Tight Rope Walker

Tight Rope Walker

Monday, August 8, 2011

Ohio University Voted # 1 Party School

Ohio University, not to be confused with The Ohio State University, was voted # 1 party school, according to the Princeton Review, after surveying 122,000 students across the country.

Guess where my son is going as a freshman in the Fall??  Yep, you are right OU.

Should I give you my history of OU?  In the 80's I went there for the Halloween Parties.  They were famous!  They were fun!  So fun, I went a few years in a row.  We went without having a place to stay.  I don't remember where I stayed.  I don't remember much, maybe because it's been 30 years or maybe because of the frat house parties with free keg beer. 

My son went to "camp" there last summer.  He took a class for a week, lived in the dorm and worked hard because we paid extra for it to count towards college credit.  He met kids from all over the country.  Loved it and got a 3.75.  He had an idea of what he wanted major in, business and sports.  Low and behold OU is the number 1 in country for this major.  Along with communications, their claim to fame is that Matt Laurer graduated from there.  From then on, his goal was to go to OU and major in Sports Business.  And he achieved his goal.

I had my reservations, knowing it ranked pretty high on the party school list.  I dragged him to other colleges visits. I pointed out all the positives in the other schools.  I am sensitive to things like this, I feel I have reason to be, with all we have been thru.  He asked me to go on  a visit to OU and try and keep an open mind.  I did that, for him.  I was pleasantly surprised!  I loved it there!  I was amazed at all the help he can get.  How efficient they are in in every area.  Organized, set up to success! 

I accepted his choice.  In reality, he would not do well if I MADE him go somewhere else. I started defending it to others.  Saying, college is what you make of it.  Most colleges can be party schools if you want it to be.  I went to OSU and looking back, I wish I never went there, it was too big and a 24/7 party. 

I read how the Princeton Review rated this ranking.  It is based on where it is located.  There is really nothing in Athens, Ohio.  Even the Walmart is fairly new.  But there are bars.. a whole street of them.  It's based on festivals.  OU has 2 big festivals.  They neglected to say, most of the trouble and arrests from outsiders, not the students.  And it is probably in one of the poorer economic counties in our state. 

Like I said, I am sensitive about this issue.  I can talk til I am blue in the face to my son about it.  I forget he has lived it too.  I can't fight genetics, I know this.  I also know I won't cause it, control it nor can I cure it, if he chooses to dive into in the party scene.  I know being an 18 year old boy, will have it ups and downs and life lesson and consequences.  I will have to step back and watch from the sidelines as he stumbles and picks himself up again.  I do not expect perfection from him. 

But, I can say, I have all the trust in this place.  There is so much help!  There is many positives.  In his college, 120 kids were hand picked to go thru this program.  They will help him.  They picked him for some reason.  I just wish it was just not recently chosen as the #1 party school and they don't give the stats on how the schools were rated.  So I find myself defending the #1 party school, which sorta haunts me in a way.

2 comments:

  1. I would have the same problem. We think of so many more things like this when it is the older child with the addiction. I know I project that on my younger one even though I try really hard not to it is hard. I am embarrassed to say that when my younger one talked about going away to College (out of State) I tried to tell him that College wasn't for everyone! What the hell was I thinking?

    But you are right, he lived it too. He knows more than most what drugs can and will do to you. He will probably not bother with that side of the partying. It is hard to believe that some kids actually do have control! :)

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  2. I think any mother in your shoes would feel this way to a degree. But the good news is your son is going to a great school. It doesn't matter if its the number one party school or the 510th on the list, there are the same temptation at any college or in any college town. I think your son is a bright kid just based on the fact that he is going to college right after HS, GOOD FOR HIM!!! :)

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