Part 2: Top 10 Reasons to Become a Boxer!

A continuation from last week’s post, there are an unlimited number of great things that can be said about Pacific University. We decided to shorten that list and give you the Top 10 Reasons to Become a Boxer!

6.       Study Abroad and Travel Courses – Pacific University has 26 different study abroad programs in 13 different countries that all students have a chance to participate in. Studying abroad is an opportunity for students to not only earn Pacific credits, but to explore the world and experience something different! Students are able to apply the same financial aid they receive at Pacific University to the foreign university they attend in our programs. If a whole semester or school year is not something a student wants or is able to do, then we also offer three-week travel courses during winter term or early summer (7 courses offered in the 2018-19 school year). These are out of pocket trips that are paired up with a course in the fall or spring semester. We encourage all students to ask their advisers about study abroad programs in order to figure out how their schedules will need to be structured.

7.       Civic Engagement Opportunities – A requirement for all students, civic engagement is a way we get our students out into the community serving in many different ways! The students have the option when and how they choose to meet this requirement which makes the process more enjoyable and authentic. There are classes geared toward civic engagement projects that revolve around specific majors. A psychology student will have may options that revolve around mental health within the community, while an environment science student may have an opportunity to volunteer at the B-Street Farm. There are also general classes for civic engagement with themes for students who have not chosen their major yet. No matter how it gets done, its sole purpose is to get students off campus, into the community, and making a difference.

8.       70+ Clubs and Activities – There is no shortage of clubs to choose from as Pacific has over 70 clubs and organizations on campus. The clubs fall under many categories such as academic, educational, Greek life, cultural, religious, public service, recreational, performing arts, and student media. We highly encourage our student to join multiple clubs. It is a great way for all students to make new connections with like-minded students, take up potential leadership positions, and get involved on campus and in the community. Most Pacific University students are involved with three or four different clubs or organizations throughout their career as a student. If students are unable to find a club that fits their desire, we highly encourage starting a new club! All students need to start their own club is seven members and a staff or faculty member as their adviser. After turning in some paperwork, they are now a funded club of Pacific University.

9.       24 Varsity Sports – Pacific University is an NCAA Division III school. We compete with 24 teams in the Northwest Conference. Pacific is equipped with a new state-of-the-art 9-lane Atlas track (one of two in all the Northwest), new football/soccer/lacrosse field with a video jumbo Tron, a turf baseball field, top ranked softball field (between DII and DIII schools), an indoor turf field with indoor batting cages, three indoor and three outdoor tennis courts, an athlete weight room, fully functional locker rooms, and top notch athletic training facilities. We have coaches from all over the country with amazing histories both as athletes themselves and coaches who love being at Pacific University. Our teams have reeled in 12 championships in the last decade.

10.   Scholarships!! – Here at Pacific University, we want our students to focus on school and enjoying their experience as much as possible. Unfortunately, college finances stress students out around the country. We do all that we can to chip away at the cost of your education through many routes of generous scholarships. 90% of Pacific University students do not pay the full cost of tuition and we are proud of that number! The merit scholarships are our most basic form of scholarship. Based on GPA and test scores (ACT/SAT) students will receive a renewable scholarship: University ($12,000 per year), Trustee ($15,000 per year), Presidential ($18,000 per year), Honors ($21,000 per year), Founders ($24,000 per year). We offer Special Interest Awards ranging from $500 - $6,000 per year based on particular talents incoming students may have. Student who are interested in things such as art, math, dance, music, photography, debate, etc. have the chance to apply for a scholarship. Small requirements are paired with these awards, only one of which requires students to minor, making these even more doable. On top of all that, we host Senior Preview Scholarship Days in the fall where just by attending students receive $1,000 per year. Students arrive with their families in the morning, eat breakfast with students listen to a few speakers, a student panel, professor panel, tour the campus, and have a chance to sit in on a class. It’s a great way to get familiar with the school and earn money while you are doing it!

Part 1: Top 10 Reasons to Become a Boxer!

There is an infinite amount of reason why someone should want to be a Boxer! Unfortunately, there are a limited amount of words for this blog post so we are going to narrow it down the Top 10 Reasons to Become a Boxer!

1.       4-Year Guarantee – Here at Pacific University we guarantee that our students will be able to graduate in four years as long as they hold up their end of the deal. All a student needs to do is declare a major by the end of their Sophomore year and maintain a 2.5 GPA (B-/C+ range). Graduating in four years gives students a chance to get out into the real world in a timely fashion. 82% of Pacific University graduates are either enrolled in grad school or have a career job within six months of graduation. For whatever reason if a student is unable to graduate on time and they upheld their end of the bargain, then Pacific University will pay for the remaining classes that are need. The 4-year guarantee keeps students on track to move on to the next big thing!

