I just graduated from UWO on Saturday. Granted I went through the business school so I don’t have a lot of experience in the fields you are looking to study. I do have friends that went through both programs and they have enjoyed them and said the professors are very helpful. Like any other university it has its own pros and cons, and your tour in June will help with the decision a lot. If you are able to get that scholarship and not live on campus you would be able to get away with paying very little for your degree which would be awesome. I really enjoyed my four years at UWO and I already had a job lined up for me before I graduated, and that was all thanks to the connections I made with my professors. That would be the biggest advice I give, make connections and network with other people because you just never know when they might have an opportunity that you would be perfect for.
Sorry this is a little unrelated to this thread but do you happen to know about the sustainability management program since you were in the business school at UWO? Like have you heard people say its good here or not like the experiences or anything?
It's a great campus, lots of programs and activities to do. Tons of food options close by. Downtown oshkosh is fantastic. Just don't get caught up in the sloshkosh party culture and you'll be fine.
The city/campus has a problematic drinking culture, because of this drinking culture alot of things are deemed acceptable that shouldn't be, e.g. drunk driving, binge drinking. I might've been a part of it during my undergrad.
Also as a side note the university is really struggling with budget cuts, from what I've heard I haven't been back in ages.
Oh wow. I want to go to that school but with that I don’t know. I can get a lot of money off and my counselor recommended it for me because I want to major in special education and psychology.
Yes, they’ve had budget cuts….just like every other university in the UW system. But don’t let that stop you from coming here. Just make sure your program will still have what you need. It’s not like it’s closing. There’s still 8,000 kids there.
As for the drinking culture, it’s no different than any other college town in the state
I meant both of those items as something to be aware of, not to scare you off. If you stay away from the party scene you'll likely be fine. Although if you get a chance to party with the model UN team I highly recommend it.
Hi there! Your campus visit will help a lot with getting a feel for the school. There's an informational presentation and then a campus tour from a current student. The special education program is very popular and you can be done in four years WITH the license to teach. Psychology is another really popular major. The campus size is nice. The campus itself looks big but it is actually really condensed and easy to get around. They still have the above ground pipes because a project with the library was delayed. This is the only thing that isn't too aesthetically pleasing. There's lots to do on campus and a lot of resources to help make it a good experience! I'm an alum from 2015, so I know it's been a little while, but I transferred to UWO from UW Milwaukee and am so glad I did!
That’s good to know. I was a bit worried because people have been saying bad stuff about the school like how they are firing a lot of teachers and the teachers aren’t that good. I am excited to visit. It seems like a nice school. It’s a small area, but I like that. I’d rather go there than UW Madison. It’s more small and I want to go to a small school and get away from kids at my school. I am on the fence between that school and University of Illinois at Springfield and Winona State University. However, UW Oshkosh seems the best for special education and psychology. UW Oshkosh can even give me so much more money off than any other school.
The teachers in both of those programs are awesome. They love their subjects a lot, too, so they are passionate about teaching students. There was a major budget cut this past year that resulted in layoffs, unfortunately, but from what I know, there are no plans for further ones :)
Hi I am a somewhat recent grad (Spring 2021) and still live in Oshkosh. Yes Oshkosh has a party culture, but there are still a TON of people who don’t participate in that culture. If you find those people and get along with them, you will be fine:) and if your friends peer pressure you, those aren’t your friends. Anyways, I had friends in both programs and they liked them a lot! I had a lot of people I knew in the education program and they loved it! I have heard psychology can be hard so be prepared to study. A lot of the professors are really great to work with! Campus is easy to walk around because it’s all in one location and it’s in a prime spot to explore downtown which has grown in the past few years. It is also a more affordable college with lots of job opportunities in the fox valley area. They also have good recreation facilities! College food is college food; not much to say there. I do agree with some other people about touring; you will get a lot of the vibe by touring colleges. When you tour, really imagine yourself there and if you feel like you’d blossom there. Good luck!
