You cant know what it will be like to send your student off to college until youve done it thats why we asked the experts: current 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 parents! On Wednesday, June 26 we held our second Ask Me Anything Webinar: Ask a Current 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 Parent which featured members of the 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 Parent Council and our very own current 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 mom, Rebecca Irwin.

Find the webinar recording, answers to the questions and links below, and explore more resources on our Prospective Parents webpage.

Get to know the parents... 

Liz & Jolly Chen: from Hayward, CA. Have a current 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 Junior and alum.

    Rebecca Irwin: from Long Beach, CA. Has a current 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 Junior.

      Lisa Hawley: from Everett, WA. Has a current 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 Senior and alum.

        David & Carrie Cronk: from La Habra, CA. Have a current 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 Junior, Freshman and alum.

          Whats one thing you wish you had known before sending your student to college?

          • Lisa: Dont be too hurt if your student isnt constantly updating you! Theyre meeting so many people and doing so many new things do your best not to take it too personally.

          • Rebecca: Four years can go by SO FAST! There are so so many things to do. Encourage your student to fully dive in while theyre here.

          • David & Carrie: Encourage your student to be as involved as possible, and encourage them to not be SO focused on grades that they forgo building meaningful relationships with fellow students. Thats a big part of their education too!


          What was one concern you had about your child attending 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 that was alleviated once they arrived?

          • Lisa: We didnt have any major concerns apart from the general anxiety with our first child, but move-in weekend is so well done. 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 does a great job of helping both students and parents in the transition.

          • Liz & Jolly: We loved the Communion service during New Student Orientation. Praying over our child during this service as we launched them into 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 was so meaningful. We knew we were sending our child to an institution with godly people who would nurture our son. We saw that throughout our son got to know the professors, played basketball with them and quickly joined their community. Basically 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 was an extension of mom and dad, in a way.


          What was it like having your student come home for the first time?

          • Liz & Jolly: Its interesting you think your child will want to see mom and dad and siblings, but our experience was that mostly students just want to sleep and then see their hometown friends. Mostly you want to make sure your home is a restful place for your student and not fill their time at home with too many things. We recommend making a date with a student to guarantee youll have quality time with them during their time at home!

            • We also implemented that THEY dont have curfews, but our cars do! Our cars have to be home by midnight.

          • Rebecca: Your student is now used to being autonomous, so hold your expectations loosely and find a way to work together with their time.

          • Lisa: We sat down and had a meeting with our kids the first time they came home. We had a full discussion with them to establish expectations so that both sides knew what was expected. That really helped the transition.


          What was one thing you or your student had to learn the hard way going through college?

          • Rebecca: Getting enough sleep! My son wanted to do ALL the things and still maintain a class schedule and work. At some point he just literally burnt out and had to find a way to say no. Thats something he had to learn on his own, not something I could have told him.

          • Liz & Jolly: Navigating the life-long lesson of friendships was especially challenging. Friendships really change with ebbs and flows through college, and they dont always match your expectations. We wanted to come alongside our son, offer him the wisdom and help him establish good expectations for friendships.

            • As a freshman meeting hundreds of people, your student needs to have good expectations with roommates especially. Maybe this person isnt going to be their best friend, and thats okay!


          What drew your family to 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023?

          • Lisa: We did a deep dive at first and looked at websites to see statements of faith. We found that 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 was a place that was faithful to its mission. We came to campus, visited chapels and classes and had many conversations with 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 staff and faculty, and 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 continually came to the top. We also loved that our kids would get the minor in Bible AND have biblical integration in all of their classes

          • Liz & Jolly: We heard of 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 because we had relatives who attended Talbot, but we werent familiar with Christian schools. With a Christian school, we were worried that it wasnt going to be as prestigious or have the right financial aid, but we always had that alleviated with 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023. 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 also had the Torrey Honors program which was phenomenal and really fit our sons mode of learning.

          • Rebecca: For my son, he met a current 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 student who was a lifeguard at Hume Lake and he was really attracted to the type of person he was. My son applied to five other schools and tried to be so thorough, but two things influenced his decision: a professor said one of the greatest things you can gain from your education is mentorship and the relationship there. That has been exceptional for my son at 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023. The other thing was the Bible minor. He has appreciated the discussion and being able to wrestle with his questions in a space that is permissible for him to do so.


