Pepperdine University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Communications
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Biracial – Half White & Half Asian Straight Female

Summary

I’m in Greek life and I volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club through the Social Action and Justice Colloquium.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Biracial – Half White & Half Asian
Sexual Orientation: Straight

High School Experience: Public high school in Long Beach, California with a graduating class of about 1,000 students. There was a culture of going to college
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Communications
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I’m in Greek life and I volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club through the Social Action and Justice Colloquium.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
I think my sorority has had the biggest impact on my experience so far. I feel like I’ve built a really good community with them, and that’s how I stay involved with the school. We go to different events together, whether it’s a sporting event or different philanthropy events throughout the campus. That’s how I’ve met my friends and that’s how I socialize on campus.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
This year I was only taking general education requirements. I had a couple of lectures and the [major graded assignments] were mostly presentations. The classes I took for my major were public speaking, communication theory, and those had a lot of presentations then I’d be tested too. There were also big papers. Most of the presentations were solo, but I had a couple of group presentations as well.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
So far, I’ve liked all the professors I’ve had. I felt like they were really good about working one-on-one with their students. Since Pepperdine is pretty small, I feel like I’ve gotten to know each of my professors really well, and they’re always available during their office hours. It’s pretty encouraged to go in there any time. I’m even friends with a couple of my professors and I feel comfortable asking them about a job in the future, or which courses to take and how to keep myself on the right track.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s pretty collaborative. I haven’t felt the pressure of competition. For the most part, everyone wants each other to succeed. That’s also because Pepperdine is really small and has Christian values to it.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re super accessible. If I send them an email, I get one back right away, and their office hours are always open. A lot of them give out their personal emails too, so we can email them even when they’re not in their office.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m happy because I recently just declared my major after I’d taken two more classes for the major. So far, I’m pretty happy with it.
What has been your favorite part of Pepperdine academically?
For me, it goes back to the professors. I’ve really enjoyed every single teacher I’ve had and I’ve felt like they’ve worked with me as an individual. They weren’t just teaching a giant lecture class. I got to know them on a personal level and they helped me learn and understand.

Reasons to Attend

1) It’s a really good community.
2) The professors are amazing.
3) The view is beautiful.
4) The classes are great because they’re super small and personal so you get to know your classmates and your teachers well. [The average class size in Seaver College is 17 students.]

Reasons Not to Attend

1) The tuition is high. [Tuition and Room and Board for the 2019-2020 academic year is $71,562.]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Conner Hall in a double with eight other suitemates
Sophomore: Sent home after returning from study abroad for online classes due to COVID-19
How was transitioning from your hometown to Malibu, California?
I only live about an hour away so it wasn’t that different for me. The only thing is Malibu is a pretty ritzy area and that’s something I wasn’t used to. A lot of it is a retired community so a lot of things don’t stay open late. Pepperdine itself is secluded on a hill, so if you’re going to Pepperdine there isn’t much to do nightlife-wise. It gets kind of boring on the weekends unless you’re going to the beach. [The median property value in Malibu, CA is about $1.97M.]
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I think it’s a pretty safe campus. There are only two entrances to the campus because it’s on a hill and is kind of secluded. At both entrances, there are [security] officers and they’re always driving around.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
For weekend activities, we pretty much just go to the beach. There is some nightlife in Santa Monica, but as far as in Malibu, there’s not a lot of nightlife. Depending on the weekend, sometimes there will be a fraternity party but those are limited because we are a Christian school and the fraternities don’t want to get in trouble. If not, then you can drive to Santa Monica and go to a bar or a club in Los Angeles. There are 18+ clubs to go to, but if you’re under 21, you probably just go to a fraternity party.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
Fraternity parties are available if you know about them, but for the most part, they’re pretty low-key events because it’s a Christian university so the fraternities don’t like to be flashy because then they’ll get in trouble. There’s probably something to do every weekend.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
Going to Santa Monica Pier is really fun, or walking around the Promenade or even going to the beach and having a bonfire.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at Pepperdine? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I think I’m happy about it. It’s not too crazy and it keeps for a balanced life.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
Through my sorority for the most part. My closest friend was probably my roommate, but we just met by chance.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Pepperdine?
If you want to socialize, you’re likely going to be in a sorority, a fraternity, or an athlete. Those are the social circles I’ve been exposed to, but if you don’t want to get involved you might not join a sports team or a Greek organization.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I think this works a little differently at Pepperdine, not with race because I think we have a pretty diverse campus, but I do know for different members of the LGBTQ+ community it has been difficult. From what I’ve seen, certain clubs on campus don’t feel like their voices are heard. I know there’s not a lot of diversity in student government. I’ve seen a lot of diversity, but I know it’s definitely lacking in certain areas as well, especially with LGBTQ+ issues. [The undergraduate population is 49% White, 14% Hispanic, 10% Asian, and 5% Black. See The Graphic article, “Show Urgency in Wanting to Improve Diversity Issues.”]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
There definitely is some mixing. All the events each sorority or fraternity has, you’re allowed to take members who aren’t within the Greek organization. Some events will be only Greek life students, and some will have a good mix of the two.
How would you describe the student body?
Pepperdine has a lot of easygoing, very positive people. Everyone is very energetic and gives off welcoming vibes. Because Pepperdine is so small when there’s someone you haven’t met before a lot of them are very welcoming and will ask how you’re doing.
How would you describe the Christian community on campus? How strong is it?
I think it has had a pretty big impact. It’s really relevant in everything we do, we have to take at least three semesters of a religion class and we have Convocation which is a credit we need to meet each semester. It’s always being worked into whatever we do, no matter what. It’s not overbearing, it’s just always there.
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.]
It’s a lot smaller than I was expecting. I understood how many students were being accepted, but it becomes small quickly because you kind of feel like you know everyone after the first year. I think it’s good to have a small school so you can build a better community and don’t feel too overwhelmed at times.
Do people generally seem happy with their choice of Pepperdine by senior year? Do people leave loving Pepperdine?
I think people definitely leave loving Pepperdine. There are so many siblings that come, and a lot of families are ride or die Pepperdine fans. From my experience, it’s been really positive.
How has being located in Malibu impacted your experience?
It’s impacted it a little bit. Sometimes you do meet people from the neighborhood or local people our age who live near the beach and you’ll just run into them at different social settings. It is a different experience, but it’s good because it lets you get to know a lot of people you normally wouldn’t. You’ll see a lot of celebrities just going to get a smoothie, which is pretty cool.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Not from Pepperdine in particular, but from my sorority is where I get a lot of my connections. We have group chats and they send in different internships available. There are different girls working in Los Angeles and Santa Monica and Venice who’re looking for different interns. So far, I haven’t taken any offers presented to me, but there have been multiple offers for jobs and internships.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating was the office to your needs?
They’re super responsive. I have a grant from Pepperdine and something got messed up so they took away my aid for a second, but once I sent them an email, they fixed everything and got everything sorted out immediately.