Pepperdine University Top Questions

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Freshman housing at Pepperdine is awesome; you live in a suite of 8-10 within a dorm of about 50 residents, plus two RA's and an SLA (Spiritual Life Advisor). Your suite basically becomes your family, since you share a bathroom and common area with them. Pepperdine encourages incoming students to choose roommates through Facebook and other online profiles, which allows each freshman to find a good match. My whole suite chose each other, and we've all gotten along quite well; I'd recommend it to anyone. Greek Life is popular, but since it's a dry campus and there's no official Greek housing, the system works very differently from other schools. There's less focus on partying and more focus on philanthropies, although some fraternities and sororities tend to be more party-oriented. Parties usually take place in students' off-campus houses, plus various bars and restaurants around Malibu. The party scene isn't too hard to find if you seek it out, but it's easy to avoid if it isn't your style. Unlike many colleges, the balance between alcoholic and non-alcoholic events is very even, so you'll never feel pressured one way or another. The dating scene at Pepperdine is notoriously strange. Nobody really hooks up, since it's a small school and you're almost guaranteed to see the person around, and casual dating isn't very common either. The "Ring by Spring" is a very real thing here, so many students hesitate to exclusively date in fear that they'll end up engaged. Another theory is that Pepperdine men have trouble choosing between all the gorgeous women around campus!

Freshman housing at Pepperdine is awesome; you live in a suite of 8-10 within a dorm of about 50 residents, plus two RA's and an SLA (Spiritual Life Advisor). Your suite basically becomes your family, since you share a bathroom and common area with them. Pepperdine encourages incoming students to choose roommates through Facebook and other online profiles, which allows each freshman to find a good match. My whole suite chose each other, and we've all gotten along quite well; I'd recommend it to anyone. Greek Life is popular, but since it's a dry campus and there's no official Greek housing, the system works very differently from other schools. There's less focus on partying and more focus on philanthropies, although some fraternities and sororities tend to be more party-oriented. Parties usually take place in students' off-campus houses, plus various bars and restaurants around Malibu. The party scene isn't too hard to find if you seek it out, but it's easy to avoid if it isn't your style. Unlike many colleges, the balance between alcoholic and non-alcoholic events is very even, so you'll never feel pressured one way or another. The dating scene at Pepperdine is notoriously strange. Nobody really hooks up, since it's a small school and you're almost guaranteed to see the person around, and casual dating isn't very common either. The "Ring by Spring" is a very real thing here, so many students hesitate to exclusively date in fear that they'll end up engaged. Another theory is that Pepperdine men have trouble choosing between all the gorgeous women around campus!

Freshman housing at Pepperdine is awesome; you live in a suite of 8-10 within a dorm of about 50 residents, plus two RA's and an SLA (Spiritual Life Advisor). Your suite basically becomes your family, since you share a bathroom and common area with them. Pepperdine encourages incoming students to choose roommates through Facebook and other online profiles, which allows each freshman to find a good match. My whole suite chose each other, and we've all gotten along quite well; I'd recommend it to anyone. Greek Life is popular, but since it's a dry campus and there's no official Greek housing, the system works very differently from other schools. There's less focus on partying and more focus on philanthropies, although some fraternities and sororities tend to be more party-oriented. Parties usually take place in students' off-campus houses, plus various bars and restaurants around Malibu. The party scene isn't too hard to find if you seek it out, but it's easy to avoid if it isn't your style. Unlike many colleges, the balance between alcoholic and non-alcoholic events is very even, so you'll never feel pressured one way or another. The dating scene at Pepperdine is notoriously strange. Nobody really hooks up, since it's a small school and you're almost guaranteed to see the person around, and casual dating isn't very common either. The "Ring by Spring" is a very real thing here, so many students hesitate to exclusively date in fear that they'll end up engaged. Another theory is that Pepperdine men have trouble choosing between all the gorgeous women around campus!

