So our website couldn't answer your questions, eh?

There is nothing I hate more than when students/parents email me and say our website doesn't have this and that information or whatever because **ahem** I built our side of the website and link out to 2398471 other pages on the PLNU website. Trust me... if it's important (or honestly even if it isn't) it is on that damn website....

Behold an email I got from a (very bored I'm assuming) junior this afternoon....

HeIllo,

My name is XXXX, I live in Oregon and I am going to be an high school senior this coming school year. My family and I are considering Point Loma University as one of my college options, but we have several questions that the Point Loma website does not answer for me. Could you possibly answer some of my questions and get back to me? Thanks!

- Is it true that Point Loma University does not charge out of state tuition? And if they do, how much extra is it?

- Going into my senior year of high school, I currently have a 3.8 GPA and a SAT score of 1800. As of right now, what kind of academic scholarships would Point Loma be able to offer me based on that criteria?

- If I was to attend Point Loma University, I would probably be bringing my vehicle with me. Is there student parking offered on campus, and if so, what would be the cost to park my car?

- What is the average cost of books and supplies for undergraduates?

- How far/how long is it to the nearest airport from San Diego?

- I scored a 3 on my AP US History Test, and a 4 on my AP Literature Test. Does Point Loma accept AP credits, and if so, what are the minimal scores required for those tests?

- What is the setting of Point Loma like? Is it a college town, rural, or in the city?

- How are dorms assigned?

- I plan to major in journalism and minor in music. Is journalism a dominant major at Point Loma, or should I seek other colleges for this major?

- How safe is the campus, and what kind of security is offered?

- What prerequisites are required to attend Point Loma as an undergraduate? For example, how many years of high school math, foreign language, and what levels?

- If I was to attend Point Loma fall of 2012 as a freshman, what classes would I be required to take at Point Loma?

- What kind of scholarships are offered, and how do I apply?

- What other minimal fees do I need to be aware of? For example, does it cost to do laundry?

- What are the average class sizes?

- Does Point Loma help students grow in their faith?

I know there are alot of questions, but if you could answer them for me, it would be greatly appreciated. I am really interested in Point Loma, but since we live so far away, I want to make sure that Point Loma offers everything that I need, and is a good fit for me, before my family and I take the time and money to schedule a visit. Thanks again!

- XXXX

 Annoying right? Well here is my email back to this ever so thorough junior in high school....

Hey there XXXX!

Wow! Thanks for all the questions! I am happy to help you with these and point you to the right spot on the website for more information. I’ve copied and pasted your questions below and answered in green right underneath. Let me know if I can help anymore!

- Is it true that Point Loma [Nazarene] University does not charge out of state tuition? And if they do, how much extra is it?

Great news! You’re 100% correct. We’re a private school and so we do not charge for out of state tuition. All students have the same tuition regardless of where they’re from or their major.

- Going into my senior year of high school, I currently have a 3.8 GPA and a SAT score of 1800. As of right now, what kind of academic scholarships would Point Loma be able to offer me based on that criteria?

At PLNU we have a couple different academic scholarships that are available to our students. Since we’re wrapping up this application season and haven’t opened the application for fall of 2012 yet, we don’t have the criteria set for academic scholarships. To see what they were for this year, check out this page.

- If I was to attend Point Loma [Nazarene] University, I would probably be bringing my vehicle with me. Is there student parking offered on campus, and if so, what would be the cost to park my car?

Unfortunately, freshman are not allowed to have cars on campus but the good news is there aren’t fees to have a parking permit your sophomore through senior year! Freshman are allowed to have scooters though!

- What is the average cost of books and supplies for undergraduates?

It depends on your major to be honest. Literature students will have more books than a graphic design student for example.

- How far/how long is it to the nearest airport from San Diego?

We’re about ten minutes from downtown San Diego which is where the airport is located.

- I scored a 3 on my AP US History Test, and a 4 on my AP Literature Test. Does Point Loma accept AP credits, and if so, what are the minimal scores required for those tests?

PLNU does accept AP credit and you can see the list of all the exams we accept scores from. This list will also show you what class you’ll waive with certain scores on the exams.

- What is the setting of Point Loma like? Is it a college town, rural, or in the city?

Point Loma is only minutes from downtown San Diego but in a residential area. You feel like you’re in a small town while on campus, but it’s very easy to get to everything San Diego has to offer.

- How are dorms assigned?

We guarantee housing for freshman and sophomores and housing is determined based on a profile that is filled out when confirming your acceptance to the university.

- I plan to major in journalism and minor in music. Is journalism a dominant major at Point Loma, or should I seek other colleges for this major?

PLNU has a strong journalism program with students who have been a part of Pulitzer Prize winning teams, working for the San Diego Union Tribune (a very large newspaper in San Diego) as well as Broadcast Journalism students who are working on camera for stations all across the country.

- How safe is the campus, and what kind of security is offered?

