Try to get close enough to campus to ride a bike. They rape you on parking permits, and sell 19 times more permits than there are parking spaces. My wife is an alumnus and this was one of her main gripes about OU.
Help an incoming OU student! Any alumni or current students needed!
- Thread starter Spec ops Grunt
- Start Date
It's been mentioned: unless they've changed it since I was there a few years ago, all incoming students have to live in the dorms (so they can show mommy and daddy that they're taking care of you, I guess). I got an exception since I lived so close and was living at home. I can't remember where I got the form.
There can be a lot of distractions in the dorms...
But if you are indeed going to live off campus, start with an apartment guide and classifieds (for houses, mainly) and start looking at them. Also, just walk/drive/bike around the area, looking for "For Rent" signs.
Some of the campus apartments (Traditions) were a bit overpriced; Kraettli is older, but perhaps a better price.
It's also cheaper if you have a roommate, of course, but you really need to know them well. I moved in with a friend and had a terrible time.
Stay away from a certain Dr. Sam Lee. He's a professor and there was a bit of drama just a while back about this slumlord and his crappy houses and terrible maintenance. The old man shouldn't be teaching AND renting by himself. I rented from Patterson Intrests and had an awful time. Do your homework and watch out. Get everything/anything in writing. "We'll get that fixed," isn't good enough.
I also rented from some Russians who didn't bother to tell me the furnace was gas (everything else was electric; so that was a cold few days...). Ask lots of questions!
---
There are LOTS of scholarships out there... almost too many. Financial Services used to print a big book of scholarships. Start there. Sit down and start applying.
Your college (and I don't mean the University College where they lump freshmen) should have resources in their office, too. And your school office. (So for me: Engineering for college and Electrical and Computer Engineering for school.)
Loans can be a pain when it comes time to pay (they often get consolidated, sold, etc., causing headaches), but it's often people's only option. Again, do your homework.
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Closing advice: double check everything always. Which classes you *really* need to take, which classes are *really* prerequisites.
It's your education; don't let them dominate it; take a "just for fun" class at least once.
Get a nice pair of (surplus?) boots for the winter; don't make it obvoius you're checking out the girls in their skirts in the spring.
Watch out for morons on cell phones if you ride a bike; watch out for the parking cops when you drive/park.
Study hard, but have some fun.
Join a couple clubs; make some life-long friends.
Boomer Sooner!
There can be a lot of distractions in the dorms...
But if you are indeed going to live off campus, start with an apartment guide and classifieds (for houses, mainly) and start looking at them. Also, just walk/drive/bike around the area, looking for "For Rent" signs.
Some of the campus apartments (Traditions) were a bit overpriced; Kraettli is older, but perhaps a better price.
It's also cheaper if you have a roommate, of course, but you really need to know them well. I moved in with a friend and had a terrible time.
Stay away from a certain Dr. Sam Lee. He's a professor and there was a bit of drama just a while back about this slumlord and his crappy houses and terrible maintenance. The old man shouldn't be teaching AND renting by himself. I rented from Patterson Intrests and had an awful time. Do your homework and watch out. Get everything/anything in writing. "We'll get that fixed," isn't good enough.
I also rented from some Russians who didn't bother to tell me the furnace was gas (everything else was electric; so that was a cold few days...). Ask lots of questions!
---
There are LOTS of scholarships out there... almost too many. Financial Services used to print a big book of scholarships. Start there. Sit down and start applying.
Your college (and I don't mean the University College where they lump freshmen) should have resources in their office, too. And your school office. (So for me: Engineering for college and Electrical and Computer Engineering for school.)
Loans can be a pain when it comes time to pay (they often get consolidated, sold, etc., causing headaches), but it's often people's only option. Again, do your homework.
----
Closing advice: double check everything always. Which classes you *really* need to take, which classes are *really* prerequisites.
It's your education; don't let them dominate it; take a "just for fun" class at least once.
Get a nice pair of (surplus?) boots for the winter; don't make it obvoius you're checking out the girls in their skirts in the spring.
Watch out for morons on cell phones if you ride a bike; watch out for the parking cops when you drive/park.
Study hard, but have some fun.
Join a couple clubs; make some life-long friends.
Boomer Sooner!
I'm transferring from tcc
Here's some more advice. If they still have intercession classes, take them. You can finish early. Basically, these are 3-4 hour courses crammed into 2-3 weeks between fall break, summer break and spring break. You can take some really interesting classes and boost your GPA. For example, I took a class on "Cults and Charismatic Organizations," "Narcotics and Crime Control," "Organized Crime" "Acting for Non-Drama Majors (in which I met and dated two smoking hot girls), and a couple of other courses.
As for the dorms, I was there one semester. Hated them. Got an apartment on a golf course off of Highway 9 ( I think), and later got a big apartment near Sooner Fashion Mall called Savannah Square.
