As upperclassmen struggle to decide where to attend college, college trips and visits can rapidly pile up. However, it is a necessity if you desire to get the full experience of how life will be in the next chapter of your life journey. Scheduling visits can be difficult and stressful themselves, but are extremely beneficial to the student as they get a better feel for how their lives will be for the next few years of their lives.
For me, this past weekend I took a trip to California Baptist University (CBU) down in Riverside, California. It was not my first college visit, but CBU is one of my top choices for colleges so I was very excited about this visit. With engineering being my major of interest, CBU fits in perfectly with the type of college I am looking for.
Compared to other colleges I have looked at (i.e California Polytechnic State University and Fresno State University), CBU is a private Christian university, so the atmosphere is very different. This was noticed upon my arrival at the university, as I attend one of the weekly chapel services. It was similar to a Sunday church service, but much more down to earth for the college students and the college lifestyle.
Over the years, CBU has grown to be known as one of the top Christian schools when it comes to engineering. Knowing this, I was able to schedule a meeting with the Dean of Engineering Dr. Anthony Donaldson and was blown away by his knowledge and sheer brilliance on the subject of engineering. I was also able to sit in on a computer and electrical engineering freshman class. It was the first college class I have ever sat in on, so I have nothing to compare it to, but nonetheless, the classroom was very organized and surprising very comfortable.
Chemical engineering professor Mark Anklam says CBU is a special place and the engineering program is one of the best aspects about the school.
“It has great faculty and is a great Christ-centered learning environment that has a lot of wonderful students.” Anklam said, “I would recommend CBU to anyone and everyone because the learning opportunities are some of the best. It is very much a undergraduate focus school so this is definitely a thing to consider.”
By taking a tour if the campus, I was able to find out much of what the students’ lives are like while in campus and get a general feel for where things are on campus. As a result, it gave me very clear picture that the campus is very relaxed and has a “chill” atmosphere. I noticed that while most of the students have cars, the campus is small enough that many students have enough time to casually walk from class-to-class. However, even more students ride skateboards and longboards, so much that in front of every building they have skateboard racks for students to place and pick up their skateboards when they are in class. It gave the campus a very down-to-earth feel and non-stressful atmosphere.
Fresno Christian alumni and freshman at CBU Brandon McCormick is very aware of the atomosphere the school presents and feels very at home while on campus.
“One of the things I like abut CBU is how friendly everyone is, how family oriented the school is, and the athletics and intramural that the school offers.” McCormick said, “Leaving home I was a little nervous, but upon arrival everyone was so friendly introducing themselves and just going out of their way to welcome everyone. I would encourage students to check out CBU because it is a great step up and way to continue to grow in your relationship with Christ.”
Another student who also joined me in this experience was former FC student Nick Fontes. Fontes said he very much enjoyed the trip and was impressed by both the the academic prestige of the college and the family atmosphere.
“I like the family feel of the college and everyone seems very friendly.” Fontes said, “It’s great academically as well. I like the fact that if you go here you get a college education without the heavy prevalence of drinking or partying and you can still have fun in many ways.”
Of course, you can’t get a full feel of what the college life will be like unless you stay overnight in one of the student dorms to experience for yourself what students’ downtime is like. Through connections of FC alumni, I was able to stay in a dorm and my expectations were thoroughly blown away. The family-like atmosphere was very present in the dorms, everyone was friendly and very excited to have visiting high school students in their dorm. Everyone was welcoming and I instantly felt like I was loved and wanted. It was definitely not what I was expecting.
Lastly, the weekend that I visited was also CBU’s homecoming weekend, so there were many special activities and unique opportunities, such as the anticipated flag football intramural finals held on Saturday night. The night was full of carnival games and educational booths in the afternoon, followed by the most intense flag football game I have ever seen. There is no football team at CBU, which means that flag football is as close as they get, and the school goes all out because of it.
Over the two days I was at CBU, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. I felt at home, comfortable, and welcomed by both students, faculty, and people in the athletic department. I encourage fellow high school students, no matter what age, to visit as many colleges as possible before graduating because it can really change what you think of a school. For me, California Baptist University is definitely high on my list.
For more opinions, read the Oct. 29 article, ASB president thankful for small school experience.