PLNU is incredibly safe and has 24/7 security. You can check out the annual crime report here.

- What prerequisites are required to attend Point Loma as an undergraduate? For example, how many years of high school math, foreign language, and what levels?

We don’t have a set requirement like the University of California system does, however we do have a recommended course load we suggest students follow.

- If I was to attend Point Loma fall of 2012 as a freshman, what classes would I be required to take at Point Loma?

Since PLNU is a liberal arts institution, we do have general education requirements for all students, regardless of their major. You can find a list of the courses and why we have our students take those on this page.

- What kind of scholarships are offered, and how do I apply?

You can find all that and more on this page!

- What other minimal fees do I need to be aware of? For example, does it cost to do laundry?

Laundry around campus is general $1 per load ($0.50 wash, $0.50 dry)

- What are the average class sizes?

Average class size is 19 and the student to professor ratio is 14:1. You can find that information and more on this page.

- Does Point Loma help students grow in their faith?

There are many many many ways PLNU helps our students grow in their faith and be able to learn more with each day. You can see the different options available to our students and ways students are able to plug in and serve each day on this page.

I hope that answers all your questions and shows you where you can look for even more information online. Again, let me know if I can help you anymore!

Thanks again and keep in touch!

 I wish I had the guts to be like:

"Hey there! Here is the answer to every single one of those questions... click here!!"

Alas, I don't want to lose my job due to some lazy junior... so I didn't....

Until next time...

Perhaps I am like no other girl...?

Many of you have been asking about my dates with Flower Boy otherwise known as Kamal (pronounced kah-mel). I don't even know where to start... or I guess continue. I do have to say that I am definitely different than many of my friends, and I'm starting to be okay with that. With that said, here's a brief (well as brief as a week can be) glimpse into my times with Kamal.

Friday was a night on the town and INCREDIBLE! We went to the Top of the Hyatt downtown which has INCREDIBLE views and great drinks. We then went to this fancy and delish restaurant called JSix. After an amazing dinner (I got the salmon) we went to LOUNGESix which is a club/lounge by their outside pool on the fourth (or fifth?) floor of this hotel. It was all so great and he did an amazing job of making me feel special. I wore a black dress with this fabulous heals and he just kept saying how stunning, beautiful, pretty etc I looked which was AWESOME because I really don't like being called "hot" because that's what guys call the centerfold and I don't want to be compared to her. After that, we went back to his condo and went on the rooftop terrace and just looked out over the San Diego bay and watched boats and it was great. I left having a fabulous night to remember and a fun time with someone I could possibly be into.

We decided Friday night that we wanted to see each other again and soon so he suggested sushi. Since I'm stupid busy with work and school, he jumped on a free night of mine which happened to be Saturday (yes the day after the Hyatt night). Granted I didn't get home until LATE and so Saturday afternoon I was starting to think it wasn't the best idea to be going out again, especially when I was up working on midterms and homework on Saturday, but hell you're only young once, right? Azuki Sushi date came and went, good conversation but we definitely didn't have AS much to talk about because not much had happened since we last saw each other. After sushi he took me to one of his favorite bars around called The Imperial House. He warned me that it probably would be dead since it doesn't get a lot of people until later and man oh man was he right. It's sad because I just kept thinking, well why didn't we go to Balboa or dessert or something or even walk to the Starbucks that's right there to kill some time rather than sitting in here with a bunch of old people? Granted I was tired and so I wasn't giving it all it should have been given, but the drink was good and Kamal seemed to open up a bit and share some of the fun times he's had in there with friends. This is when he brought up his ex for the first time (I say first time because she comes up a couple other times too).

We end the night with him rushing to get me outside and on the rooftop terrace and me 100% confused as to why we have to go NOW and when he flies the doors open, we goes "phew we made it" as the first Sea World firework explodes over Point Loma. I was shocked he remembered how much I loved fireworks and he knew when they went off. Points for Kamal.

It's late, I'm tired, I go home with plans to see him sometime throughout the week after class for dessert or something.

Wednesday comes around and I get out of class early (7pm instead of 8pm) and so we go to dinner at Basic downtown and have amazing pizza and salad. Conversation is mostly about school and work for me since that's my whole life these days and how he is glad he's done with school. I bring up how I want to travel when I'm all done and so we talk about his travels. The ex comes up in this conversation too since there are numerous photos of them on vacays all over his Facebook. (Side note... anyone reading this who is single, but has photos splashed all over your Facebook with your ex... clean up your Facebook before adding the new person of interest. It'll save you a ton of grief. I did it and avoided a lot of baggage questions.) So I finally ask about her and when they broke up and what his story is. I did it in a nice manner but hey I am curious and he seemed willing to talk. Since my Facebook is clean, he didn't really have much to go off of so awkwardness averted for Noelle.