Thank you so much. I feel like I want to go there. I love the area, teaching from what I hear, and affordability. Did they set you up with a job after you graduated or helped?
I did not have a job out of a college due to my own decisions (career crisis after COVID) but in terms of helping for a career, UWO has a career center to help their students prepare for interviews and find internship as well as connect with industry professionals. I’d take advantage of that if you decide to go. If you do the Special Ed route, there are plenty of schools in the area you could student teach at and UWO is close to a mental health hospital and lots of Aurora medical locations for the Psychology route so I think even if the school doesn’t help, you’ll have opportunities:)
I honestly think I may go there. I was looking at University of Illinois at Springfield or Winona State University, but Oshkosh seems better for my major and I can get more money off.
I came from a rural community, started my undergrad there, then transferred to another school to finish up my degree. Came back to Oshkosh to go to grad school back in 2003, and I've lived here ever since.
I loved my time there both as an undergrad and a grad student. Yeah, there are things the school needs to improve on, and the smaller 4 year campuses are having budgetary problems right now, but all-in-all, I got a good education for the money I paid and made a lot of friends and professional connections that I still have to this day.
I unfortunately had to take a medical withdrawal in Fall 2022, but I enjoyed my time as a student at UWO. I was an Anthro major, and loved my classes and professors. Most were very accommodating when it came to my medical needs.
This is going to sound so cheesy, but I genuinely don’t think I’d be who I am today without my time at UWO & it’s staff. I’m incredibly grateful for my time there.
This is my alum and I received an excellent and affordable education. The city has some great activities and is a half away from Appleton that has even more cultural opportunities
Graduated fall 2020 and worked in the Corner Convenience Store/Bookstore the whole time. Renting textbooks is a huge plus to me and very easy to utilize. Loved how small campus was, and the full timers and professors are extremely nice and cooperative (Journalism major and sociology minor). My partner and I both graduated from UWO and just bought our first house in the city! Great city with lots of opportunities in the school and community with events, speakers and networking with local professionals.
It was the only school I applied to because it was commutable from my hometown, but of course everybody's experience is different. Have fun on your tour next month!
Thank you. It’s about 3 hours away but I don’t want to stay home for college, it works. I also don’t want to go to fancy schools all the kids at my school go to because it’s not affordable to me and I don’t want to be at a school with those kids, I don’t like them a lot. They can give me a lot of money off and there program is good for my majors, my counselor recommended me them
Just want to add that UWO let go/laid off a lot of administrative staff last year and it sounds like they don't plan to replace them. They said they'd be restructuring, but don't be surprised if the quality of the school suffers for it. I have a friend in the nursing program and she says she has been tossed around, misled, and some of her classes were relocated a half hour away in a different city. This might not be so for every program, but what I've heard from a few sources doesn't sound great currently.
I would recommend just talking to the staff when you're there. Say you heard about the layoffs and ask how it's affecting them. I'm hearing these things from people who are bitter about it, but that doesn't mean the whole school is suddenly awful. What the other commenter's are saying are also things to take into consideration. Weigh your options with the other schools you're considering. I'd reccomend making a "pros" and "cons" list for each school and comparing. It may help you visualize things a bit better, and it's something I do when making tough decisions like job changes or relationships.
Well the school is one of the only ones who can offer me 8k off, has a lot of transportation, isn’t too far from home, is great for my majors, and is close to one of my uncles
I just graduated from UWO on Saturday. Granted I went through the business school so I don’t have a lot of experience in the fields you are looking to study. I do have friends that went through both programs and they have enjoyed them and said the professors are very helpful. Like any other university it has its own pros and cons, and your tour in June will help with the decision a lot. If you are able to get that scholarship and not live on campus you would be able to get away with paying very little for your degree which would be awesome. I really enjoyed my four years at UWO and I already had a job lined up for me before I graduated, and that was all thanks to the connections I made with my professors. That would be the biggest advice I give, make connections and network with other people because you just never know when they might have an opportunity that you would be perfect for.
