University of Oregon Top Questions

Least diverse campus in the nation, enough said. Religion exists at the U of O? Gays are welcomed adored and loved in the Euge. no one can really tell who's rich and who's just a drunk or a hippie until they get in their car. A conservative. Most students are from Oregon (mainly Portland and Southern Oregon). Mostly upper-middle class students. Students are very politically aware and sometimes active (there were riots here and there is an anarchist group that blows up car dealerships here). Predominately indifferent or liberal. No, never.

Definitely a lot of social activism on campus. Some is a bit outrageous, but for the most part people are respectful. One time, there was a religious movement protesting abortion and they showed dead fetuses and connected the brutality to the Holocaust. I thought that was extremely ignorant and full of misrepresentation. I have met so many different people since coming here, I feel like it has affected me positively. I enjoy diversity and I feel like UO has some, but could be better. On the other hand, I think you can find it if you really want to. Most students tend to be from Portland area, or Eugene.

About 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body is middle to upper class and moderate to very liberal. There are a few gays and the student body is very accepting of all sexual orientations. Most students don't dress up to go to class. Many are in sweatpants and look like they just rolled out of bed. The beginning of my freshman year a group of girls from LA all wore their heels to class for about a week but that was about as dressy as it got. The vast majority of students are from the Portland area, followed by California and Seattle. The only real cliques formed are the Greeks and the jocks. Other than that there are groups of friends from class and and dorms. Since UO tends to be so liberal it's kind of difficult to take the conservative stance. I'm a Democrat and also pro-life. Last year I spoke up about that in one of my classes and everyone rolled their eyes or started shouting at me I eventually just said I didn't have anything else to add and sat silently while they bounced ideas they all agreed with off of one another. I left UO after one year because it felt too much like high school. Two hundred fifty kids from my graduating high school class attended and three girls and a boy were in my building of forty five rooms. You may hear "It's such a big campus, you'll never see anyone you know" but that isn't true. Everyone from out-of-state absolutely loves it though. Most students are pretty relaxed when it comes to academics. Most are driven to earn B's, not A's and most aren't very career minded, at least not yet.

I can't think of anyone who would be out of place at the UO. It's pretty diverse. Most students dress casually, but some dress to impress. Some people wear sweats. It's legal to go topless in Eugene, and I've seen a couple people do that as well. I think UO students generally lean to the left politically, but there are exceptions.

The LGBT community is SMALL. Granted, because it's a university campus it's bigger than smaller towns, but it's nowhere near as diverse as it should be. In spite of this, the LGBTQA seems like a good enough group for networking and support, though I've never actually been associated with it. Wear what you want to class. If you don't care, professors probably won't. Students here seem mostly politically left to moderate, but as a result, those who are to the right are extremely to the right. Do students talk about how much they'll earn one day? You're bound to find a bunch who do in Lillis. But that's the exception rather than the rule.

If you are conservative, be prepared to not agree with a lot of people. But its not too bad. I guess I understand other points of view a little better.

Most of the students at UO are from Oregon, so when I get asked where I'm from I usually say "West Linn" or "the Portland area". The majority of out-of-state students are from along the West coast. A lot of people I know don't have a lot to spend on school, so staying close to home is a good way to save money. Many students are on financial aid, so it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Student clothing depends a lot on what term it is. It rains a lot in Eugene, but many of us don't use umbrellas. (It's only water!) In the fall and winter, I see a lot of people in sweaters and jackets. In the spring, there's a lot of sun, so people love to put on their shorts and study on the grass. In the business school, I also see a lot of people dressed up to give presentations for their classes. At UO, just like in Oregon in general, there are a lot of white people, but minorities are definitely accepted. There are several student clubs and activities on campus to promote diversity. As an employee at UO Disability Services, I think UO does a good job of accommodating students with disabilities. I work with students who have difficulty hearing lectures, and they are generally quite successful with their classes.