Student Life and Housing

About Oregon

Oregon is a beautiful state that is a national leader in sustainability, and enjoys a wide variety of outdoor activities. OSU finds its home in the city of Corvallis, which is located in the Willamette Valley, where most of the population of Oregon is located. The Willamette Valley gets a lot of rain in the winter, and has warm summers with a generally mild climate. About a 2 hour drive north of Corvallis is the city of Portland, the largest city in Oregon. An hour to the west is the Oregon Coast, a popular day trip for students in the warmer months of the year. Central and Eastern Oregon (where the OSU Cascades Campus is located) are the largest regions of Oregon and have a very diverse landscape that includes desert, mountains, and plains. Oregonians enjoy a very outdoorsy culture with hiking, biking, skiiing, running, rock climing, and lots of other outdoor activities being very popular. To see more of the beautiful landscape take a look at Travel Oregon.

Getting around Corvallis

Oregon State Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) has a variety of resources on getting around on campus and in Corvallis. Biking and walking are the primary ways in which people get to and around campus. This is one of the more practical options due to limited parking, and the high amount of foot traffic on campus. Parking permits are available through TAPS, and are priced according to the location of the desired parking lot. City bus routes are available; however, the busses don't run as frequently here as in many other places (most bus routes are run once an hour) so students should plan ahead if they plan on using public transportation. On campus there is the Beaver Bus, a shuttle system for use if you need transportation to another part of campus. It operates on 5-15 minute loops during the school year, and the busses can be tracked online or with an android or iphone app.

Housing

Visit the Housing page for more information about living options.

International Students Clubs and Events

International Students of Oregon State University is an organization dedicated to providing support to international students. They are located in the Student Experience Center building. 

Student services has compiled a list of forestry related clubs. 

Events

  • Football games are very popular with college students here in the United States.
  • Other athletics schedules can also be found. OSU has a variety of excellent men's and women's sports and is a Division 1 school in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
  • The Memorial Union Program Council is the student organization that puts on many of the big campus wide events and traditions. 
  • Check out Visit Corvallis for a list of things to do in Corvallis and community events.