Admissions officials said the freshman class is one of the largest in university history at about 375 students.
The class of 2022 is the largest class since 2010. Students spent their first week participating in Stars Week orientation events, engaging in small groups and acquainting themselves with the campus.
Alexa Beathard, chemistry freshman, said she appreciated that everyone helped move her in.
“So far, it’s been really easy, and we’ve gotten a lot of good information without it being super boring,” Beathard said.
Beathard said she is glad she joined the Honors Program because it has exceeded her expectations and because honors students are allowed to move in earlier than others.
“I was kind of on the edge about it at the beginning, but there are a lot of perks that I didn’t know, everyone is super helpful, and I’m really glad we got to move in early,” she said.
Courtney Quinn, design and production freshman, said she is excited for classes to start.
“I’m really looking forward to my stagecraft lab because I actually get to go in and start doing stuff for theater,” Quinn said.
The class of 2022 includes international students from more than 30 countries.
Emiliano Tarin, nursing freshman, said his experience coming to OCU has been different from his friends’ college experiences in Juarez, Mexico. In Mexico, students don’t have a freshman orientation week, Tarin said, and students arrive the day before classes start.
“This school gave me much more than that. It was awesome,” he said. “I’ve been loving it so far.”
Beathard said she looks forward to the study abroad opportunities at OCU.
“I didn’t realize that the cost of tuition can transfer and the same scholarships can transfer, so it’s a lot more realistic now, and it’s not going to cost me a ton more if I do decide to do it for a semester,” she said.
Tarin said, as an international student, he deals with a lot more paperwork than most students, but he still has had a positive experience.
“I feel a part of the school already,” he said.
Tarin also said he read reviews about professors on ratemyprofessor.com to get a feel of what his classes will be like, and he is excited to really experience them.
Beathard said she is impressed by the food in the caf.
“They had really good options today, and they have Chick-fil-A, so I’m excited about that. Food is important,” she said.
Students can participate in the Student and Community Involvement Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today on the quad to see what clubs, organizations and activities are available to join.
Beathard said she is interested in the Civic Duty organization because she has a passion for volunteering.
Tarin said he is excited to play intramural basketball.
“I really like sports. I know in college you sometimes have a lot of free time, and I know if I don’t play sports and do exercise, I’ll just get really, really fat,” he said.
Quinn said she is interested in United States Institute for Theatre Technology because she participated in the organization in high school and she knows the OCU chapter is involved with the organization.
“They go to a whole bunch of conferences, and I think that is going to be super awesome,” she said.
Tarin lives in Banning Hall dormitory and said, at first, he was a little caught off guard by how old some of the furniture looked compared to the furniture in Walker Hall dormitory, but said he knows there are pros and cons to living in either dorm.
“A sophomore told me the difference between Walker and Banning is that there’s a few people living in Banning, so they get to know each other more, and, in Walker, there’s a lot more people so they don’t get to know each other as well as the people in Banning,” he said.
Beathard and Quinn both live in Walker Hall. They said they appreciate the storage space and that the lounges on each floor have lots of cool furniture and spaces.
Tarin and Beathard said they look forward to experiencing performances and activities outside of their majors and meeting people from different disciplines.
“I know OCU is a huge program and they excel at music, so I’m really looking forward to the concerts that the school gives sometimes,” Tarin said.
Beathard said she has met many acting majors and looks forward to seeing the plays they perform in.
“I can’t do any of it, but I can watch it and really enjoy it,” she said.
Tarin said he appreciates how much the school looks out for students.
“I love my roommate, and I love how they manage to get good roommates for you that are kind of identical,” he said. “So, yeah, I think that OCU is probably the best school I’ve ever been to.”
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