Pepperdine University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: International Relations
Minor: Asian Studies
Student Self Identifies as: Black Straight Male

Summary

I do research with a professor in the business division, I work for the student employment office, I’m a tutor, and I [have a leadership position] in the Golden Key Honors Society.

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Black
Sexual Orientation: Straight

High School Experience: Private high school in Colorado with a graduating class of about 200 students. There was a culture of going to college
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: International Relations
Minor: Asian Studies

Extracurricular Activities: I do research with a professor in the business division, I work for the student employment office, I’m a tutor, and I [have a leadership position] in the Golden Key Honors Society.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Working in the student employment office because I get to work on social skills and talk to people. I also work with Microsoft Excel and I see confidential information and make sure people get hired by the government and that all their paperwork is properly processed.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I mostly have exams, research papers, and group projects.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
In terms of especially well, I think a lot of the major classes are very interesting, engaging, and interesting to learn about. I think they’re helpful if you want to go into international relations or business. I do think there are a few too many general education requirements, so those could be less heavy. Overall, it’s not too bad.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s a bit of both. I think people like to collaborate if it’s mutually beneficial, but also prioritize their own grades. I think people are on average intelligent and when people need to work they really apply themselves.
How accessible are your professors?
Extremely accessible. They have office hours, you can email them, and some will give you their personal number. You can even go to their house. They’re always ready to help you. I’ve only heard of a few poor professors.
Do you feel that people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
On average, most people are pretty open-minded. There’s a conservative slant on campus which is fine with me, but I think people sometimes get offended by that. I think that people have their own views, whether it be political or religious, but they’re also pretty receptive to other people. People may not agree, but they’ll at least listen.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I want to go into foreign service diplomacy, so I thought international relations would be the best choice for me. I’m not really interested in accounting, finance, or business, and I’m not a science person either so I think it was the best choice.
What was your favorite class in your major?
The one I’m taking now, Global Economics. I don’t really like economics, but I really like this class. It’s challenging but I feel like I’ve learned a lot and I’m doing well. It’s taught me that I can do well in hard things that I don’t particularly like.

Reasons to Attend

1) Location. We’re in Malibu and it’s very beautiful. It’s a luxury.
2) The class sizes. Having a personal relationship with your professor is really invaluable. [The average class size in Seaver College is 17 students.]
3) The number of connections you can make here in Los Angeles.
4) The international programs. That’s a big part of your experience as a Pepperdine student that you should take advantage of if you can.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If you want a state-school experience it’s not for you.
2) If you care about athletics and school spirit, it’s not for you.
3) Fundamentally it’s a Christian school, so if you don’t like having a Christian theme in your class and throughout your experience, you may not have a good time.
4) If you’re not a fan of Californian weather or culture.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: J. Pengilly with seven other suitemates
Sophomore: Seaside Hall with seven other suitemates
Junior: Seaside Hall with seven other suitemates
Senior: Drescher Apartments in a single
What was your favorite living situation?
I think in Drescher because I really like having my own room.
How was transitioning from your hometown in Colorado to Malibu, California?
I think it’s fine. I wanted to go somewhere warm. The weather is similar to Colorado in the summer and springtime, so it’s fine. I had been to California before, so it wasn’t too big of a transition.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’d rate it a 9 out of 10. It’s very safe and there are always public safety officers patrolling. Freshman year there was a mountain lion on campus because our campus is in the hills and they are around.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I like going to different restaurants with my friends. I don’t really party or go out, so I like hanging out and going to Santa Monica Pier or Calabasas. There are different museums to go to in Los Angeles that are fun too.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at Pepperdine? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy. I feel like there are more things to do on campus since freshman year. I think it depends on the person because, for me, I don’t have to go out every weekend and do something, so I’m pretty content.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
In different classes. I try to find like-minded people, and I met a lot of friends from where I work too.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Pepperdine?
There are different sections. You have the rich students, the international students, the first-generation students, and then the quote-unquote “normal” students. It’s a bunch of different groups. It’s cliquey, but it’s not terribly bad.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I feel like it’s a pretty good mix. People get along pretty well, and I think it’s pretty diverse. It could be more diverse, but it’s not bad. Most of my friends are diverse. That is true for a lot of people, but at the same time, there are people that only associate with certain people. It depends on the individual person. [The undergraduate population is 49% White, 14% Hispanic, 10% Asian, and 5% Black.]
How would you describe the Black community on campus? How strong is it?
I’m not really involved in that, but I feel like they have a pretty strong presence and lots of events. They are pretty active.
How would you describe the Christian community on campus? How strong is it?
I’m a Christian so I think it had a good impact. It’s pretty strong, but not overly so. I think the school is pretty pluralistic in that they accept people from other faiths and walks of life. I feel like there is always going to be a Christian undertone, even in classes or lectures. For me that’s fine, but if people don’t like that, they should figure out if they can deal with that. We have a few Christian religious requirements.
How do you like the size of Pepperdine in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 3,600 undergraduate students at Pepperdine.]
I think it’s a good size. It’s on the smaller size, so we joke that everyone knows everyone. If certain things happen, good or bad, chances are that other people will know about it because stuff gets around. Overall, it’s pretty good, but sometimes you see people you don’t like consistently because the school is very small. Besides that, it’s pretty good.
Do people generally seem happy with their choice of Pepperdine by senior year? Do people leave loving Pepperdine?
I’d say the majority do. Sometimes people transfer during their junior year, which doesn’t make sense to me. There are always some people who are over critical.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yes, I’m in an alumni program and I got connected with someone with the Nelson Mandela Foundation which will hopefully get me an externship next summer.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
People normally use it for approving cover letters or resumes. For internship searches, you can work with industry specialists. The student employment and career offices are in the same place and I worked there. For me personally, I haven’t used them besides [getting my resume] checked a few times. I’m graduating early and going straight to graduate school, so I’m not looking for a job immediately.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
Definitely Excel. Before college, I knew nothing about Excel, but I work with spreadsheets and have learned shortcuts. I’ve also used Adobe Acrobat Reader and some of the other Adobe Suite applications.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating was the office to your needs?
I received a pretty good scholarship and I applied for some others that I got. The financial aid office is very accessible. I’d say that you need to stay on them to a certain extent because there are lots of students so they have lots of responsibilities.