Got questions for current Oberlin students?

Dear Newest Members of the Oberlin Family,

We released our Regular Decision notifications for the Class of 2019 today, and I am bursting at the seams with excitement! I'm currently on Ma'ayan's couch, and we are flailing with joy and going into raptures over the prospect of meeting you at All Roads!

There is SO MUCH that I want to tell you about Oberlin: so many things to look forward to, gasp and sigh over, make new friends over, taste, experience, discover. A bajillion new adventures await you!

And the best people to be sharing all of these possibilities with you are actual real-live Obies. Gasp!

We know that not all of you will be able to attend one of the All Roads programs. And while we'd all love to meet you in person, we realize that you have other things going on in your life at the moment. April is a busy month.

We're hosting a series of virtual panels* so that even if you can't come to campus (or if you've visited and you just can't get enough of us!), you still have access to current students. Each panel will have 5 or 6 Obies to talk to you about their Oberlin: activities, the transition from high school to college, food, Winter Term, housing, ExCos, et cetera.

The panels will be hosted right here on this blog, and we will take your questions in the comments section. Once the panel is finished, we'll archive it here so that you can come back to watch it again or, if you missed the livestream, you can watch it at your convenience.

As always, you're invited to watch and participate in any of the panels. We have themed them to help guide the conversation, but anyone is welcome to watch and ask questions (yes, even your 12-year-old sister, if she's interested).

TL;DR

WE'VE GOT PANELS! ONLINE! FOR EVERYONE!

The three panels are:

• Monday, April 6th, 8:00pm - 9:30pm EDT (underrepresented communities)
• Saturday, April 11th, 10:00am -11:00am EDT (international students)
• Thursday, April 23rd, 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT (general)

The virtual panels will be livestreamed here on this blog through YouTube and archived after the livestream ends.

You can ask questions live in the comments section, but here's an idea: start asking your questions now, so we have them queued up for the virtual panels! (If your question is geared towards a specific panel, make sure to note that in your comment.)

See you at All Roads, online, and hopefully on campus this fall!

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Thank you to our panelists (Aditi, Alejandro, Diego, Linda, Nyquon, and Sammie) for participating in our first virtual panel of 2015!

:43 Introductions
5:47 Why Oberlin?
11:02 What was it like adjusting to life at Oberlin? What helped you the most?
16:57 What do you do for fun? Does the small size ever feel overwhelming? (A question from Nik!)
19:34 Is there social pressure to constantly be doing something or going somewhere? (A question from Jennifer!)
21:16 We hear about the affordability of the concerts. What do you have to spend money on?
24:59 How easy is it to get an on-campus job?
27:19 Is it hard to maintain natural hair at Oberlin? (A question from Chandler!)
28:52 What community resources have been the most important to you at Oberlin?
31:21 What is a safe space? How do students build/use/find them?
32:18 Which is better for social life as a first-year: FYRE, co-ops, regular dorms, program housing? (A question from Sophia!)
40:38 Can you explain the Bonner program? (An anonymously submitted question.)
44:22 How have you gotten involved in the town of Oberlin? What community service opportunities are there if you're not a Bonner Scholar?
47:03 What academic resources are there? Are there any that you wish more people knew about?
52:19 Is it hard to double major at Oberlin? (This double major question came doubly from Kameron & Chan!)
56:26 How have you found mentors? Where have you found mentors?
1:01:16 How did you find internships related to your field? (A question from Chanel!)
1:05:42 What publications are there? Who gets to write for them? (A question from Liam!)
1:08:11 Can you talk about your experiences with queer groups/communities on campus? (An anonymously submitted question.)
1:10:32 Are there music opportunities for students not enrolled in the Conservatory? (An anonymously submitted question.)
1:15:26 What do you wish you had known your first week of college?
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Our second virtual panel was focused on international students. Thank you to Ahmet, Hassan, Lujza, Sakina, Sue, and Thanisa for sharing their Oberlin experiences!

1:19 Introductions
5:20 Why Oberlin, for you? How did you learn about the College and what drew you here?
13:17 What has been the most difficult part of your transition to college? What support have you had?
24:58 How difficult is it to do music and sciences? (A question from Jad!)
35:06 What is living like on campus? Can you talk about the differences in program houses, co-ops, and regular dorms? (A dual question from Samantha and an anonymous commenter.)
43:11 What is the Bonner Scholar program? (A question from Ramsha!)
49:50 For students who did not go through the US educational system, what support is there at Oberlin? What advice do you have for success? (A question from an anonymous commenter.)
58:26 What do wish you had known in your first week of college? What advice would you give your first-week-of-college self?

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And that's a wrap! Huge, huge thank you to Emily, Hyacinth, Jenny, Jocie, Matt, Nyquon, and Rand!

:30 Introductions
5:30 Why did you choose Oberlin?
14:00 Do you feel you made friends easily at Oberlin (a question from Betty)
17:48 How do you choose your roommates? What happens after your first year? (a question from Jack)
23:39 How does co-op living and dining work? Can you live in a co-op but eat in the regular dining hall? Can you dine in a co-op but live elsewhere? And how does work-study function with your co-op responsibilities? (A question from Sammie and Betty)
30:19 What involvement do you have in the local community?
36:38 Can someone talk about the community around manga, anime, and Asian culture at Oberlin? (A question from V)
43:01 Did you take a first-year seminar? Which one, and what was the experience like?
47:01 Who is your favorite professor? What has been your favorite class?
54:17 How have you been mentored at Oberlin? Where have you found your mentors?
1:02:25 Can someone talk about substances and social life? Is there pressure? Can you have a social life without? (A question from V)
1:05:39 What was your favorite winter term? (A question from anonymous)
1:14:09 What are the study abroad opportunities? How did your experience transform you? (A question from anonymous)
1:18:02 What is/was your favorite musical tradition or event on campus?
1:22:36 What advice would you give to yourself in your first week of college?

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*Pssst: these are not our first virtual panels! Feel free to watch the panels from last fall and spring 2014.