Pepperdine University Top Questions

Do not define your success here at college by the achieving a certain GPA or earning a position in a certain fraternity. Instead, at the end of the school year, I want you to look back and ask yourself, "Am I happier with who I am and more importantly, am I on the path to becoming than who I was when I first walked onto this campus?" This will give you the answer of whether or not your time has been successful. It is time to mature and truly realize that a new chapter is opening in your life. A chapter that will contain highs and lows, both of which should be looked at as learning expereinces that will mold you into an adult. Once begin to invest yourself in the people and community of Pepperdine you will truly begin to love where you are at. This does not mean that you must let go of any individuals who you deeply care about back at home. Rather this will test and strengthen your relationships while you are defining who your very self is. Live in the moment, and let yourself become a part of Pepperdine. Your experience will be transformational.

Be open. It's okay to have expectations and standards but the world is a lot bigger than you realize. You've only seen such a small portion of it and college will expand your views tremendously. Be open to meet new people, try new activities, join the greek life, go abroad, and travel the world. It might be scary at first, but it will be so rewarding. The people you will meet, the places you will see, and the lessons who will learn will be invaluable and will change you for the better. So don't be afraid, put yourself out there, appreciate everyone that helped you along the way and I promise your future will bring you so much more than you could have ever imagined.

If I could go back in time, I would give myself great advice about what to really expect out of college life. First, do not go to college with a boyfriend back home! It will seem like a good idea because you love him, but it only puts pressure on your relationship and you will grow farther apart because you will be lonely and miss him. Secondly, do not be so afraid. Go out and meet tons of people; they are all really nice! Yes, in high school you were shy and had a set role of what other people expected from you. But now you can express and become the person you have always been afraid to be. Last, and the most important advice I could possibly give you Jalessa, is to tell your family how much they mean to you. Enjoy that last trip with them as they were taking you from Arkansas to California because even though they were goofy and crazy and so embarrassing at times, you loved that trip with them. You cried for a whole day when they left...just remember to call every now and then just to say you love them.

No matter what school you choose, you will face many challenges. You’ll learn to adjust to having a roommate and sharing a room, and sometimes sharing your food whether you want to or not. You’ll have to learn to tolerate your roommates, despite having nothing in common with them, and to do your dishes and keep your side of the room clean so you don’t receive any angry text messages. You’ll also have roommates that keep you up laughing till three in the morning, and weekends filled with memories you’ll look back on and smile to yourself. You’ll have that special roommate who just gets who you are…the one that will become your forever friend. Academically, you may feel overwhelmed at times, but work hard and give yourself a break every now and then. Sometimes you may wonder if you’re good enough to be there, or if maybe the school made a mistake accepting your application, but that first A you receive in college will be the best feeling of accomplishment. NEVER give up on your dreams. You can do it, I promise!

You simply cannot do it all, no matter how badly you want to or how hard you try. If I were able to go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior, reminding myself about the dangers of broad overcommitment would be my number one concern. Throughout my first two years at Pepperdine, I have tried to be involved in everything: varsity sports, sorority leadership roles, intramurals, the Sports Business Association, working jobs off-campus, and maintaining a serious romantic relationship. However, I began to allow my health and happiness to deteriorate simultaneously and noticed that "having it all" was not nearly as satisfying as it had initially sounded. In order to be a successful college student, it is necessary to, yes have broad experiences, but not all at once. You must quickly zoom in on what is providing joy and fulfillment and what is just superfluous fluff so as to spend the majority of your moments building the best four years for YOU.

As a high school senior, I thought I knew about everything that the world could possibly offer me. I am sure my thoughts were just like every other senior who couldn't wait to get out of high school and into the college atmosphere. But after making the transition into college, I have inherited a curiousity to try new things and truly make each day count. Therefore, I would advise my high school self to always be open-minded and willing to be influenced and have an influence on others. After a year in college, I realize the world has so much more to offer if you just are willing to try something new. College life is a huge tranisition and a time of independence. As an individual you will change constantly throughout your college years and that is all apart of growing up. But remember that you will influence others with your words and actions while others will undoubtedly influence your own interests, personality and actions as well. Hopefully, these influences will be for the better of society and the world that we live in today. Remember high school senior self, try new things and make your life count.

Grace, Make sure to meet as many people as you possibly can. This is the time to meet different people from all over the world and all walks of life. You need to put yourself out there and reach out to people. Don't wait for people to approach you. Also, you need to get comfortable hanging out with yourself and eating alone. Explore your campus, eat delicious and exotic food, see cool things, try something new, and meet different people. Don't be afraid to fail and make mistakes. You need to take advantage of having the excuse of "learning experince." Most importantly, have fun!

I would tell myself to calm down and stop thinking about everyone else. It's scary the first few days and even weeks that you are there, and it is going to be no matter what , even if only a little. Do not worry about what other people are doing or what they are thinking. Do what is best for you. Go to most if not all the social events because that is where you will meet people and make new friends. Be yourself, do not worry about if people will think you are weird. You will find people similar to you and people who like you just for who you are, whether you are weird or not. Put yourself out there! Do not sit in your room all the time. Go be bold. Sit in the cafeteria by yourself and wait to see who comes to sit with you. Go to sporting events by yourself and make conversation with the people around you. Take time for yourself. Your friends are going to need someone to talk to, but you do too so find someone you can confide in. Stay focused on school, no matter how hard it is.

I would tell myself three things. First, not everyone meets their future spouse in college. Actually it's not nearly as common as we think it is. I would tell myself to not go boy crazy because in reality, being single is sometimes the best. Learn to be content. Second, I would tell myself that I'm not too cool to join a sorority. I went into college thinking I didn't want to rush because school was more important. I still believe that to be true, but being a part of a sisterhood has changed everything. I am always busy planning fun activities, I have found my best friends and I've even done better in school because of the academic resources I've gained from new upperclassmen friends. Finally, I would advise myself to take advantage of every opportunity. College flies by and it is the most fun you will have in your life. Never say, "no" to a trip to the beach, to trying exotic foods, doing an extra credit assignment or studying abroad. College is an amazing time to find yourself so be open to trying new things, meeting new people and just saying, "yes."

Dear High School Me, I know that you must be very stressed right now because of the rapidly approaching deadline to decide on a college. I suppose you feel quite down because you are comparing yourself to the other students with their acceptances into top UC schools or ivy league universities. I know that you very badly wanted to go to UCLA but I want to let you know now that a college is really worth so much more than its name. Coming from our high school, I know you believe that these18 years will come down to the moment when you get to attend a high ranking universtiy and make your parents proud but in reality, you need to pick a school that will make you happy and let you grow. That being said, choosing Pepperdine is one of the best decisions I (or we) ever made. I now know what its like to be in an environment with such supportive professors and friends that truly care for you. In the end, new experiences and making connections will help you grow more than obsessing over grades, so keep an open mind, embrace the unknown, and have faith. Love, Clara