          Did any of your students come from a public education and did they feel like they struggled with Bible courses compared to other students?

          • Rebecca: my son attended Long Beach Poly High School, and I dont feel like he struggled with 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023s Bible classes. In the Bible classes here there is such grace. Professors know that everyone is growing at different rates and they are open to conversations.

          • Kayla (host): I came from a public school, and during my time at 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 the Bible classes were challenging in all of the best ways, causing me to grow. Like Rebecca highlighted, there was so much grace as well.


          My student would like to bring his desktop computer and use a laptop for classes. Do you think this would work?

          • Rebecca: My son tried to do something similar. He did it for a while, but changed because he felt a bit chained to his desk with a desktop computer when his friends were going to the library. He upgraded to a more powerful laptop instead and appreciated the freedom.

          • Lisa: Having a portable laptop was really helpful for my students to access everything they needed across campus.

          • Liz & Jolly: We agree! Laptops were helpful for our students.


          Do you recommend students bring a car to campus?

          • David & Carrie: Our son didnt have a car on campus for three years and was fine. At times it was inconvenient but totally doable. Many students will take scooters or bikes to get around campus and to nearby grocery stores. And our son was often able to get rides with friends when he needed them.

          • Lisa: We are from out of state and neither of our students had a car during their freshman year. It made our students have to work a little harder and reach out to others to ask for rides to church or the grocery store. Our students also always have rides to the airport every single time they ask. Cars are helpful once they become upperclassmen and are doing things like residencies or internships, but not having them as freshmen really encouraged our students to get involved on campus.


          What does it look like for your student to get involved in a local church?

          • Liz & Jolly: Its really important to encourage your student to be involved in a local church even though theyre getting fed spiritually on campus.

          • David & Carrie: Weve loved Grace EV Free in La Mirada. There are lots of professors there, and they encourage students to get involved in volunteering.

          • Kayla (host): Something we really stress is that 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 is not a replacement for the local church. Chapel is great, but we always encourage students to find a local church and get involved, and we also often have churches come to campus to interact with students. Our Spiritual Development team has a great list of local churches.


          What did you do when your student got sick or hurt?

          • Rebecca: The 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 Health Center is wonderful. My son went to Hawaii with friends for spring break. While he was there he stepped on a sea urchin, and when he got back he made an appointment with the 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 Health Center, got in the same morning to see the physician and they removed the nettles that were still in his foot and gave him antibiotics.

          • Liz & Jolly: For small things, the 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 Health Center is great. For bigger things, its important to educate your student on what health insurance is and who they should call when they need help.


          Did any of your students have experience using campus resources?

          • Lisa: Use the Rhetoric and Writing Center for help on papers! The is great too. One of our kids had a tough situation with a friend and got in quickly with the counseling center. Its fantastic.

          • Liz & Jolly: Make use of Academic Advising to have professional help with their classes and degree plan. The Career Center is great too.

          • Rebecca: Spiritual Direction is a really amazing and unique resource on campus.

          • Kayla (host): Campus pastors are amazing resources for students who need counsel.


          Do you have any travel recommendations?

          • Lisa: John Wayne (Santa Ana) airport is close and Southwest Flies into it. Long Beach is also close and fantastic. LAX is nearby, but is such a big airport and can be a headache, and Burbank or Ontario are all okay in a pinch. Weve never had any bad issues with our kids traveling. I recommend trying to get your Thanksgiving flight home as early as possible to get the cheapest rate. Typically well get our students home the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Break this year is November 27 - December 30.

          • Liz & Jolly: We recommend spending a little bit more to avoid LAX if you can!

          • Rebecca: Its also helpful to know that there are plenty of local families willing and wanting to host students who cant go home for every break! Dont worry that your student will just be sitting alone in their dorm room.


          Did you always feel safe with your student walking at later hours?

          • Rebecca: During my sons freshmen year he and friends decided to sleep outside in hammocks in the trees, and I was worried. But I learned the next day that campus safety had checked in on them at least twice! I dont worry about my sons safety. 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 has an amazing safety crew who are constantly ensuring that students are safe on campus.

          • Lisa: We have a daughter and have felt so good about 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023. We have never felt unsafe with her on campus. Chief O is fantastic he has won numerous awards for his safety programs at 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023. Students can alway call campus safety for an escort if they want it, but we have never had fears about our daughter being unsafe on 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023s campus.