Freshman housing at Pepperdine is awesome; you live in a suite of 8-10 within a dorm of about 50 residents, plus two RA's and an SLA (Spiritual Life Advisor). Your suite basically becomes your family, since you share a bathroom and common area with them. Pepperdine encourages incoming students to choose roommates through Facebook and other online profiles, which allows each freshman to find a good match. My whole suite chose each other, and we've all gotten along quite well; I'd recommend it to anyone. Greek Life is popular, but since it's a dry campus and there's no official Greek housing, the system works very differently from other schools. There's less focus on partying and more focus on philanthropies, although some fraternities and sororities tend to be more party-oriented. Parties usually take place in students' off-campus houses, plus various bars and restaurants around Malibu. The party scene isn't too hard to find if you seek it out, but it's easy to avoid if it isn't your style. Unlike many colleges, the balance between alcoholic and non-alcoholic events is very even, so you'll never feel pressured one way or another. The dating scene at Pepperdine is notoriously strange. Nobody really hooks up, since it's a small school and you're almost guaranteed to see the person around, and casual dating isn't very common either. The "Ring by Spring" is a very real thing here, so many students hesitate to exclusively date in fear that they'll end up engaged. Another theory is that Pepperdine men have trouble choosing between all the gorgeous women around campus!

Well, as the loudest groups are the ones which are heard, Greek life groups would have to be the most popular ones on campus. There is a tradition of painting on a big rock in the center of campus to advertise events, and most events splashed on the rock are those of Greek organizations. With Pepperdine's dry campus, Greek life mainly revolves around philanthropy rather than partying. Popular events are Pie with the Pi Phis, where students pay to throw a pie in the face of a Pi Phi to raise donations for the girls' causes, and the Crescent Classic Gamma Games, where sororities raise funds through a day of competitive games. One of the best-known groups is PIT, the Pepperdine Improv Troupe, who perform their improvised antics several times per semester. Other groups with high visibility include the College Libertarians, who post a Free Speech wall for all to write upon once a semester. They are known to be the Socrates of Pepperdine, the "gadfly on the rump" so to speak, pestering conservatives with their idealistic views. Meanwhile The Face of Microfinance gains moderate visibility on campus by selling trinkets made by communities in developing countries to raise money for micro finance loans. Groups which are less overt are the Native American Student Organization and the Grammar Gang, the latter being a group who slinks around campus correcting grammar blunders on flyers and posters. I am involved in the student-run campus newspaper, the Graphic, for which I have served as journalist, photographer, and photo editor, and am a member of We Art Aware, a club which calls attention to social issues through art and creativity. I am a part of the Grammar Gang crew, and have acted in comedy sketches for the Randumb Show, Pepperdine's longest running TV show, through which students have produced absurdist comedy featured on CNN and Ashton Kutcher's twitter. I have been the international news writer for Pepperdine's bi-weekly live news broadcast, NewsWaves, and am employed by the theater department to help build their sets. One with varying interests has a lot of options to get involved--all it takes is wondering who does what and finding out if they could use your help to do it. Despite all the groups and their events, the dating scene at Pepperdine is dismal. There is this pressure to find "the one" compounded by the sad truth that most everyone will know if your relationship has failed, as you walk past the same people nearly every single day. So most boys and girls avoid frivolous relationships, holding out to invest in that special someone. When any meaningless hookups do happen, the campus turns a blind eye to these rare sightings. Instead, the phrase "ring by spring" haunts Pepperdine's halls, taunting upperclassmen on the ins or outs of a relationship that marriage could be on their horizon. To shift gears: Things that don't involve drinking are watching movies, which is actually guy-code for "is this a date?". I have only been to one Pepperdine party in two years. It was awful and everyone that was there pretended the raunchy dancing didn't ever happen come Monday. At 2am on a Tuesday: I am staring at a computer screen writing a fictional story. My closest friends are the ones I can never remember how I met, although they are people who keep me on my toes. Without this largely "interesting" experience at Pepperdine, I am unsure whether I would be as driven, spiritual, or open-minded of a person as I am today.

