r/UofO • u/LiamLowkey • Dec 09 '24
Question as an out of state prospective student
Hi, im a high school senior from maryland who just got into u of O. They gave me a ton financial aid, so im considering coming here. My one issue is my dream is to live and work in new york city or washington DC and I was wondering if i'd be shooting myself in the foot by going to college so far from those cities.
4
u/Nervous_Garden_7609 Dec 10 '24
What's your major? You'll have opportunities to intern all over the country and can even study abroad.
Will you be lonely or homesick? That's the biggest question. Flying back and forth is expensive. UO is on terms. 10 weeks. There's no time to go home for a weekend.
2
u/LiamLowkey 29d ago
my mom wants me to go far away so i can have the college experience without being bound to home
also i applied undecided but ive always loved studying economics and law so ill probably end up in something like that
1
u/Nervous_Garden_7609 29d ago
Join clubs, go to the RHA events, join the Hall Council of you want an instant community.
The political science program is great.
There will be tons of opportunities at UO. Clubs, committees, volunteering, internships, jobs on campus, and the rec center is the best.
I suggest you start following some of the Instagram pages. Things will slow down for the next month, but their stories will give you a good idea of what UO has to offer. Eugene is a small town, and Oregon has its share of problems. Lack of diversity and racism, but campus is safe and way better.
The campus food is really good, and the dorms are pretty nice. Some small but good common areas.
Follow RHA, UOPARENT, UOhousing, and Duck rides. Then they'll share lots of info in their stories, and you'll find other pages to follow.
If you decide to go to UO, buy the sports pass! You'll want to go to some football, basketball, and track events. Volleyball and hockey, too! You'll get the full college experience at UO. It can be lonely, so just prepare for that. You'll end up loving it, but it will be an adjustment. There's tons of support, but you have to go find it. They don't do tons of hand holding, and you have to fight for information.
Good luck! Go Ducks!
2
u/Special_Customer_997 Dec 10 '24
a few people i know live in maryland and attend UO and have got internships in new york and on the east coast pretty painlessly!
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u/EastCoastDumbass '23 29d ago
hello from a fellow marylander!! i went to UO and now am back home and work in dc. iyou’re not shooting yourself in the foot at all, but you might fall in love with the PNW making it hard to imagine returning home. i know a few people from maryland who went to UO and came back to the east coast and got jobs. i came back home after graduating to take care of my old mom and i miss the PNW every day.
1
u/Thucket Dec 10 '24
Use Linkedin to track the careers and employers you're interested in and where people went to school. Are the schools all local? 90% of people who work for the city of Portland come from in-state schools, so my choice was a no-brainer. See what comes up.
1
u/OregonResident Dec 10 '24
UO did nothing to help me get started in the big city I live in but I think it’s become a better school since then. That said, if you want to live and work in NYC then do yourself a favor and go to a school where you’ll be making connections in that city.
1
u/Temporary-Lawyer-988 29d ago
I had a similar coming from Virginia. I was wondering if most people end up staying in PNW or what?
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29d ago
Going to a school on the quarter system will really mess with getting internships on the east coast - also people out here usually start looking for internships junior year, while out east internships are usually sophomore year. as someone from the east coast, i've found that I really wasn't prepared by oregon for internships. Also and most importantly! People out here are very different and prioritize different things than on the east coast. Additionally, the majority of people that go to UO want to stay on the West Coast, which makes creating and maintaining friendships when you go home really hard, especially if you want to go back home after college. Picture your summers being on the east coast watching all your west coast friends hang out together because they're all from oreogn or california. That being said, UO is pretty fun but if you're looking for econ or law I would recommend UW seattle
7
u/buttmeadows Dec 09 '24
Not at all. You'll be able to live and work wherever no matter where you go to school.
There's also a lot of programs on campus that help students work or study elsewhere in the country for internships etc