With so many students going abroad, it is difficult to understand what sophomore year is really like for those who stay in Malibu.
There is a general misconception among sophomores that if they do not go abroad they are missing out on the best year of their life and that their year in Malibu is not going to be as worthwhile of an experience. Pepperdine has made efforts to combat this stigma through several programs and activities for sophomores who stay in Malibu.
“You get whatever you put in, so essentially the college experience is what you make it,” sophomore psychology major Bryce Keeler said.
Keeler said he intends to make the most out of his sophomore year, despite many of his friends currently studying abroad.
Pepperdine offers several outlets to second-year students in order to help generate community among them. The university offers special Convocation series directed toward sophomores, social events such as barbeques held on campus, and sophomore-only trips to Catalina Island and San Francisco.
“I miss my friends abroad, and sure it’s hard,” Keeler said. “But are you going to hold out on doing stuff or are you gonna reach out and try new things?”
Many of the sophomores interviewed had the same mindset as Keeler.
“Sophomore year is interesting and different,” sophomore media production major Josh Pritts said. “But different isn’t necessarily a bad thing. This year is unlike the last, but I’m very much enjoying it.”
Pritts added he intends to make this year better than the last.
Last year Project LEAD offered sophomores an all-expenses-paid trip to several cities along the Pacific where students visited historical sites, participated in leadership workshops and took part in service projects as well.
“The Pacific trip was honestly one of my favorite things about last year,” junior public relations major Desmond Herring said. “I met people on that trip that I ended up hanging with a lot for the rest of the year.”
A lot of of work and research has gone into developing these sophomore-focused programs. Psychology Professor Cindy Miller-Perrin conducted a study where she compared faith development, sense of life purpose and vocation in a sample of 74 students, half of whom did not study abroad.
“We found that more students that went abroad tended to agree that they found all these things by the time we tested them at the end of their fourth year compared to those that did not,” Miller-Perrin said. “We realized we have to offer something similar to the abroad experience for the students that stay in Malibu.”
This study sparked the initiatives directed toward second-year students in Malibu.
The idea behind the programs is to help students who are questioning their faith, sense of purpose or calling, Miller-Perrin said.
“To grow, you have to struggle a little bit, and we want to be able to give the students that stay some experiences that are unusual and unique while having (the) support of a community,” Miller-Perrin said.
Part of Miller-Perrin’s study found that sense of achievement increased for students who went abroad, while it decreased for students that did not by the end of their four years.
These programs have been successful in their attempt to enhance the sophomore experience.
“At least 60 percent of the sophomores that stay here are involved in one of our Year2Malibu events,” said Brandon Farmer, associate director of Residence Life. There is a university-allocated budget that pays for these events.
With the students’ positive attitude and university support to help make sophomore year great, it is difficult to find the answer as to why there is a negative connotation that comes with spending sophomore year in Malibu.
“I loved sophomore year, and I feel like sometimes I’m not even allowed to say that or like people don’t believe me,” junior business major Brooke Zielinski said.
One of the first things students hear when they get to Pepperdine are the words “go abroad.” Before students even have time to fully transition into their freshman year, they have to apply to go abroad and sign their contracts soon after if they are accepted into the program.
“You have all these established programs, and it’s almost like they’ve become a unique right of passage,” International Program Director Greg Muger said.
Athletes, music and theatre majors, and students who have a demanding major that requires them to stay on campus make up a large portion of the students that do not go abroad.
“I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything; it was just something that was never on the table for me because of other opportunities that were,” said junior public relations major John Lawlor.
Many students in the same position said they do not feel remorseful or believe that they are missing out on something because going abroad was never an option for them. They came to Pepperdine knowing that going abroad would conflict with their scholarships so they chose not to go. Students that stay in Malibu usually have an underlying priority or responsibility fueling their decision.
“While trips abroad would be inspiring in terms of subjects, I really wanted to stay to hone my craft and focus on my future,” sophomore art major Peau Protesano said.
Pepperdine also offers summer international programs to give students an opportunity to study abroad if they were not able to do so during the academic year.
“Many students choose to go abroad during the summer because it benefits them academically,” Muger said. “We see many of the students who cannot go abroad during the academic year apply to these.”
Students that do not go abroad their sophomore year do often do apply to summer programs.
“I’m a chem major, so I couldn’t go abroad sophomore year,” junior chemistry major Roberto Adamo said. “I went to Fiji over the summer and it was such an awesome experience. I’m planning on going to Lausanne this summer, so I’m really excited for that, too.”
The International Programs Office is always working to offer every student that wants to go abroad the chance to do so, Muger said. Muger also mentioned that Pepperdine offers summer theater and music-oriented programs, and that the Pepperdine men’s basketball and baseball traveled to Asia over summer as well.
“I didn’t study abroad sophomore year because I like it here,” junior business administration major Chris Tulin said. “I’m from Arizona — I’m already abroad. Plus, why would I want to leave Malibu? I love this place.”
Another reason students stay abroad is for financial reasons.
“I wanted to go to Argentina, but I really didn’t have the money for it,” junior psychology major Joseph Ramli said. “Instead I applied to be an RA sophomore year to save as much money as I could.”
Some students do struggle to enjoy their sophomore year in Malibu.
“Sophomore year was lonely and boring,” junior biology major Zachary Nelson said. “All my close friends were abroad doing so many cool things creating memories with each other, and I was stuck over here going to class and watching Netflix for a year.”
However, the majority of these students said they are satisfied with their decision to stay in Malibu.
“Going abroad is so great, so is staying on campus,” said Hung Le, associate vice president and university registrar. “You are wherever God wants you to be.”
Sebastian Lopez Barba completed this story in Dr. Christina Littlefield’s fall 2015 Jour 241 class.
