Marcus Watts and Nasir Pettigrew
By Marcus Watts,11th grader and Nasir Pettigrew, 10th grader at King School
Located in Norfolk, Virginia, known as one of America’s top colleges by Forbes, is Old Dominion University (ODU). Old Dominion University was founded in 1930 by the College of William and Mary, the second oldest university in the United States. It was established as an extension of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia. It soon became a four-year institution and was then granted independence in 1962 as Old Dominion College.
The campus provided us with spacious and eye-appealing scenery as soon as we arrived. Our tour guide Makenna Landon wasted no time giving us the rundown on the tradition of the sacred emblem in the middle of the university campus and the enrollment, teacher to student ratios, the offered academic programs, as well as the downtown city life surrounding the university.
Tour guide Makenna Landon with Marcus and Nasir
Some 24,000 students attend the school which maintains a 16:1 student-to-professor ratio. There are 35 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)-winning professors and nearly 100 undergraduate majors to offer. While they have the traditional Division 1 sports at the institution, ODU also surprisingly competes in motorsports.
Here are more fun facts about Old Dominion. First and foremost, Old Dominion loves tradition. They have a Seal, a historic landmark on campus, upon which it is forbidden to step. ODU offers many hands-on learning opportunities involving your interests. ODU has powerful partnerships with such prodigious organizations as the Langley Research Center (LaRC or NASA Langley).
Out of the 24,000 students, 5,000 live on campus. Some classes are larger than others depending on the class, allowing students to personally engage with professors. Off-campus students either commute or attend the university by taking online classes. ODU offers a transit system for those who do not have a car on campus.
The Old Dominion University Seal
Other cool things that ODU has are Expo-friendly windows; a greenhouse open to all students; lakes that run through the campus (a great place to study or just relax); and a virtual reality yoga class (great to do before taking exams).
Students interested in business and entrepreneurship can present their ideas in the school’s version of “Shark Tank” at the Strome Entrepreneurial Center. The center is designed to be the hub of entrepreneurial activity on campus, which includes academic curricula and support for student entrepreneurs. If your project is liked and approved, the idea might be backed and funded by the school.
ODU is located next to Naval Station Norfolk, a United States Navy base that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about 4 miles of waterfront space and 11 miles of pier and wharf space of the Hampton Roads peninsula known as Sewell's Point. ODU has many military partnerships for those interested in that career path.