Well, as the loudest groups are the ones which are heard, Greek life groups would have to be the most popular ones on campus. There is a tradition of painting on a big rock in the center of campus to advertise events, and most events splashed on the rock are those of Greek organizations. With Pepperdine's dry campus, Greek life mainly revolves around philanthropy rather than partying. Popular events are Pie with the Pi Phis, where students pay to throw a pie in the face of a Pi Phi to raise donations for the girls' causes, and the Crescent Classic Gamma Games, where sororities raise funds through a day of competitive games. One of the best-known groups is PIT, the Pepperdine Improv Troupe, who perform their improvised antics several times per semester. Other groups with high visibility include the College Libertarians, who post a Free Speech wall for all to write upon once a semester. They are known to be the Socrates of Pepperdine, the "gadfly on the rump" so to speak, pestering conservatives with their idealistic views. Meanwhile The Face of Microfinance gains moderate visibility on campus by selling trinkets made by communities in developing countries to raise money for micro finance loans. Groups which are less overt are the Native American Student Organization and the Grammar Gang, the latter being a group who slinks around campus correcting grammar blunders on flyers and posters. I am involved in the student-run campus newspaper, the Graphic, for which I have served as journalist, photographer, and photo editor, and am a member of We Art Aware, a club which calls attention to social issues through art and creativity. I am a part of the Grammar Gang crew, and have acted in comedy sketches for the Randumb Show, Pepperdine's longest running TV show, through which students have produced absurdist comedy featured on CNN and Ashton Kutcher's twitter. I have been the international news writer for Pepperdine's bi-weekly live news broadcast, NewsWaves, and am employed by the theater department to help build their sets. One with varying interests has a lot of options to get involved--all it takes is wondering who does what and finding out if they could use your help to do it. Despite all the groups and their events, the dating scene at Pepperdine is dismal. There is this pressure to find "the one" compounded by the sad truth that most everyone will know if your relationship has failed, as you walk past the same people nearly every single day. So most boys and girls avoid frivolous relationships, holding out to invest in that special someone. When any meaningless hookups do happen, the campus turns a blind eye to these rare sightings. Instead, the phrase "ring by spring" haunts Pepperdine's halls, taunting upperclassmen on the ins or outs of a relationship that marriage could be on their horizon. To shift gears: Things that don't involve drinking are watching movies, which is actually guy-code for "is this a date?". I have only been to one Pepperdine party in two years. It was awful and everyone that was there pretended the raunchy dancing didn't ever happen come Monday. At 2am on a Tuesday: I am staring at a computer screen writing a fictional story. My closest friends are the ones I can never remember how I met, although they are people who keep me on my toes. Without this largely "interesting" experience at Pepperdine, I am unsure whether I would be as driven, spiritual, or open-minded of a person as I am today.

By far the most popular student activity at Pepperdine is the study abroad program. During your sophomore year, about 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of your classmates will travel to one of Pepperdine's six international campuses and spend their year in London, Buenos Aires, Shanghai, London, Florence Italy, Heidelberg Germany, or Laussane Switzerland. Pepperdine is one of the highest ranked colleges for study abroad programs, and while a year abroad can be expensive, it is completely and 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} worth it. Greek life at Pepperdine is deceptively popular--only about 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students are Greek, but because Pepperdine is a smaller school and because of the type of people who tend to rush, Greek life seems to be much more prevalent than it actually is. Pepperdine is a dry campus, which means alcohol is not allowed, and there is a zero tolerance policy in place. There are plenty of places to party off-campus, and if you want to party you will have no trouble finding one to go to, but if you prefer (or need) to stay in and study, campus is usually fairly quiet in the evenings.

Many students are involved in the Greek life on campus, and are always busy with some activity or another related to their fraternity or sorority. A popular organization is called University Ministries (UM) which takes place once a week at a local church. UM is basically a youth group led by students for students, and offers ways to get involved with the church or volunteering throughout the community. Freshman students live in dorms that place 8 students in a suite: 4 bedrooms (2 people per room), a bathroom, and a common room. Often, these students become some of your closest friends during your first year at Pepperdine. Since Pepperdine is so close to Santa Monica and LA, there is plenty to do off campus that does not involve drinking: the Santa Monica pier, 3rd Street, going to concerts, shows, shopping, Hollywood, etc. The common thought on dating at Pepperdine is that it is virtually non-existent. Or, if you do date, you will more than likely end up marrying that person.

Pepperdine's social life really depends on what you make of it. There are things to do with clubs, sports events, sororities/fraternities, campus or local ministries, or just hanging out with friends. People who complain about having nothing to do didn't look very hard for opportunities. I don't really know what's popular at Pepperdine, I just do what I enjoy and hang out with the people who I love. We have a lot of movie nights when we're on campus, my friends and I like to stock up on snacks at Ralph's, we'll go there at all hours of the night, and we'll watch TV or a movie. Santa Monica is one of the main places to go off campus along with the beach and the shopping centers that aren't too far away.

