As a Journalism major who is pacing herself, I've been challenged without feeling completely overwhelmed. I’ve felt that my workload has enabled me to delve deeply into the coursework without needing to “rush through everything to get it done.” I'd HIGHLY recommend taking the Great Books Colloquium if you're looking for an intellectual experience. In this program, students read classic texts, such as Plato’s Republic, and discuss them in a Socratic format. Although it absolutely tests your discipline and assumptions about the world, it is an extremely worthwhile experience. Most class sizes are small and teachers are tremendously accessible. It is not uncommon for teachers to invite students to their homes for dinner. Although this personal element might feel frustrating for some, I’ve noticed that this nurturing environment has held me accountable in my coursework and attendance. Class participation is highly encouraged and extremely interesting. Many teachers incorporate media clips into their power-point presentations in order to stimulate discussion. In reference to the intellectual style of the student body, Pepperdine may not be the place to discover an overall population of highbrow scholars who sequester themselves in the library and ponder scientific enigmas (although I do know one or two individuals like that). I'll generalize by observing that students express their intellects through entrepreneurship and social prowess. The extensive accomplishments of my classmates astound me on a daily basis, and there absolutely is a level of competition.

A big complaint is the lack of variety of Caf food, which has actually been recently expanded since the addition of a late-night kitchen in the Howard A. White Center (lovingly referred to as the HAWC), which serves fresh-to-order pastas, "small plates" like sliders and nachos, and desserts like brownie sundays. With the expanded menu in both the HAWC as well as the Caf (in which there's been slowly-increasing variety) vegetarians also are being offered more options to fill their tummies. As I mentioned elsewhere, a small group complains of the university's non-stance on LGBT issues (as the administration does not officially recognize the LGBT group), but this is not a wide-spread Pepperdine undergrad issue, as many students are not tuned in to such university policies. Take from that what you will. A liberal may complain of their minority status to conservative colleagues, a nutritional science major may complain of the monopoly of the courses by the puddle of four professors (the main professor doubling as the head of the department--she is a helpful councilor but a TERRIBLE teacher), but an average student complains of the cost of their private education and the isolation of the campus.

Every semester, the night before finals week starts, the faculty and staff put on a breakfast for all of the students. It is nice to have a study break and get free food! The professors serve the food (pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, fruit, coffee cake, etc.) and it is really just a fun way to end the semester and take a break from studying. It is always fun to watch the Frosh Follies which the freshman students take part in during their orientation at the beginning of the year.

A big factor was the study abroad program. I had always wanted to do a semester abroad, and Pepperdine gave me the opportunity to spend a full year in Germany, which was totally awesome. I also really liked the location. Malibu is pretty much one of the best places to live.

pepperdine is what you make it

This school is awesome, it was the best fit for me and I have had a great time and learned a lot. It is a lot like a high school in some ways, but much much better in most ways.

I love Pepperdine, it is the perfect school for me. The only real problem I've had with it is the closed-mindedness of the administration when it comes to religion. Pepperdine is Church of Christ all the way and will not consider anything that goes against that, and is even closed off to other Christian denominations.

Pepperdine really is an incredible school. If you are looking to party hard every single night, reconsider coming to Pepperdine. I would say the students have a great mix of getting their work done, going to school, and enjoying their social life. Get involved and give it a chance is my best advice. Most people hate it the first few months because it was not what they expected. But those people usually learn to love it, I was definitely someone who thought about transferring but I am so happy I stayed. I have made the most amazing friends and Pepperdine is full of quality people. Take advantage of the beach being a second away, live off campus after freshman year if you're so worried about all the rules. I will tell you the biggest negative that I have about Pepperdine, once you are done with freshman year a lot of people move off campus. Everybody is so spread out over town or through the canyon. It really sucks having to drive everywhere at night when you want to go out, while at other colleges you are able to walk everywhere. But you are able to escape the rules and restrictions that you have on campus.

Oh yeah...Pepperdine will snoop into your life by any means. There is no level they will not stoop to. But again: Perfect for some, come check it out, if you think you'd like it (while understanding the pitfalls) you will. If you think you might not like it-you won't, and stay the fuck away, and make college the true best years of your life

If you plan on attending Pepperdine, join a Greek-group, then go abroad your sophomore year, then get an apartment off-campus with friends and go nuts. That is the only way to survive at Pepperdine for 4 years.

somewhat accurate, but exaggerated

The stereotype about the students being very religious is accurate. Students take pride in their religion and feel that pepperdine will help them get closer to being a spiritual christian. The students, however, are not stubborn and arrogant. Students are generally warm and friendly and are almost always looking to make a new friend. Pepperdine is a dry campus, but this does not mean it does not tolerate fun. The campus has enough student activites to keep the active student interested and the studious student focused. I have never been bored at Pepperdine.

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

We are definately not all rich. There is not a ton of diversity but we are not all white. I always thought Pepperdine students would be all smart and I have had all levels in my classes. We don't all surf and we don't always blow off class to go to the beach. There are a ton of expensive cars but there are lots of average cars too. I have a VW!

