OU is a bustling campus filled with people and energy during the school year. When the weather starts to warm and the classes wrap up, though, most students leave campus for a few months to return in August.

While I love the hustle and bustle of OU during August through May, there’s something to be said for the serenity that descends upon the Ovals during those few months of summer. Walking across the beautiful campus in the afternoon warmth becomes a peaceful experience, rather than an energizing one. I take in more of the natural beauty that surrounds me and I pay more attention to all the little nooks and crannies that I forget about during the school year, like the little path between Bizzell and Evans or the walkways over by Sarkeys that I always forget about.

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Before I can hit on my “top five” list, I need to explain the meal plan system so that you will understand what I’m talking about. So if you already know the difference between meals, points and meal exchanges, skip ahead. 🙂

First you have to understand the difference between meals and points. You will get so many meals each week, and they will expire every week on Sunday at midnight so you have to use them within that week or you will lose them. A meal can be used at Couch Restaurants (a.k.a the Caf). When used at the Caf, a meal has an all-you-can-eat value of $11. When you use one meal to get into the Caf, you get all-you-can-eat access to ALL of the FOURTEEN dining options inside this one building. I am a super picky eater, and trust me when I say there is something for everyone here. Don’t believe me? Check out the virtual tour.

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I know that one of the big concerns for incoming freshmen is those pesky Gen Eds. When I came in as a Journalism major (and when I became an Art major), the last thing I wanted to take was a lab science. But these classes needn’t be scary! There are so many awesome courses at OU that you can find something that interests you to satisfy your Gen Eds. Everybody’s interests are different, but these are some of the classes that I recommend.

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As I am getting settled in my classes and starting to plan my schedule for next year, I’ve started to realize how much I rely on all the different OU websites! So I thought I would post a list of some of the sites that make my life as a student and resident so much easier! Read more

It’s just that time of year again, when you are all receiving your acceptance letters and trying to decide what college you will give the next four (or five, or six) years of your life to. I remember being in your shoes, and it was the most difficult decision I had made in my life at that point. Let me take you back a few years, to Edmond, Oklahoma, into my life.

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Hey there!

So we are a little over a month into the Spring semester — my fifth here at OU — but it definitely does not feel like it! Time is flying by, and the snow breaks we had definitely sped everything up! I, of course, enjoyed those snow days as much as the next person, and I admire and respect the fact that OU consistently sided with student safety when making the decisions about whether we would have class. But I will say that at one point, I told a friend of mine that you know you love your major when you are disappointed that class is cancelled!  Read more

Well the Winter Break is winding down, and we will be starting our second semester of classes on Tuesday. I’ve been back home for a month now, and while I have enjoyed the tasty home-cooked meals, my stomach is growling for some of the delicious food options back in Norman! So in honor of my return to campus this week, a list of the campus food options that I can’t wait to take advantage of! Most of these are actual OU Housing & Food locations, but there are a few local restaurants as well. All of these, though, are specific to Norman, Oklahoma.

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1) Move In. There is nothing in the world like being a part of the joy and excitement that blankets campus on this August day. The entire Walker Adams mall is covered with tents, new Sooners, and parents. Music booms across campus from a DJ. Businesses set up tables and give away free frisbees, pens, laundry bags, cash, etc. Free donuts, bagels and juices are provided in the morning, and a free barbecue is held in the evening. This year, I even got my caricature done, you guessed it, for FREE! I always work with Housing & Food’s marketing team doing anything and everything–passing out water bottles to parents and students, running the elevators, and even checking on on the caricaturist and bringing him food. You’ll soon see that this day is well worth the early wake up call. Nothing compares to seeing the excitement on all the new Sooners’ faces! Read more

1) My favorite part of the week? Wednesday night. Why? $3 burgers at McNellie’s. I have an evening Vis Comm class, Design Technology, on Mondays and Wednesdays. Our class lets out around 7:30, and directly from class we all pile into a few peoples’ cars and drive to McNellie’s Pub in Norman. It’s just a quick 5-minute trip, and maybe an hour wait (for our large groups of 10 or more), and then we can eat delicious burgers and fries–for just $3. It’s every college student’s dream. I will admit that I was a little wary about such cheap hamburgers, but I’m very picky, and I love them. You can also sub in sweet potato fries if you’d like, which is a very popular option. McNellie’s is located in downtown Norman, which is home to a lot of very fun and unique places. I definitely recommend walking around if you get the chance.

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I finally have my first impressive project to show you! This is a great example of what the Visual Communication program is all about.

A vector drawing self-portrait project done in Adobe Illustrator that compares myself to an Alice in Wonderland character.

So there you go! This is a project that was assigned in my Design Technology class to introduce us to Adobe Illustrator. I was very nervous about it because Illustrator is the only program of the Adobe big three (InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator) that I was completely unfamiliar with. I wound up really getting used to it, though, and I’m starting to like it quite a bit. The piece was supposed to be a self-portrait comparing ourselves to an Alice in Wonderland character. Each piece of this project–each line, shape, shadow, etc.–was done by hand. Including the back of the cards, which seems to be the part people are most impressed with, haha! It was a ton of fun and I LOVED working on it. It was also really fun to have everybody’s work printed out, mounted on presentation board and hung up in the room during the class critique. We went around and talked about each person’s piece and what we thought was really good and what needed improvement. We get the chance to revise all of our work throughout the year and turn in final versions during midterms and also during finals. This means grades are very rarely set in stone, which can be a relief, but it also gets a little frustrating to know that you’re never really *finished* with a project, even after you turn it in. For me, I’m going to work on increasing the shadows in my face to add more depth (which I already did a little bit. I added a bit more contrast to this after our critique on Wednesday). I’m also going to work on amping up the Alice in Wonderland connection, and making the “white roses painted red” look a little bit more natural. Read more

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