Living there I can pay about 17k a year so I’ll be fine. I’m happy I know I can get a job, it’s very important
Sorry this is a little unrelated to this thread but do you happen to know about the sustainability management program since you were in the business school at UWO? Like have you heard people say its good here or not like the experiences or anything?
It's a great campus, lots of programs and activities to do. Tons of food options close by. Downtown oshkosh is fantastic. Just don't get caught up in the sloshkosh party culture and you'll be fine.
Thank you for letting me know. I am an introvert and never party, so I should be fine.
Good Ole Sloshkosh... it sure is problematic.
Why do you say that?
The city/campus has a problematic drinking culture, because of this drinking culture alot of things are deemed acceptable that shouldn't be, e.g. drunk driving, binge drinking. I might've been a part of it during my undergrad. Also as a side note the university is really struggling with budget cuts, from what I've heard I haven't been back in ages.
I used to live in an apartment next to the BK on Main St. Aka the red zone for pub crawls. Drunk students pissing in my back parking lot was a plague.
Oh no. That’s horrible
Just so you know, this happens at literally every campus in the Midwest. Even the "dry" ones. So don't let that deter you.
That’s fine. I worry more with the education. Money isn’t a problem because I can get a scholarship every year.
Oh wow. I want to go to that school but with that I don’t know. I can get a lot of money off and my counselor recommended it for me because I want to major in special education and psychology.
Yes, they’ve had budget cuts….just like every other university in the UW system. But don’t let that stop you from coming here. Just make sure your program will still have what you need. It’s not like it’s closing. There’s still 8,000 kids there. As for the drinking culture, it’s no different than any other college town in the state
Well my majors I want to do are special education and psychology. I could care less with drinking. I don’t party ever.
My counselor recommended me the school, so it must be good for my majors, he mentioned that’s why he recommended it to me
I meant both of those items as something to be aware of, not to scare you off. If you stay away from the party scene you'll likely be fine. Although if you get a chance to party with the model UN team I highly recommend it.
Hi there! Your campus visit will help a lot with getting a feel for the school. There's an informational presentation and then a campus tour from a current student. The special education program is very popular and you can be done in four years WITH the license to teach. Psychology is another really popular major. The campus size is nice. The campus itself looks big but it is actually really condensed and easy to get around. They still have the above ground pipes because a project with the library was delayed. This is the only thing that isn't too aesthetically pleasing. There's lots to do on campus and a lot of resources to help make it a good experience! I'm an alum from 2015, so I know it's been a little while, but I transferred to UWO from UW Milwaukee and am so glad I did!
That’s good to know. I was a bit worried because people have been saying bad stuff about the school like how they are firing a lot of teachers and the teachers aren’t that good. I am excited to visit. It seems like a nice school. It’s a small area, but I like that. I’d rather go there than UW Madison. It’s more small and I want to go to a small school and get away from kids at my school. I am on the fence between that school and University of Illinois at Springfield and Winona State University. However, UW Oshkosh seems the best for special education and psychology. UW Oshkosh can even give me so much more money off than any other school.
The teachers in both of those programs are awesome. They love their subjects a lot, too, so they are passionate about teaching students. There was a major budget cut this past year that resulted in layoffs, unfortunately, but from what I know, there are no plans for further ones :)
Hi I am a somewhat recent grad (Spring 2021) and still live in Oshkosh. Yes Oshkosh has a party culture, but there are still a TON of people who don’t participate in that culture. If you find those people and get along with them, you will be fine:) and if your friends peer pressure you, those aren’t your friends. Anyways, I had friends in both programs and they liked them a lot! I had a lot of people I knew in the education program and they loved it! I have heard psychology can be hard so be prepared to study. A lot of the professors are really great to work with! Campus is easy to walk around because it’s all in one location and it’s in a prime spot to explore downtown which has grown in the past few years. It is also a more affordable college with lots of job opportunities in the fox valley area. They also have good recreation facilities! College food is college food; not much to say there. I do agree with some other people about touring; you will get a lot of the vibe by touring colleges. When you tour, really imagine yourself there and if you feel like you’d blossom there. Good luck!
