r/UofO • u/Both_Fall695 • 2d ago
UofO as a Whole
Hello!! Class of 2029 (upcoming class) here and I am majoring in Biochemistry
I was accepted into UofO and I was wondering to hear from current and past students: What does UofO bring to an out-of-state student? Is the community easy for me (a black girl) to adapt to? how is the biochem program and what does it come with and bring? How is the community outside of school?
Also are there many scholarships available? I was offered $50,000 ($12,500 per year) and currently waiting for FAFSA.
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u/ItResonatesLOL 2d ago
As a PoC I’ve done fine the student population is large. You do have to get out there and work to build social circle though
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u/Individual-Two4752 2d ago
Congrats on your acceptance and merit scholarship. I'm also interested in hearing about the undergrad experience and opportunities for Biology and Biochem majors. I hope current science majors can offer their input. Thanks, everyone. Happy New Year to all!
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u/kendall_1135 2d ago
I am in-state, but in the biologocal sciences department. I personally really like it here and enjoy the science department; but, I dont think I would have came if I didnt get the scholarships I have. Its not perfect, but you can find some amazing people and professors.
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u/emmaisbadatvideogame 2d ago
Can’t speak on diversity as I am white and wouldn’t know what it is like to be a POC student on campus. I also pay in state tuition.
I am a Biochemistry Major though and can say it’s really great here. The faculty is super supportive and the classes are challenging but not terrible. Research opportunities are ample here and there a lot of really great chances to get some great lab experience and make connections. You also form a very close relationship with peers as there aren’t a lot of Biochem/Chem majors in each year and by your second year the classes are super close knit!
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u/sarcophyton_glaucum 5h ago
As a BIPoC student you should definitely do the New Student Fall Retreat program!! It’s free but you just get to move in early and they help you adjust to campus and college and show you how the systems work, plus they set you up with the Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence! i was in it this year and it was great (:
Also, you should definitely apply to the diversity excellence scholarship because that’s soooo helpful!! Also the Pathways scholarship if you qualify but you might have to be in state for that I’m not sure :/
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u/Objective-Welder727 2d ago
as a Filipina born and raised in Oregon, you unfortunately will feel like a minority even in the cities like Eugene. Just not a lot of POC here :( But a lot of people are extremely nice and micro aggressions have been very rare since I moved to UVO from my hometown.
there’s a black student union that meets which would be a great start! One of my friends who moved from Seattle said it was kinda a struggle to feel like the ‘only black student around’ when in crowds/classes, but found a lot of community quickly
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u/Senior-Media1863 1d ago
I graduated in physical education in 1988. I still live here. The people in Eugene are very friendly. You'll have no trouble getting along with everybody. Apartments are very expensive. I would look at a private dorm. They're expensive too, but they're a lot better and then an apartment. You should also check out the dorms available at the UFO. I only lived in the dorm for a weekend and it was acceptable but today I hear they're a lot better. Do you have always out of state students and out of country students because they can charge them more money One thing I'd advise is take one phys Ed course every quarter. Pick something you'd enjoy. They have classes in almost everything
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u/Pure-Argument7354 2d ago
Current student / long time oregon resident .
U of o loves out of state students because it charges so much more than in state students. Ethnic diversity is low, but higher than the surrounding area of oregon. Stats can give you the exact numbers, but it's heavily skewed towards a white woman majority. It's a beautiful campus, very bikeable. It's hard for a car as parking is terrible. Uofo is very liberal surrounded by conservative blue collar.
Locally, osu is known as the better hard sciences/ chem / bio program, while the uofo is a football / liberal arts campus. Start looking for housing now as housing here is expensive and not nearly enough esp considering how low pay is in this area. Not as bad as portland prices yet but affordable housing is a big issue. Locally u of o is respected but if you plan to move back to your home state... prob would be better off going to your best in state college and saving the tuition.