2.       10:1 Student Faculty Ratio – At Pacific University, we have a faculty member for every 10 students on campus. Why is that important? We find value in this because students are able to have a personal relationship with their professors, more one on one time with professors, and an opportunity to succeed. With most of our professors having terminal degrees in the field (highest achievable degree) students have access to open door policies with experts in the field. Often at large state institutions, students do not have the opportunity to meet their professors due to the sheer amount of enrolled students. Professors come specifically to Pacific University for the sole reason of being able to interact closely and directly with their students.

3.       Average class size of 19 students - Due to the smaller school size (1850 undergraduates), students have the luxury of smaller class sizes. With the exception of a few intro courses that are usually taken within the freshman year (Intro to Biology, Intro to Chemistry, and Intro to Psychology, all classes many students are required to take) class sizes are purposely kept on the smaller side. When at a large public institution, the class sizes for an incoming freshman can reach upwards of 500 students to a class and are held in large lecture halls. With smaller class sizes, classes change from lecture to discussions, giving students the chance to not only be heard, but hear the diverse perspectives of other students in the class. This brings about a well-rounded and unique learning experience.

4.       65+ Areas of Study - Pacific University is a liberal arts university meaning we want to give our students a chance to explore. With over 65 areas of study, students enrolled at Pacific have the opportunity to check out many different avenues of interest. We encourage that students take advantage of this. We do not put pressure on student to pick a major as we give them two years (four semesters) to make this decision if they want to stay on track for graduating in four years. We offer a class called Essential Human Knowledge which offers a lecture once a week by a professor from a different discipline. We do this so students are able to truly get a firsthand taste in what all the different majors have to offer. It is a great way to learn what things do or do not interest you, and help guide your decision as you navigate our many paths!

5.       Undergraduate Research & Internships – At Pacific University, we push our students to pursue both internships and research opportunities. Most students have participated in at least one internship by the end of their time here at Pacific. The professors are extremely involved in helping students find internships through the various connections and relationships they have previously built in the field. When emails come in from other companies, professors relay the information to students who they believe would be good fits or just to the general population. Often we are able to have our students land paid internships with top notch companies such as Nike and Intel. In terms of research, our professors conduct all of their research in the summers. Often students will be hired to assist the professors and gain real research experience as undergrads right here on campus. Also, all students are required to do a senior thesis project and work very closely with professors to complete these. Research that is specific to the students’ field of study will be conducted in order to complete these projects. 

Why Should You Live On-Campus?!?

Here at Pacific University, we love having our students live on campus. We make housing not only available, but guaranteed for four years. It is required for students to be on campus for the first two years of attendance, and it is encouraged that students spend all four as residents on campus. In fact, it is quite common to see seniors living on campus and loving it!

Some good reasons to live on campus:

• ·         More involvement – When living on campus, you are being dropped right into the action. You are less than 10 minutes away from any event, game, speaker, or class. When you can hear music playing in the quad and look out your window to see students playing volleyball or just hanging out, you are much more likely to go out and join unlike those who may not even know that anything is going on because they are living off campus.
• ·         Community – Simply walking out of your room will provide an opportunity to get involved due to the fact that there is always something going on in a residence hall. The RAs (Residence Assistants) are there to make life more enjoyable for their students. Things such as ping pong tournaments, pancake parties, and haunted houses around Halloween time are not unusual to see. The RAs try to host an event at least once a month, and they have office hours in the lobby of their respective residence halls at least once a week each.
• ·         Less Financial Stress! – Students who live off campus have to account for paying monthly rent, a security deposit, utilities, furnishing their apartment/house, laundry, and repairs. When you live on campus, your room and board is payed as a package with your tuition, so no monthly fees. Utilities, laundry, furniture, appliances (in apartment style dorms), and repairs to the room (i.e. broken oven, dead lightbulbs) are all included. With less things to worry about in terms of your living situation, students are able to keep their focus on school and other more important factors of their life.

The on campus experience is catered to students. When on campus, you can truly experience the full benefits of a university that looks out for its students. Off campus living is something that everyone will experience once graduated from school, so why rush the process and add more real world stress and pressure to your plate prematurely?

For more information on housing, click on the link below:

https://www.pacificu.edu/housingdining

For more information on residence halls, click the link below:

https://www.pacificu.edu/housingdining/housing/residence-halls

For more information on residence life, click the link below:

https://www.pacificu.edu/housingdining/residence-life