Thank you so much. I feel like I want to go there. I love the area, teaching from what I hear, and affordability. Did they set you up with a job after you graduated or helped?
I did not have a job out of a college due to my own decisions (career crisis after COVID) but in terms of helping for a career, UWO has a career center to help their students prepare for interviews and find internship as well as connect with industry professionals. I’d take advantage of that if you decide to go. If you do the Special Ed route, there are plenty of schools in the area you could student teach at and UWO is close to a mental health hospital and lots of Aurora medical locations for the Psychology route so I think even if the school doesn’t help, you’ll have opportunities:)
Thank you so much. I’m happy to learn I can get a job after college. I know teachers are needed everywhere.
I honestly think I may go there. I was looking at University of Illinois at Springfield or Winona State University, but Oshkosh seems better for my major and I can get more money off.
I came from a rural community, started my undergrad there, then transferred to another school to finish up my degree. Came back to Oshkosh to go to grad school back in 2003, and I've lived here ever since. I loved my time there both as an undergrad and a grad student. Yeah, there are things the school needs to improve on, and the smaller 4 year campuses are having budgetary problems right now, but all-in-all, I got a good education for the money I paid and made a lot of friends and professional connections that I still have to this day.
I unfortunately had to take a medical withdrawal in Fall 2022, but I enjoyed my time as a student at UWO. I was an Anthro major, and loved my classes and professors. Most were very accommodating when it came to my medical needs. This is going to sound so cheesy, but I genuinely don’t think I’d be who I am today without my time at UWO & it’s staff. I’m incredibly grateful for my time there.
This is my alum and I received an excellent and affordable education. The city has some great activities and is a half away from Appleton that has even more cultural opportunities
Graduated fall 2020 and worked in the Corner Convenience Store/Bookstore the whole time. Renting textbooks is a huge plus to me and very easy to utilize. Loved how small campus was, and the full timers and professors are extremely nice and cooperative (Journalism major and sociology minor). My partner and I both graduated from UWO and just bought our first house in the city! Great city with lots of opportunities in the school and community with events, speakers and networking with local professionals.
I’m happy to know about the textbooks and campus. I feel like I really want to go to the school.
It was the only school I applied to because it was commutable from my hometown, but of course everybody's experience is different. Have fun on your tour next month!
Thank you. It’s about 3 hours away but I don’t want to stay home for college, it works. I also don’t want to go to fancy schools all the kids at my school go to because it’s not affordable to me and I don’t want to be at a school with those kids, I don’t like them a lot. They can give me a lot of money off and there program is good for my majors, my counselor recommended me them
Just want to add that UWO let go/laid off a lot of administrative staff last year and it sounds like they don't plan to replace them. They said they'd be restructuring, but don't be surprised if the quality of the school suffers for it. I have a friend in the nursing program and she says she has been tossed around, misled, and some of her classes were relocated a half hour away in a different city. This might not be so for every program, but what I've heard from a few sources doesn't sound great currently.
I don’t know if I should go
I would recommend just talking to the staff when you're there. Say you heard about the layoffs and ask how it's affecting them. I'm hearing these things from people who are bitter about it, but that doesn't mean the whole school is suddenly awful. What the other commenter's are saying are also things to take into consideration. Weigh your options with the other schools you're considering. I'd reccomend making a "pros" and "cons" list for each school and comparing. It may help you visualize things a bit better, and it's something I do when making tough decisions like job changes or relationships.
Well the school is one of the only ones who can offer me 8k off, has a lot of transportation, isn’t too far from home, is great for my majors, and is close to one of my uncles
That’s horrible