Just like any other experience, it is what you make it. If you spend all your time in your dorm not getting involved, you are not going to have a good experience. Don't expect to come to GCU and go to a party every night but if you want college education that is academic and unique, GCU is for you.

We probably do have a bigger gay presence by proportion than other schools but heterosexual students are still the majority. There is very little awkwardness between the gay and straight students, probably because we live in the 21st century and just don't care about each others orietation. I don't live on campus so I can't speak to the dorm atmosphere but in class, there is a feeling of empowerment for women. Many of my classmates have told me they feel less intimidated to participate in class without the guys and there is less concern with "dressing up" for class, wearing make-up etc. C'mon, let's just admit that we do that stuff for guys, not eachother or ourselves. ;) I think education will always be our strong pull just because of the reputation and the program is very good. Education majors are required to do a double major so it's no walk in the park. I chose GCU because I liked the communications program and we seem to add new majors every semester! In the last two years, I've seen new dance, nursing and exercise science majors. At least, these weren't well publicized before.

We are very small, about 3,300 students including graduate students. Students in the same major tend to know each other pretty well and stay within their little groups but are friendly and inviting to others as well. For example, in the Communications Department all the "communications girls" know each other and typically have 2 or more classes together in which we can pick out the non-communications majors and/or new students at a glance. Since they're closely related, we have a sort of friendly bantering relationship with the English and Education Departments. Public Relations majors take a lot of classes at the Business School as well so you have a chance to branch out. The professors are very friendly and accessible. They'll recognize and greet you in the hall, ask how your semester is going and remember personal details of your life from when you took their class. Classes are very small (25-30 students) so you have plenty of interaction with your professor and they always teach their own classes. GCU is more academically rigorous than a party school but it's not overwhelmingly stressful. I don't know how people went about their college careers back in the day but most of the girls I know take between 15-18 credits a semester plus clubs and activities. We have a "study day" just before finals when there are no classes and the library is full. We have three signature classes that everyone has to take because we're a catholic women's college. Womens Studies, The Christian Tradition or Discovery the Bible and Philosophical Inquiry. They're not easy but you don't have to be a theology major to get a good grade in Christian Tradition, for example. Hint: Take Dr. Vento for Christian Tradition and Womens Studies! She's the chair of the department and super cool. ;)

Whenever I tell people where I go, the automatic assumption is that I am gay or they ask me what grade I want to teach. GCU is mostly a commuter school so most of our students are from Ocean or Monmouth Counties. Sometimes it sucks cuz it can be cliquey involving high school rivalry, drama etc. but for the most part, we're a friendly, diverse and accepting buch of girls. I would say the most common complaint (that I've heard) is when the school requires you to take a course (for example our signature courses) but only offers one or two sections/times a semester so your schedule is all screwed up. If you have a job or other responsibilities, which many of us do, it's tough to work around. I feel bad for the residents on weekends cuz the activites are pretty sparse and some paces, like the bookstore, are closed on weekends. For the commuters, I think the biggest complaint would be lack of computer access. We have several "open" computer labs on campus and quite a few computers in the library but they often have classes in the labs which you can't interrupt. Also, there is no cell reception in the library so if you're trying to meet with someone or just need to spend a few hours typing a paper, doing research etc. you're "incommuncado."

All of my professors know my name. I'm a Communications major, so I have had the same two teachers as far as those classes go. My favorite class is Mass Media and Pop Culture. My professor gives us cool assignments and her tests are easy and she has a great rapport so all that makes for a great class. My least favorite classes were Math and Biology. I had a horrible Math professor who covered herself in chalk and who would ask the class a thousand questions to get to the answer she was looking for when we clearly did not know what she was talking about. She wasn't accommodating at all to the needs of the student either. My biology teacher played favorites and she was just boring--I spent every class (twice a week) on Myspace.

The most popular activities on campus are WILD and SGA. Since there are no sororities or fraternities, getting involved in programs are what will make the experience fun. I'm a commuter, but I have spent time in the dorms and people do generally leave their doors open. There is always the Back Porch Party, which is the thing to go to.