Pacific University Top Questions

All I can say is make sure you have a blance right off the bat. College offers so many windows of opportunity and making sure you are blanced is the key. Get involved, but don't try to get too involved that you let your studies fall throw the cracks. Have fun, but remember why you went to college in the first place: yes to have fun, but also to learn. And your professors have so much to teach you, you don't want to miss it.

Can one be intimidated, frightened and excited all at the same time? Taking Calculus and Chemistry and carrying eighteen credits the first semester is intimidating. Making new friends is frightening. Learning new things like turning on the washing machine, buying my own deoderant, and making Hawaiian fried rice for my new friends is exciting. But, Calculus, friends, and fried rice aside, I have been intimidated, frightened and excited by one word: wisdom. My mom always tells me to "choose my major wisely," "choose your friends wisely," and "be wise with your actions." I didn't know what she meant until now. Making decisions that I am not used to is intimidating and frightening. But, making wise decisions are exciting. Nothwithstanding the ten pounds (of pure muscle!) I'm carrying around, I feel I have gained some wisdom. I feel a bit more mature. I am learning how to make my own decisions and more importantly, own them. I am more grateful, satisfied, determined, and at ease. What have I gotten out of my college experience? Wisdom! Why is it valuable? Because if applied to every area of my life, life is not as intimidating or frightening, but rather exciting!

Through my first year of college I've gained confidence in my art ability. I came to college with the single goal of one day becoming an animator. I only had the doodles in my notebooks, one beginning art class in high school and 2 years of art club to serve as my art background. During the fall semester I took an art class. It was nothing how I expected. It was a beginning art class but everyone in there was already a pro to my surprise only one of my classmates actually said he was planning to major in art. The art class was intense we did multiple quick sketches of a model. Then later in the class we moved into longer 30 minute poses. Even thought the class was tough, the teacher helped a lot. He gave pointers to all of his fifteen students. He didn't care that not everyone was going to pursue art he gave equal input. Being a small class size I was able to get the help that I needed when I wasn't sure where I should be focusing on detail. My college experience has helped me grow as an artist.

My college experience has allowed me to have access to various industries and profesisonals within them, and nurture a passion I realized while volunteering through various club activities. Originally, I thought I would return to school, get a degree quickly, and get a stable M-F, 9-5 job. However, during the first week on campus, I looked at all the clubs and organizations I could potentially get involved with, that required little responsibility and joined a sorority, an academic club, and a social club. Little did I know that my volunteered involvement would change the way that I see the world around me and how I can be effective. Within one year, I became more familiar with people, developing my people skills in leadership and management, received nominations, and won positions in each club I spent time in, and mentor new transfer students. I am actively pursuing student body involvement within the school and have grown interest in getting involved with local government. I feel more confident about how to access my resources for issues revolving my career choice and have developed a vocabulary that bridges different departments at the school and the work industry.

Attending Pacific University has changed me. Going to college has changed how I think about myself and the world. I've learened so much from each and every one of my professors--things that not only apply to my major, but how I view the world and how I think. Sure it's hard to pay for school, but I don't think you can put a price on an amazing education. Pacific is more than just a school. Pacific University teaches its students new ways to view the world and ideas, and to question everything. I think its been so valuable to me because going to college has helped me become a stronger individual. I've gottent the world out of my college experience.

From my college experience I have began to identify even more what my passion is. I have been able to take classes that are teaching me exactly the things that I need to know to get to where I want to be someday in my career. It has been valuable for me because I am exploring the different areas in which I could take my career; I am finding a sense of individuality and independence that I couldn't have gotten anywhere else.

Last year, 26 years old, I re-immersed myself in higher education, working towards a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. During my experience so far, I have been pushed to my intellectual limit, given the opportunity to explore unfamiliar creative mediums and greatly improved my writing. As I began my degree path, most of the writing classes I took were scholarly; I had to relearn how to write a collegiate paper. I discovered that my interest in creative writing only improved my collegiate work; and that learning to structure and flesh out scholarly essays, enhanced my creative writing. In my second semester, I took at mandatory poetry writing workshop. Until that point, I had always considered myself a fiction writer. In this poetry class, I discovered a new form that not only augments my fiction writing, but that I would like to continue to explore in the future. If not for this degree program, I never would have volunteered for a poetry class. In my first year, I was successful in both the scholarly and creative writing classes. Through this, I gained confidence in my intellect, my abilities as a writer and my self as a whole.

From the first semester at Pacific, I was led on the right course. My academic advisor was knowledgable and worth visiting to discuss my future path with Pacific. I was in a course specific for me to see how my four year degree would unfold. This information was critical for me to open my eyes and prepare myself for the future. Not only that but it got me excited about what I could learn from this university. Another bonus from my attendance at this university was getting to know my fellow lacrosse team players. I was given a grand opportunity to meet new people and play under the eyes of a nationally well respected coach. Being at Pacific has been a beautiful experience in academics and extra-curriculars. I would be honored to continue my education there and gain a respected degree.

I have made friends that I will stay in contact with for many years, I have aquired the highest degree of learning that I deem important to follow my dream of becoming a veterinarian and I have been given all the opportunities needed to have a memorable college experience as well as a happy and fulfilling life.

When I started college I didn't really know what I wanted to do but I thought I knew a lot of things about life. As I progressed through my classes, I found out what I wanted to do as a career and found out that I had a lot to learn about life. The teachers at Pacific and my classmates made a wonderful sounding board for me to share what I was learning and what I wanted to be as an adult. I learned about the enviroment, the world and my place in both. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to go to college at Pacific.