University of Oregon

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Landscape Architecture
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Straight Female

Summary

I’m part of the Climate Justice League, which is an environmental organization. We help out by going into a forest and collecting data on how we can present to lawyers and courts on forest defense.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Straight

High School Experience: Public high school in Little Rock, AR with a graduating class of about 500 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Landscape Architecture
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I’m part of the Climate Justice League, which is an environmental organization. We help out by going into a forest and collecting data on how we can present to lawyers and courts on forest defense.
Have any of your extracurricular activities had a particularly big impact on your experience?
The [Climate Justice League] has definitely impacted me getting more involved with the environmental community in Eugene and not just at the University of Oregon. It helped me connect to a lot of people who are now my close friends. It’s an empowering thing to be doing.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I’m in the College of Design so we have studio twelve hours a week for six credits. It’s a lot of time in class learning how to do design work and technical workshops as well as expressing creativity through design. There are pinups but no tests. I also have a plant class that involves walking around campus or off-campus to learn trees and other plants, then we’re tested on that. I have an analyzing land systems class where we learn geology and hydrology. We have no tests but quizzes and lab assignments where we make maps. I’m also taking an urban farm class where we work on a farm and take home produce. We have some assignments about local eating.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
As for doing well, it fosters a nice community because there are only about 15 of us in each graduating class. It’s a tight-knit community and there’s lots of one-on-one help and I definitely know all my professors. They know me by name and care about us succeeding. I also like that we get to go outside for a lot of classes and the classes are about plants. As for negatives, it’s a lot of time in class and if you take too many credits like I have this term you can feel overwhelmed by the amount of time in class and then homework on top of it. Your whole life can revolve around the school if you don’t balance it well. Since we have studio, the classes are longer than a normal course load per week. [In the Class of 2018, there were 12 graduates with a Landscape Architecture degree.]
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I’d say it’s collaborative for sure. The whole idea of having studio classes be pass or no pass is so it’s not competitive and we can learn from each other, ask questions, and share ideas.
How accessible are your professors?
Very accessible.
What has been your favorite part of Oregon academically?
Academically, it’s the collaborative environment of my program and getting outside and learning not just in a classroom.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
My end goal is to design urban agriculture or be part of that in some way. The Urban Farm is through the Landscape Architecture program and the professor who runs it convinced me to join the program. I’m happy I did because landscape architecture is all about integrating nature, community, and creative solutions that are ecologically friendly but also maintains culture. I’m happy with it overall.

Reasons to Attend

1) There are a lot of options and a pretty good sense of community. It’s easy to find one to be part of.
2) People are accepting and friendly. You can ask anyone a question, people feel very approachable.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) Depending on what your major is, the education isn’t amazing. It’s not a top-tier school, but I feel like my education in my major is good. I think you have to seek it out. Certain classes can feel like a waste, so you have to be intentional about which classes you take.
2) It feels like a business enterprise. They’re increasing tuition and building a bunch of things on campus that feels unnecessary. [See The James G. Martin Center article, “How Nike Transformed the University of Oregon.”]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Bean Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: Off-campus house with four roommates
How was transitioning from Little Rock, AR to Eugene, OR in terms of location?
I transitioned really well because I like Eugene and feel comfortable here. It’s my kind of pace and is a culture I want to be part of. I can finally live in alignment with all my values. The size of the city is similar to Little Rock and the weather is pretty similar as well.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve always felt pretty safe. I’m not scared of anyone approaching me.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I like going to the Saturday farmers market a lot. Also, I like going into the forest nearby to hike, camp, or go mushroom hunting. I like doing that throughout the day or go shopping downtown. For nightlife, there is a lot of good music and we have house shows where local bands play that a lot of college students go to. There are also some good concerts that come to a venue in Eugene. Now that I have my place on campus, I have people over and play music because my roommates have a lot of musical instruments. I definitely don’t go to any fraternity parties.
How did your nightlife experience when you were a freshman and were less socially established?
The first year I stayed in hanging out in the dorms watching a movie or talking a lot more. It was pretty easy to get plugged into whatever social scene I wanted to be a part of. I went to lots of house shows last year. I hear about them from people I’m around because I’m not big on social media. I don’t go out every weekend, but I would go out on Friday and Saturday if I were going to. Sometimes I also go out during the week on Tuesdays.
How happy are you with the weekend options? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I think there are a lot of good options, and staying in with friends is always a good option too.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I was in an environmental residential community in the dorms and most of my close friends are from there. A lot of the others are through the environmental clubs or activities I’ve been involved with. This year I’ve become a lot closer to the people in my major because we have spent a lot of time together.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Oregon?
I think there’s an option for everyone and it’s pretty easy to find a community that you want to be part of. People seem to be open and accepting.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
There’s not a ton of racial diversity. I have some friends of color but I hang out with mostly White people. I know a lot of people who are fluid with sexual orientation. One of my roommates is gay, so there’s a mix. I noticed in the dorms last year a lot of international students would hang out together. They’d hang out and cook. Athletes seem to stick together too. [The undergraduate population is 6% Black, 14% Asian, 15% Hispanic, 3% Native American, and 60% White.]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
There’s not that much mixing there. Greek life is its own thing and that’s where they socialize. People that aren’t in it have the house shows or whatever else they want to partake in.
How do you like the size of Oregon in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 19,000] students?
I think it’s a pretty good size because there are options for everyone. There were some lectures last year that were pretty big, but if it’s basic learning it doesn’t matter too much. My major is small, so I haven’t had a problem with the size.

Careers

Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
For Landscape Architecture, I have to learn the Adobe programs. I’ve been getting more experience with Rhinoceros 3D, a digital modeling program. I also know some SketchUp.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, accommodating was the office to your needs?
I don’t have need-based financial aid, but it was pretty easy applying to scholarships within my department.