Of course, this was 20+ years ago. Damn I am old!
As for the dorms, I was there one semester. Hated them. Got an apartment on a golf course off of Highway 9 ( I think), and later got a big apartment near Sooner Fashion Mall called Savannah Square.
Of course, this was 20+ years ago. Damn I am old!
A lawyer getting a place by a golf course?
How about that.
Honestly, I'm not to big on the idea of a dorm. Seems, I dunno, more restrictive than living with my parents.
How about that.
Honestly, I'm not to big on the idea of a dorm. Seems, I dunno, more restrictive than living with my parents.
I don't play golf. I never have. There were a lot of hot gals in that complex.
Definitely do as many intercession classes as possible. Norman isn't really a place where the rent matches what you get for it, at least in this state.
If you get an apartment, make sure it's on or near the bus loop(was free when I went there). Unless you want to pay a huge fee for the lots near the university you'll probably end up parking at the stadium and riding the bus anyway. I think I drove my car about once or twice a week even though I had classes 5 days a week. Living somewhere within walking distance is better but a lot more expensive.
I went to and graduated from both OU and OSU. I thought OSU to be the better school but OU definitely has more hotties. I couldn't ever drink the tap water in Norman as it gave me headaches, maybe it was that arsenic that's supposedly in the water...
I really dislike living in small towns so yeah, it's kinda like living a real life version of the movie Groundhog Day to me.
If you get an apartment, make sure it's on or near the bus loop(was free when I went there). Unless you want to pay a huge fee for the lots near the university you'll probably end up parking at the stadium and riding the bus anyway. I think I drove my car about once or twice a week even though I had classes 5 days a week. Living somewhere within walking distance is better but a lot more expensive.
I went to and graduated from both OU and OSU. I thought OSU to be the better school but OU definitely has more hotties. I couldn't ever drink the tap water in Norman as it gave me headaches, maybe it was that arsenic that's supposedly in the water...
I really dislike living in small towns so yeah, it's kinda like living a real life version of the movie Groundhog Day to me.
@JB Books Ahaha, now I see
Alright, avoid a Mr. Robert's and a Proffesor/Renter
Are there even good places to live in Norman. >_>
Maybe I'll just live in the toilet paper fort at the Walmart there, which reminds me, I need to work on getting transferred to that store.
Alright, avoid a Mr. Robert's and a Proffesor/Renter
Are there even good places to live in Norman. >_>
Maybe I'll just live in the toilet paper fort at the Walmart there, which reminds me, I need to work on getting transferred to that store.
I'm still here in Norman (still in school unfortunately). My advice: AVOID THE DORMS!!!! It's true that you'll meet alot of people and possibly make some great friends (I still talk to 3 people I met in the dorms, 2 were in my wedding) but unless you are really good a studying and not being distracted your GPA could suffer. I had a $5500 scholarship plus a few smaller ones that I lost all within the first year due to hanging out too much and studying too little. There are some pretty good apartments around town but you should check them out first and talk to people who live there. My wife lived in 2 apartments without me, 1 with me, and I had 1 apartment without her. I know alot of people who live in various apartments around town as well. If you know a particular apartment you're thinking about, I might know someone who lives there or has lived there. The only problem you'll run into in an apartment is getting a time schedule down for either driving to class or catching the bus. The bus is cheaper (aka FREE!) but you have to know the run times and how long you have to make it to class. You can't wake up with 15 minutes til class and make it in time. As far as driving goes, you'll still need to be early if you want to park at Lloyd Noble. They have a bus loop that'll take you to campus and the parking there is free. If you want to buy a commuter permit, remember that you'll never find a spot close to where you want to be, get used to walking from the back of the lot (and probably the lot 4 blocks away from the class).
Of course this all depends on if you can avoid staying in the dorms. I remember how "mature" the guys were on my floor as well as the other floors we talked to. Fried chicken and Forties happened on Thursday and we had Airsoft fights almost daily. Lots of thinks to think about when you consider where you want to live.
For financial aid, stick with FAFSA. Avoid loans unless you have no choice and take the federal loans first if possible. I'm sitting on $40k in debt that started around $25k 6 years ago. FAFSA is your friend (especially the Pell Grant and the Tuition waivers you can get from it).
If you have any questions feel free to PM me or just ask me in this thread.
Of course this all depends on if you can avoid staying in the dorms. I remember how "mature" the guys were on my floor as well as the other floors we talked to. Fried chicken and Forties happened on Thursday and we had Airsoft fights almost daily. Lots of thinks to think about when you consider where you want to live.
For financial aid, stick with FAFSA. Avoid loans unless you have no choice and take the federal loans first if possible. I'm sitting on $40k in debt that started around $25k 6 years ago. FAFSA is your friend (especially the Pell Grant and the Tuition waivers you can get from it).
If you have any questions feel free to PM me or just ask me in this thread.
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