PBA is a rather small Christian University. However, the size of it makes the community very close. It is easy to get to know people because you see them everyday, and your professors make a great deal of effort to get to know you. The professors have been one of my favorite aspects of the school. I went to a large public high school in Ohio and I often heard that in college my professors would not care about me. This is not the case at PBA at all! Many of my professors have taken the time to get to know me personally and I know that I have thrived in my education because of this fact. I honestly cannot say enough good things about the many professors I have come to know and love.
There are a lot of rules students should know before they come to PBA, because if they do not, they often end up transferring to a different school. There are many, many transfer students (both to and from PBA). Read the Navigator before you decide to come here. There is no sense in being ignorant of the fact that there are rules which PBA expects its students to follow. However, the administration is forgiving and does realize that students make "mistakes". Though students will often be punished for mess-ups, there is an air of forgiveness around campus.
PBA is in a constant state of change, which is something nice about the University. We just got a new President, Lou Hardin (who came from Arkansas). This fall we completed our Library, which is absolutely stunning. Recently, we purchased a new building for the Theatre Department (which was sorely needed), and we are in the process of building a new recreation facility with all of our own sports fields. All the change makes me excited about the future of PBA. I hope to see a great deal of expansion after I am graduated.
I also love the location of PBA. I originally came here because I wanted to get out of Ohio and wanted to experience something different. The beach is a perk of going to school at PBA, but like I said earlier, everyday life gets in the way most of the time. After living in West Palm Beach for 2 1/2 years I have come to take the area for-granted. I love the fact that PBA is in the city. There are tons of places to rent for students who want to live off-campus, and there are lots of things to do in the city itself. CityPlace (a shopping center in West Palm) is two blocks away from campus and it has a movie theatre, Starbucks, GAP, Victoria's Secret, Barnes and Noble, Macy's, Cheesecake Factory, and also many other things. Every Friday and Saturday CityPlace has live bands performing and there are a lot of really cool restaurants like Taverna Opa's and Carousel. Also, Clematis Street is about five blocks away from PBA and it does have night-life for the "over-21" crowd. Not only that, but on Clematis there is another Starbucks, more restaurants, a brand-new public library, and on Thursdays they do "Clematis by Night" where live local bands perform and local vendors set-up shop in the square.
PBA also has things to do on campus. Coffeehouses are one of my favorite campus activities, though it is usually a younger crowd who attends these events. At coffeehouses there are poetry readings, student bands and performers and different themes. I always enjoy seeing the talent of fellow-students which is why I enjoy going to Coffeehouses. Intramurals are HUGE at PBA. They are one of the best ways to meet new people and make new friends. We have a ton of Intramurals, and if we don't have the sport you want, just suggest that they add it to their schedule and they usually make accommodations. Over 1/2 the student body participates in intramurals, and it's people should definitely get involved in.