Pensacola Christian College

Emotionally, I am still recovering from my experience at PCC. I graduated in December of 2001, although I lived in the dorms and worked at ABB in the spring of 2002. I had some great times meeting some great people who accepted me for who I was.

Unfortunately, I went through a lot of heartache during my six years at PCC. For starters, some of my roommates were total nightmares. I had one who was battling manic depression (and who knows what else!) and she constantly snapped at me. It wasn't until I blew my fuze that the Residence Manager finally decided to move me out of that room. Toward the end of my college career, I had a roommate who was 23, but looked and acted 12. She talked like a little kid when she talked to her parents EVERY DAY and she was forever moody. She unfortunately had a big effect on my other roomies so that year was hell!

And then there were the rules. Rules, Rules, Rules. From the very beginning I was overwelmed with rules governing everything I did. I definitely agree that we as Christians have to have standards, but this was going beyond decency standards; This was ball and chain legalism. I once got ordered out the cafeteria for wearing tennis shoes to dinner. I was required to wear skirt and hose all the time, even when I WALKED off campus in the sweldering heat because I couldn't escape any other way.

Work in A Beka had its ups and downs. I had some fun times and met some cool people, but the so-called standards were a nightmare. There was an older woman who was constantly on my case if my thigh-top stockings were sliding down and she got P.O.ed with me when I tried to explain that regular hose didn't work out very well for me because of my figure and because of the health problems they caused me. This woman also got P.O.ed if someone wanted blinds opened and raised, claiming that in a row of blinds, all had to be the same level and all had to be either opened or closed.

I didn't see very much of the money that I made from working at ABB. I understood the need to apply it toward my school bill, but still, there were times I had to go without things that I needed because I couldn't get access to my money. In additon, I spent all that time with NO health insurance, and very rarely went to the doctor, even when I needed to. As a result, I may not be able to have children because of possible damage to my reproductive organs.It's now been two years since I left that place, and while I have continued to struggle emotionally and financially, I would never go back to work at PCC if they offered me all the money in the world. I have emotional scars from the rules, the bickering over the KJV, and most importantly, I am scarred from not having any privacy. I constantly have nightmares about going back and not being able to get away. Folks, freedom is wonderful thing, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.