Top Tips for First-Year Students at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Oral Roberts University, perhaps most famous for its eclectic architecture and recognizable founder, is a small private university. Current enrollment, including graduate students, is roughly at 5,000 students, most of which live on campus in the various student dormitories. This Tulsa, Oklahoma school is has a strong Christian and "Whole Person" focus. While it certainly is not for everyone, ORU fulfills a certain need in higher education and has many outstanding faculty and students.

ORU has gone out of its way to make sure new students feel welcome. As a first-year at ORU, you'll be sent to a variety of orientation programs and events before the classes actually start. These have improved each year and participants often meet people during these events that remain long-time friends. Of course, new students should be planning and researching ahead of orientation about what to expect, so as to make their entrance to undergraduate education as painless as possible.

When picking what dorm to live in, make sure to do your research beforehand. Each dorm, and each floor, generally has an established "feel" to it, often dating back many years. For instances, the EMR dorms are renowned for their late-night parties, athletics and loudness. Wesley, partly because it houses the Honor's dorms, is considered the quite, study, chill dorm, while Michael falls somewhere in-between. The female dorms are roughly analogous, except for the secluded Gabriel/Gabby dorms which are just, well, quiet. They are setup more like a hotel or apartment than a typical dorm layout. ORU does have fraternities; instead each dorm floor often acts as such. Some of these are very well-established, with long histories and powerful alumni members, while others are more transient. This is especially important to realize before you sign up for a certain floor.

One question many students have is regarding which meal plan to choose. While the cafeteria used to have a terrible reputation with students, it has dramatically improved in the last 3 years, with food quality skyrocketing from its former days. Student input has been taken very seriously, with a new student food committee helping select food choices and adjust menu items to make the cafeteria as good as possible. A good recommendation is to choose the meal plan that allows for you to eat most of your meals in the cafeteria, but leaves a little allowance for Eagle Bucks or the other ORU credit, Sodexho, so that you can eat at the various other eateries on campus as well. These include a Chick Fila, a Java Hut, Smoothie stand and several other locations. Plus, some of the restaurants nearby also take Eagle Bucks.

Expect chapel services twice a week, and at least one religion class per semester in the beginning. These change as certain requirements are met, but you will also have to take at least one HPE course each semester. Most of the time the HPE courses are pretty laid back, but there are a few sticklers that make certain classes important to avoid. Talk to sophomores, juniors and seniors about what to avoid your second year. The first years all take the same HPE course, but competition can be fierce in the spring when it comes to signing up for the next years "labs."

ORU is a fun place for undergraduate education. It can feel strict at times but most people entering the school are familiar with the expected standards before entering. If you end up going to Tulsa, Oklahoma for education at ORU, relax, have fun, and be sure to take the Fun Run!