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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Point Loma Nazarene

Today I embarked on my second college tour of my summer vacation, this time to Point Loma Nazarene. When I was first listing out which colleges that I wanted to visit, Point Loma wasn't even really on my list.  It was in the back of my mind mainly because they had accidentally sent me about twelve postcards asking me to visit them.  My mom urged me to put them on my list, so I agreed, knowing that I would at least be spending my time in a beautiful place. When I set up the visit with my dad, there was a checklist of what I wanted to attend.  I dutifully checked off the "tour" and "information session" boxes before asking my dad if he wanted me to meet with my admissions councilor.  When he said yes I rather dubiously checked that box as well, wondering if it would be weird to meet with the councilor if I wasn't even seriously considering the school.
When we arrived at the campus, I immediately remembered how beautiful it really was (I had driven through the campus once without being set up for an official tour).  When I started learning more about different aspects of their academics and feeling the atmosphere, I realized that I was beginning to become very interested in this school.  Spoiler alert, I am probably going to apply now that I have gone through the tour and the information sessions!  Since I am trying to get myself back into writing regular blogs, I thought that I would share what type of information and atmosphere could so turn my head when considering a college.
First, the academic options and opportunities. From the time that I was in the first grade, I have wanted to be a pediatrician.  That choice came from knowing, even as a child myself, that I wanted to work with children and I wanted to do something that I felt would be challenging and would change lives around me.  I know now that there are many careers and ways that one can accomplish these things, but healing people is the one that has held a special interest for me for over ten years now.  Though I know that I want to go into medicine, I don't want to actually major in pre-med.  I want to have a degree in a hard science so that if anything were to happen and delay my ability to go to medical school, I would be able to have a degree with which to get a job.  Pre-med is mostly good for getting into medical school, while I could get a better job with a chem or bio-chem degree.
This being said, I was extremely interested to hear about Point Loma's medical and nursing programs.  Very well known in the area, these provide great internships, networking, and opportunities for their students. Even more interesting was finding out that you did not have to be pre-med or pre-nursing to be in these programs; in fact, there was no such option at Point Loma.  Once one qualifies for the pre-med program, they can major in whatever they want, even if it isn't a science.  Point Loma also has a number of great scholarships even at the freshman level for students wanting to major in bio-chem.  
Though this was one of the academic interests that piqued my interest, a big part of changing my mind about Point Loma was the school's atmosphere.  Unlike many schools, they were unabashedly Christian.  Many Christian schools will say something along the lines of "So, we're a Christian school but... Don't worry about that! Look over here!", whereas Christianity seemed to permeate every aspect of Point Loma.  Even though they are of a Wesleyan tradition that differs theologically from mine, I like their honesty about their faith. Even aside from the Christian atmosphere, I just felt a 'vibe' of a close-knit, lade back sort of school that reminded me of a much larger Mount Rainier.  It also helps that Point Loma is literally on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  So, as I go forward in my college search, I now have Point Loma as a top contender!

9 comments:

  1. Lovely to read your ongoing analysis!

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    1. It was! I'm sorry you didn't like their film program...

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  3. haha, that is such a good way of putting how I felt about a ton of schools I visited and the main reason I'm going to spu: "Unlike many schools, they were unabashedly Christian. Many Christian schools will say something along the lines of "So, we're a Christian school but... Don't worry about that! Look over here!", whereas Christianity seemed to permeate every aspect of Point Loma."...love it!

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  4. I was just thinking of this blog today and how much fun it had been to read it a few months ago. It sounds like you've had quite the summer!

    I agree so very much with what Elle has echoed. The colleges that you attend will send you mail and ask you for money and involvement for many years to come - it makes a BIG difference if you go to one that you actually believe in and whose work and values you want to see succeed. I picked my undergrad school for reasons like that - they certainly weren't ivy-league, nor was everyone there a perfect example of Christ at all times, but I loved the 'unabashedness,' the honesty of their faith and how central it was to their identity and practice, both socially and academically. I still respect who they are, who they strive to be; I love them and would go there again.

    For grad school, I picked a school close to home with a good program that fit my needs - I did the practical and smart thing. It was a school that was founded by Methodists but doesn't even publicly admit that anymore (you can find references to it if you look really closely at their school history stuff, but definitely not at anything they send to applicants). They are ashamed to associate themselves with backward and intolerant religious folk, and I think that's often what happens when a school accustomed to saying, "We've a Christian school but don't worry about that" asks, "Where do we go from here? Who do we want to be?" Every year, they ask me for money, but I never want to give them any. I'd recommend their program from a practical standpoint, but I don't want to use the resources that God has given me to further their institution and its mission.

    Ultimately, I don't think that every Christian student must go to a Christian institution or work for a Christian employer. God has made us each different for many different uses in many different places. I am glad, however, to see that you are one who notices these emphases, one who cares about them and takes them into account. God bless you in your plans.

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    1. Thank you for your comments! I have to admit, I was rather scared when I saw that someone I didn't know was commenting on my page for the first time, but I was very uplifted by your comments. Thank you very much for your insight, but also just taking the time to read some of my thoughts.

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    2. Ha. Varvil, this is Keene, and you're welcome.

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    3. Well how was I supposed to know that, Keene?! You got me all excited that other people were reading my blog! I am happy to hear from you though, grumpy as I may be. :)

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