Old Dominion University
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Old Dominion University - Comments and Student Experiences | |||||||||||||||||||
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As far as individual colleges at ODU, I can only speak for the college of engineering. I recently graduated with a B.S. in electrical engineering and they offer a solid curriculum that really prepares students whether they want to work for a company after graduating or pursue a graduate degree. I chose to start working and the education I received at ODU has proven to be excellent. The professors are very knowledgeable and they will make you WORK for your grade. Some professors might not be as hard as others, but they still expect students to know the material. If you’re the type of student that just does enough to get by, then your grades are going to suffer and you won’t last very long. Professors know which students are enthusiastic and hard working and they help you anyway they can. Sure, a few professors are only concerned with their research and don’t really care how their students do, but I’m sure you’ll find that in any school you go to.
The night life in Norfolk is more than enough for college students. Granby St. and Waterside have a bunch of restaurants and bars/clubs where students can go to enjoy themselves. The ocean front in near-by Virginia Beach has a few good places as well. Not to mention the new places they built in the University Village which is right on campus.
The only negative thing I can say about ODU is that some of the students they accept are not very motivated. However, those students are quickly weeded out. You will find that the majority of the students are there to learn and doing well is their top priority.
The people are very friendly and down to earth. Everyone is laid back and easy going. I was a transfer and I couldn't be any happier with the decision of ODU.
It is a commuter school however, so sometimes weekends are dead. But I think ODU is trying to change that. They are building more and more dorms and tearing down more parking lots. Which leads to traffic problems.
Football is coming to ODU along with a few more sports teams such as volleyball, softball and lacrosse. Our basketball teams are what unify the student body. Everyone goes to them, it's a huge deal.
If you go to ODU, my advice is to join an organization! If you want to join a greek organization. It is a small group of people, only 600 people in it, but it makes the school seem so much smaller and you get to know just about everyone in it. It's very laid back and low-key average people. Definitely not the 'stereotypical' greek system you hear about at other schools.
Go Monarchs!
Please understand that the administration hates you and all you love. The sooner you realize this, the happier you'll be.
ODU is a commuter school with an identity crisis. They've torn up the parking and they keep putting in student housing. Most of the students are locals and we're all very unhappy with this. Also, the cost of parking decals is absurd. So you'll pay a lot and then end up parking off school property because there's nowhere else. There's a train or something that's supposed to be OMGWTFBBQ amazing! but it kind of just sits there and takes up school money. It also gives us bragging rights. 'We have a train that doesn't work!'
The individual departments are pretty good. The Engineering Dept. gets most of the school's resources, so everyone hates them. All the engineering students work on the train and all the opportunities at the job fairs are for them. Haaaaaaaaaaaaate.
My major's department (Communications) was very good. I found all my teachers were approachable and knowledgeable in their fields. My minor was History and while that department seems very narrow in what it offers (history of sports four semesters in a row, the Middle Ages once every two years when the moon is full and the cacti are in bloom?) the teachers were good and I enjoyed my classes.
If you're an Art major, just go kill yourself now. You will never graduate. I have friends who were there a year before I came and they'll be there long after I leave. ODU does not like it's art majors. You won't be getting a job after college anyway.
ODU is getting a football team (I'll be long gone when it comes, but my tuition paid for it!) and we're all pretty excited about that. Now we can beat the other schools that turned us down. Take that, William and Mary! Our girl's basketball team is hardcore awesome. Seriously. They pwn all who cross them. The fraternities and sororities are kinda scary. They'll attack you during student club day and try to suck your blood and hypnotize you to join their organization. I went to the anime club a couple of times. I like anime, but they chose some of the lamest titles to show and the people acted like they were still in high school.
The campus is getting better because they keep buying up the surrounding area and fixing it up. We've got trees and flowers and a soft, grassy lawn for people to play frisbee. Norfolk is pretty bad, but the surrounding cities are nice enough. You've got Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and the beach close by, so see if you can get to those on a weekend.
We have a large military community and a great ROTC program so if that's your thing, we've got it. The problem with all this is ODU could be a really great school if it played on its strengths of local commuters and ROTC. Instead, it throws money at a train that doesn't work and develops a bad reputation for transfer students. It doesn't make sense, a lot of students come from TCC and ODU acts like we're second class citizens. I spent two days trying to get my stuff counted and I had an A.S.
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