Bethel University-Saint Paul Top Questions

The parking situation at my school is the most frustrating. There are too few parking spaces on campus for all of the commuting students. The amount of parking devoted to department guests is ridiculous. Most of the time those parking spaces are completely empty. My school automatically requires every commuting student to pay for a parking permit, charging my student account without my consent. They forget that some students don't require a parking permit, because they carpool or bike to school. My school should quit spending money on frivolous expenses and devote money to creating better parking solutions.

The most frustrating thing about Bethel would be the amount of time some professors belive you should spend on their class. Some professors expect you to spend too much time on their class than others. I have only run into this a few times, but it can be frustraiting when you have a heavy load.

The gym can be kind of busy at night.

The availibity of the gym on the weekends. It is not open sometimes.

Having to pay for school on my own and take out many loans, while the majority of people around you get their entire schooling paid for by their parents.

Because it is a "Private Christian School" it is always assumed that everyone there is a strong Christian. However, this is not always true. There are many people who struggle with their faith, but have to hide what they are actually feeling.

I have small frustrations being a new college student, but nothing that would cause me to transfer schools.

The most frustrating thing about Bethel is kindness that everyone has towards each other. Its not a bad thing, but having this be a Christian University everyone watches thier words which leads to miscommunications leaving out what people actually want to say to express thier ideas.

The most frustrating thing about my school is the cost. Bethel is great about doing whatever they can to make studying and living here affordable, and they do a great job. But books, meals, classes, and living do add up. I'd suggest looking in to as many scholarships and financial aid as possible. Things come together, and if God wants us here, he'll make it work out. The price can be stressful at times though.

There is a very touchy atmosphere surrounding minorities. The most prominent examples center around race and/or sexual orientation. Many students are conservative, but almost all are passive. The minorities (actually, small percentages of the minorities) feel slighted and expect the school to cater to them somewhat. As a result, there are often small issues that are blown out of proportion as the same students complain repeatedly about minor problems. Most of us don't mind people being gay, but we also don't want it to be grounds for faux-discrimination accusations.

The most frustrating thing about Bethel is that it is mostly higher class white evangelical Christians. There isn't much diversity. A lot of emphasis is put on looking good and being a Christian. Some people are seen as fake and hypocritical.

I do not get frustrated with my school, I appreciate everything my professors, president and everyone else on staff does for me.

Bethel University is a Christian school. One of the most frustrating things is living with people who say they are Christians but do not live out their faiths. This can be very disheartening at times. It can also make it difficult to stick to your own faith and personal values.

The lack of tasty food on the weekends.

They have horrible food on sunday nights in our dining center because not many people are actually at the school then.

I wish it offered more things to do on the weekends.

It is very expensive

Too many people wearing "masks", not being who they really are; it's the main thing that holds people back from building community.

Probably the most frustrating aspect of Bethel would be parking. Once you are allowed to park on campus, it can be quite difficult to find a spot at all during the times of 9am to 1pm during the week. If you're fortunate, someone will be leaving the same time you arrive and hopefully you can find a place to park. Several occasions I was late for class due to the lack of parking.

The school is connected to the Baptist General Conference. Sponsors and donors make sure that the university sticks with their values, which are often religiously conservative. Religious diversity on campus is extremely limited and spiritual seeking and questioning is pretty hard. I wish there were more options available. I've been trying to figure out what I really believe, and I've often (not always) had to look outside campus to find something I can believe in. On campus, the library is one place where seeking is actually pretty easy.