Pensacola Christian College

Date: May 24 2004
Major: Mechanical Engineering (This Major's Salary over time)
PCC's strongest quality is in the people who are there. There are outstanding Christians everywhere, but I believe there are more at PCC than anywhere else I've been. The trouble is, most of these people are the students. There are some great folks on the faculty, too. For the most part, however, the administration and some faculty are not people with whom I would want to be personally acquainted in the future.

Academics at PCC are good (though not as good as they claim to be). The problem is that the school is not accredited. As a prospective student, I was told that there would be no issue with the unaccredited status. When I applied for graduate school 4 years later, however, I had to fight battles that were completely unnecessary.

The price is good, except for the unaccredited thing, which means that my scholarship opportunities were only $800 a year, the academic scholarship given by PCC itself. Perhaps 1 student out of 300 has more luck with the money.

Life at PCC is hard, especially for dating couples. The administration gives little respect to the student body and even less trust. While they tell you they are proud of you, they will treat you as if you are a convicted felon. Men and women students cannot touch each other. I am being completely serious. You are being watched all the time, even if you are doing nothing wrong. You cannot play the music you like unless it is classical or you bought it in the campus bookstore. You cannot watch TV or movies, except for the nightly news and some sporting events. You are told when to get up, how to dress, when to eat, and when to go to bed. You have to scan your ID card in and out for permission to be off campus. You cannot date or even go off campus in mixed groups (men and women together). You cannot be on campus in mixed groups unchaperoned or outside of "social hours". This is not exaggeration.

Chapel services, nighttime prayer groups, Christian service opportunities, intramural sports (fun, but not co-ed), and collegians—an alternative to fraternities and sororities, are more redeeming parts of the social life at PCC. Also, the beach is 20 minutes away. Because of so many required activities, and because I was an engineering major, I had little time for anything but studies during my last 2 years—no beach.

On the whole, PCC has some good things, and I believe God led me there. But it is a frustratingly difficult place to be. I learned a lot; much of it was how not to be. I've seen enough hypocrisy and quirkiness in 8 semesters to last me a lifetime.