper grammar or problems figuring out style formatting, you can make an appointment with the Writing Center and get one-on-one help to better your writing skills! They not only help you fix the immediate issues, but they also help you learn skills so you can improve for future papers. (As much as I’d love a Writing Center after I graduate, I don’t think that amenity is regularly available. Haha!)
Xpeditions
How lucky did I get that we actually have something that starts with an X on campus?! Anyway, Xpeditions is where you can rent things like rollerblades, camping equipment, snowboards and those kayaks I mentioned before. They also host a lot of trips… or “expeditions” as the name would suggest. 😉
Yummy food
Whether it’s a buffalo chicken wrap from Blackhawk, a salad from Reeve or a smoothie from MiTaza, the food here is seriously good. My mouth is watering just from typing this. Definitely the best campus food I’ve had.
Zumba classes
Students can participate in free Zumba classes, yoga classes, Butts & Guts sessions, cycling sessions and more at the Student Recreation & Wellness Center! There are a lot of ways to stay healthy and happy… especially after you eat all the yummy food.