The dorms, especially the freshman dorms, make it really easy to interact with your friends. You can call them up and meet up with them within 5 minutes. My closest friends can visit me whenever they feel like it. Malibu Yogurt, which is a 2 minute drive from campus, is a really popular place to hang out with friends or to go on a date.

There are tons of things to get involved in from greek life to inermural sports. Most people are friendly and you meet alot of interesting people that may be different from whom you grew up knowing.

The Greek life is different from any other school you will visit, and it is amazing!

Greek groups and athletes are the primary organizations on campus and most well known. It's easy to meet people though because you automatically have a little family that you live with in your suite of eight. If one likes to go out, that is accomodated as well as calm get togethers. I personally can find myself in LA on the weekends: eating out, at the mall, dancing at a studio, going tothe movies or a concert, or just strolling with friends.

Not a whole lot of dating goes on. You hear a lot about this girl from that sorority hanging with that frat boy but it doesn't last long. The dating stereotype Pepperdine has acquired is that if you study abroad, you'll come back with a husband/wife.

My favorite part.... There's athletic events and theater events. Although its not a huge part of social life because of lack of a football team. Social life is there if you want it. Parties are generally controlled by the Lacrosse, Waterpolo, and fraternities (usually the one that parties the most - right now Beta). The only thing you have to worry about is coming back on campus drunk. Don't let campus security see you and do not drive drunk, of course for safety reasons but also because chances are you'll get caught and they're strict). The good part.. there's a lot of people with houses off-campus and its usually a quick walk to your dorm as long as you have a DD to get you back on campus. Opposite sex has to be out of your room by 1, out of the dorm by 2.. but there's no curfew and most RA's don't check up on you too often... mine didn't at all. Like I said.... not much to do in Malibu besides party. Either go to the beach, stay on campus and do stuff, or drive to Santa Monica. Good thing about SoCal is that you can drive to a lot of fun places, both for clean entertainment or partying.

Go Greek. It's saves a lot of time trying to find things to do, and you can be as committed as you want to. It gives you formals and mixers and looks great on a resume. Pepperdine has a very "ring by spring" mentality. You can see the Tiffany's brochure's flooding the mailboxes in January. People are either looking to get married, or a simple hook up. But the later is quite difficult with such a small student population, you can kiss bumping and dumping it good bye, trust me, you will see them again.

There are many things to do around Pepperdine like go to dinner, movie, the beach. There are shopping centers in both Santa Monica and through the canyon. On campus, there are different activities throughout the year and they hold events like "Spring Fling" where you can stay up for Disneyland tickets. There are many sororities and fraternities that you can get involved in. People throw parties off campus but much of the campus is pretty chill.

Fraternities and sororities are big at Pepperdine. But for those of us who play sports we usually stick together. The campus is quiet at night, which is great for studying. Off campus in Malibu there is not much, but down the road is 3rd street in Santa Monica as well as the Topanga mall 20min through the canyon.

There are many different types of groups or organizations you can get involved with, whether it be the greek life or a club I really recommend something to connect you with other students. Athletes tend to stick to their teammates, but you will know a lot of them which makes it fun to watch their games. Obviously some sports have a bigger following than others. I honestly wish more people went to the athletic events because we have some very talented teams. I am in a sorority and I love it. I thought I would hate it, but the greek life at Pepperdine is very different than everywhere else. It is very laid back and just gets you much more involved with the social scene. I actually met most of my best friends the first week of school in NSO, while the rest of my best friends are mostly from my sorority. The dating scene is interesting, I feel like a lot of people start dating right away or date people from other schools. The older you get, relationships start to form more often. If I'm awake on a Tuesday night at 2 a.m. I am probably driving through jack in the box after a night at the Malibu Inn. People party more than you would assume at Pepperdine. But it definitely has less options than other schools. It is not a bar school like other towns. It is mostly house or fraternity parties. But there are definitely a good number of people that would rather not drink and enjoy a night out in Santa Monica walking around the pier or promenade. You could go out for a night in LA or just to see a movie in Malibu if you aren't into drinking.