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I am currently a first semester freshman at Pepperdine and I came all the way from Pennsylvania in search of a unique religious perspective that I never found at home. Well, I definitely got that at Pepperdine, but it wasn't exactly the perspective I was looking for. The professors are probably the most helpful teachers I've ever come across in my academic life, but unfortunately, I could not say the same for the students. Don't get me wrong, not all of the students are bad and I really like the friends I did make, but some of the students preach religious tolerance and then freak out if you aren't like them. I must say, I break boundaries a lot (i.e.: I have pink hair and was agnostic upon coming to this school so that makes me the devil), but I feel like Pepperdine has actually sapped my creativity so much in the past couple of months that it isn't even worth it to try to be your own person anymore. It seems like everyone here is so happy all the time, but sometimes I feel miserable and it seems like I'm the only one. Pepperdine has something that I jokingly (but actually pretty seriously) refer to as "The Pepperdine Bubble." I am not making a common assumption, but a lot of people at Pepperdine have been sheltered for most of their lives and have been sent here by their parents in hopes of continuing their sheltered lifestyles. Most of them undergo culture shock upon coming here because they realize that the whole world isn't like their all-boy or all-girl school (some are home schooled too). They act condescending a lot because they feel like they are being "saved" and someone like myself who didn't believe much until now is going to hell. It's a strange feeling, but I believe that I am teaching people as much about the world outside of Pepperdine as they are teaching me about what goes on inside this secure little "bubble." I truly thank them for teaching me so much because I feel as if I had never learned anything at school until I came to Pepperdine, but sometimes I find myself asking, "Is who I am really worth changing for 'success'?" About the wealth issue, wealth is a common misconception at Pepperdine. There are A LOT of wealthy people and yes, it is common to see a BMW or a Lexus as every other car when passing through the parking lot, but that shouldn't be a reason to diss the school and students really don't flaunt their wealth like it was rumored they do. I am probably the poorest student at Pepperdine and I get along just fine with the wealthy. About the religion thing, Pepperdine isn't as bad as people think they are with religion, but the students can be. Sometimes I just wish there were more people like myself to give DIVERSE opinions. It's very frustrating being different, which is something I have never said before in my life because I'm a journalism major and we're supposed to get paid for our creativity. Pepperdine is mostly Republican, and don't listen to the Republicans on campus who try to tell you they are the minority. PEPPERDINE IS MOSTLY REPUBLICAN & VOICES VERY STRONG POLITICAL OPINIONS. That wouldn't be an issue for me if I didn't constantly deal with people freaking out when they ask me about my political views and I relate that I support Obama. If they're going to ask my opinion, they shouldn't freak out if it doesn't match theirs! I support their stance as Republican, so why can't they just support mine? Yes, the nightlife at Pepperdine sucks. Malibu is a BEAUTIFUL area, but it is basically in the middle of nowhere and to get anywhere you have to drive at least 30-45 minutes. I don't have a car, which is AWFUL at Pepperdine, but I have friends who are generous enough to take me out on the weekends to Hollywood and so on and the nightlife here is great if you know where to go. The nightlife situation brings me to my next point: RULES. PEPPERDINE HAS WAAAAY TOO MANY RULES! We are in college now and we're not allowed to have members of the opposite sex in our dorms after 1 am. It doesn't even matter what you're doing because you could even be studying, but you will get split up at 1am. Also, Pepperdine IS a dry campus and the rumours you hear as far as that goes are true. I personally don't mind this rule because I like being at a school that doesn't showcase bumbling drunk idiots falling down the staircase in your dorms while you're trying to sleep/study during the week, but I'm sure not everyone agrees with me on that. So, if you want to drink, either make some friends at USC or UCLA so you can go down there for the weekends and still enjoy the quietness and aesthetic beauty of the Pepperdine campus, or go to a different school because Pepperdine is not for you. Also, no one is ever here on the weekends!!!! Everything in Malibu closes at 8pm, even on weekends, so everyone just goes out of town on the weekend and if you don't have a car or family nearby, most of the time you're stuck on a barren campus. I personally found this extremely hard to deal with because I am so far away from home and not only do I have to deal with homesickness, but I've never felt so alone in my life. I feel like I don't have any real friends here yet, but then again, I haven't really been here that long (like 2 months) so I think that's normal since I'm usually not very trusting to begin with, but I feel like there's virtually no one here that would get along with me anyway, even though most upper classmen I talk to tell me that you eventually find people with similar interests even though it is more difficult to find them the more eccentric you are. Pepperdine is a challenge, and believe it or not, I'm truly not sure whether I want to transfer or not because I don't know where I want to be in my life and I have no idea where I'd like to go for journalism. Loneliness and conformity are pretty much the two biggest problems at this school, but I believe that if you're strong enough (which I really hope I am), you can fight them and become a better person upon graduation from this school. Don't be afraid to email me your questions about the University because I work at the school's calling center and usually know the most updated information about the school.