Bob Jones University

Please read this with an open mind, and I will be completely honest. I began my freshman year at Bob Jones University in the fall of 2007, and I graduated in May of 2011 with a bachelor's degree in Communication. I instantly hit it off with my roommate, and we are still best friends. I only have one sister, so I actually loved living in the residence halls and meeting so many awesome guys. I played soccer for my society all 4 years. For my last two years I also was a member of the orchestra. I didn't have any problems with the rules. I really kind of forgot about the rules after about a year, once you just get used to being there. I really could say a lot about the good things that I experienced there. The teachers were also very kind and helpful, even praying with me in their offices. And honestly, even though I have only been away since May, there is a part of me that really misses that place, because of how I saw my friends everyday and just how nice the students and teachers were. OK That is the truth. ---- But this is also the truth. Bob Jones University is not regionally accredited. That is a fact. But when I was at BJU they told me that they were accredited. But they didn't tell me that they were only accredited by a Bible College accrediting place. But it's not the same thing at all! And it doesn't have to do with just going to grad school. It means that if you open up one of those directories of every 4-year colleges in America, BJU is not in there. In the eight months or so since I graduated, my eyes have really really been opened. I have sent out over 100 resumes, and I have only had a 4 interviews and no job offers. I now know that I did not attend a normal college. I mean, I don't consider BJU to be an actual university. Honestly, I have no interest in debating any of these issues with anyone who is currently at BJU, because they will think that I am bitter. I know this because when I was a student I thought it was terrible how alumni and students complained about BJU. I thought, if they don't like it then why don't they just leave? But now I see so clearly that real jobs in the real world require a real college degree. I really wish that someone had explained this to me when I was choosing a college. I wish someone would have said that when you graduate, you are going to have to make a resume that says you went to a college named Bob! And there will be other guys who graduated from schools in the US News Best College magazine. Do you see that now? A college named Bob vs. a college that is in the US News best colleges magazine. Who the heck do you think they're going to hire for the position?! The truth is, most of the kids who go to BJU are kids like me who came from Christian schools who had never even visited another college before. Also, I didn't understand why people would call BJU racist. I used to get so mad when i was a student when people would say that. I thought it was so dumb when people would bring up an issue that happened years and years ago. Now I get it. It's about the reputation of the school you graduated from. And people have actually asked me if I'm a racist since I graduated. Seriously. I'm going to have to deal with that my entire life? If you don't understand why I am so upset about this, here is another thing. I met Stephen Jones, and he is super friendly. But he has no clue what it is like to go try to find a job. His dad gave him all of his jobs. Why would you go to a college where the president has never had to look for a job? He is totally clueless about what it's like to find a job in this bad economy. I mean, I spent 4 years of fun and preaching and friends and good food and nice teachers. But I made the mistake of going to some kind of business instead of a real college. Ask yourself why there are so many complaints about how people wish they had not attended BJU. And think about how someday you are actually going to have to get a real job in the real world. My advice: Don't go to a fake college named Bob. Go to a place that a future employer will respect.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

Four years of faking it. If you are anything (and I stress anything) but a dyed in the wool fundamentalist you will have to be dishonest in who you are and what you believe to survive. I like to think of it as a giant treadmill with everyone running as fast as they can desperately trying to impress each other, the faculty, (and in their convoluted theology) God. Don’t believe the lies about how all the rules make you a better person-they don’t. They simply turn you into a self-righteous Pharisee, looking down your nose at anyone who does not practice their Christianity the BJ way. The best advice you could ever receive (unless you are already a fundamentalist) is-don’t go.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000