Pepperdine is the most beautiful campus I have ever seen. The only complaint I have about Malibu is the fact that it is pretty isolated. It is a small town, but the good thing is that LA isn't far away if thats what you're looking for and the beach is just a minute away. Pepperdine is a very small school and it definitely has the small school feel. I like the fact that when I walk around campus I always run into someone I know, but of course that could be bad for some people as well. I spend most of my time on campus in the caf, the library, or watching the athletic games. Pepperdine administration usually really tries to work with the students, but it is at times very frustrating and restricting. But our student government is very involved with changing things at Pepperdine. Most students complaints usually are from getting alcohol violations and being put on probation since it is a dry campus.

Classes are generally small. More professors will know your name than not. If you don't want to do much, its very doable to pick a joke major and fuck around (might be the best way to get the max out of pepp...). The GE's are like half your classes, and are craptastic. Also, you ought to know you're required to take 3 semesters of religion. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN: Take Great Books (and specifically, Dr. Gose) Strong Majors: Philosophy Pre-med (but seriously...) Religion The Music Dept: The GE's will really get in the way of your musical learning. The department is generally pretty weak (many are geniuses in their own right, but terrible teachers). Private instructors range from good to the shit (see: Christopher Parkening, Henry Price) ---- If you want to hang out with professors, it very doable, they often invite classes to their house, etc. Some students are interested in learning, but they are in the minority. Again, if learning is your thing, take Great Books and Philosophy classes. If not, find out who's easy and stroll along.

Nobody is going to feel out of place here. There are activities, classes, clubs, and friends for everybody. No matter what you like or what you're interested in, there's a place for you here.

I write this for one reason and one reason only------Don't make the mistake of listening to people who say Pepperdine students don't party. In my experience that is utterly unfounded. When I was at Pepperdine ('04-'08) there was a great party scene. I visited my friends at various state schools-- their parties didn't come CLOSE to the ones we used to have/go to. Where else can you party in Multi-Million dollar mansions by the beach? Where else can you have bonfires on private beaches? Where else can you go to a party and actually KNOW a lot of the people there?.. Not to mention there are a lot of beautiful girls and many of the guys are douchers (hey, I'm a guy). A cool guy can do amazingly well at this school. If you're a big fish, this is your ideal pond. If you're a little insecure and unsure of yourself, you might want to look into other options. Pepperdine's social life can be very exclusive. You've gotta TRY. But hey, for some of us, this comes easy. If that's you. You will LOVE this school.

The first thing you will realize about Pepperdine is how much it feels like high school, and how little it feels like college should be. Beginning with orientation, it's going to feel like Bible camp with all the praying and preaching and activities they have you running around doing. Once school starts, you will notice the cliques that are being formed. There most noticeable cliques are the different Greek groups and the different athletic teams, but everyone ends up forming their own little clique. The way Pepperdine is setup fuels the growth of these cliques. For example, one of the cliques you will probably be a part of is with either the people in your suite or the people in your dorm. Pepperdine's freshman housing, with 8 people in a suite and 6 suites per dorm, makes it difficult to hang out with people outside your suite, but makes it very easy to become close friends with the people living in your suite. From my experience here, the one thing I hate most about Pepperdine is its administration, EXCEPT for President Andy Benton. Pepperdine says in its mission statement "Pepperdine University is... committed to the highest standards of... Christian values". The truth is that the school is about money first and God second. Pepperdine will do anything to squeeze another dollar out of you. Tuition went up 6% this year, to about $48000 with housing. The university claims that its International Programs, which Pepperdine does a good job with, costs the same as regular tuition. This is true, the tuition is the same. But what they are leaving out here is that they tack on an additional "International Fee". For the cheapest program, this fee was another $3000 per semester abroad. Another thing about Pepperdine is that because it is a private university, Pepperdine takes it upon themselves to change the rules however they please, without cause or necessarily notifying you (the student). This last year, Pepperdine amended the student handbook to say that RA's and DPS (campus-officers) can go into a student's room and search for alcohol or drugs without reasonable cause. If that does not infringe on rights enough, Pepperdine also did not tell anyone that they changed this rule. Also, the tour guides will knowingly deceive you (example, they tell you the HAWC is where students get food at night, and they tell you it is open 24/7, which it is, but the food closes at 12). If you end up coming here, do not be surprised by all the things you were "misinformed" about. Malibu is not a college town. There is no such thing as public transportation here, and nothing is within walking distance. Anywhere you want to go off-campus requires that you drive there. The closest grocery store is close, but is literally the most expensive grocery store I have ever seen. The only food place open late (1 or 2AM) is Jack in the Box. If you want to drive "through the canyon" (about 30 minutes just to get through it), there are more options, but it becomes a very annoying drive just to get food. If you want to go to a school that has school pride and has exciting sporting events to go to, don't go to Pepperdine. The only game worth going to is the rivalry basketball game against Gonzaga. Even though we have a top-10 men's volleyball team, people won't come out to the games. Even our top-30 baseball team, with it's gorgeous stadium, can't fill up seats. But, the upside of the lack of school spirit is that all of the games are free, EXCEPT for the Gonzaga game.

Oh yeah...Pepperdine will snoop into your life by any means. There is no level they will not stoop to. But again: Perfect for some, come check it out, if you think you'd like it (while understanding the pitfalls) you will. If you think you might not like it-you won't, and stay the fuck away, and make college the true best years of your life