Story is they dated for a little over 2 years and broke up in February despite having photos of her and him at a wedding in April of this year (apparently it was a mutual friend and they were invited together prior to the break up and so they had to go as each others dates or not go at all). Two years and it just ended? Anyone else feeling like I might be a rebound? He assures me I'm not (hell yeah I asked!) and so I try to push that out of  my mind. It doesn't work.

Friday night comes around and we're going to the Padres Giants game and have INCREDIBLE seats right behind home plate and three rows back. INSANE view and just so much fun, or at least it should have been. We go to eat at East Village Tavern and have yummy food and drinks and then head to Petco Park to watch the Padres lose to the Giants. At the game is when I realized I don't think I'm into this guy as much as he into me and I'm devastated because I all of a sudden feel like I'm using him (which I'm not!!) because these seats aren't cheap and he keeps offering to get me a beer and we've done dinners and drinks and the lot and so I really wanted to like him but I just couldn't. I think a part of it comes back to him not letting me dance in my seat or wave my little rally towel they gave away to everyone saying "oh you're so cute, we don't do that here". Excuse me? Everyone else around us, including the people in front of us were doing it. So what does that do? Make me want to do it even more... so I do. Ha oh well.

After the game we go to a few bars and it doesn't get any better and I'm solidifying my exit strategy. I knew that was probably the last date I would ever have with him, but I wasn't 100% sure of how I would make that happen.

After Friday night I continued to get texts from him all the time about how much he missed me and couldn't wait to see me. While some might think that's cute, let's remember that I haven't known him more than two weeks and we're just seeing each other, not even dating. So I consider it smoothering and creepy. When I told him I had three weeks of homework to complete because I was leaving town for work for a week his words were "oh you never told me that"...um I'm sorry...?? Yeah it was signs of a controlled future so I bailed.

On the plus side... with our amazing seats,
I had awesome shoes to go along with!

All in all it was fun and we ended up ending it (whatever "it" was) today via long texts and that is that. He said he wants to continue hanging out as friends if I'm "ever ready for that". Yeah, thanks but no thanks buddy. I'm a happy kid who dances in her seat and waves her rally towel for the Padres... you didn't like that remember?

Cool, we're done. Ciao!

On another note, I did cancel my eHarm account today because I realized I didn't have time for it. So the dating posts from those I meet online shall end, for now, but I'm sure I'll have stories from my random life regardless of how I meet them. 

Until next time...

I wish I could "red pen" emails students send...

To who it may concern, 

    
My name is xxxx and I would like to apply to PLNU for fall 2011 if it is still possible. (: I have you number so I will be calling you soon of your still looking at applications. Thanks! 

I just got a HUGE bouquet of flowers!

Close up of the bunch

Way to go eHarmony!

Wow! right? That was my exact thought when these came walking into my office this afternoon. Not only was I 100% not expecting them, I REALLY wasn't expecting who they are from!

Last time you readers heard I was thinking twice about Ross. He was very needy, borderline crazy and just ended up to be no go. Now that that is cleared up, meet Mr. Finance. The guy with two master's degrees (MS in Finance and an MBA), loves HGTV, traveled all around South America and the US and sent me FLOWERS to my OFFICE the day after a first date. Hello, WHAT!?

Again, way to go eHarm! I met this guy on eHarm a few weeks back and he caught my attention. We chatted, I liked what he had to say in his answers and so we started texting. The beauty of it all... He hates phone talking too!! Soo fabulous! No needy guy calling me all the time and he also would text a couple times and then we were done. So great! When I got a text from him it was actually exciting and I was looking forward to it. It wasn't like "oh no not HIM again!" like it was with mister Ross. I can be attentive to four texts a day... not forty.

We meet for drinks at Jimmy's (which PS is a great place in Point Loma) since it's about halfway between where we both live (he lives downtown). The conversation was awkward at first but I could tell he was very nervous. I'm not like that so I just kept asking questions, would chime in when I could about the same topic since he seemed nervous to ask questions and then he finally started to open up. So much so that three hours later we were still at Jimmy's! We laughed a lot and just had a good time. 

When I left, he didn't try to do the awkward parking lot chat! He walked me to my car, opened it and said "have a great day tomorrow" and that was it. It was amazing to not have to awkward chat and awkward goodbye.

I got a text when I got home saying "want to make sure you're home safe and let you know I had a great time. Looking forward to Friday" And that was it. No random follow up call asking to come give me one last hug goodnight or if I could come back over... simple and sweet! Little did I know that around 2pm my day would be shockingly amazing! 

From my office I an usually hear deeper voices talking to the receptionist and so I heard "Is Noelle here?" and I heard the receptionist say "uhh yeah first office on the left". Well usually she doesn't do that because she knows we HATE random drop ins and so I have this bad attitude about whomever it could be, shoot her a quick "WHAT THE HECK?!" instant message and close out Facebook (whoops) and open some excel spreadsheet. In walks some guy.... 

"Are you Noelle?"|*turn in my chair towards the door*
"I am... wait what are those?"
"These are for you, can you sign here?"
"Wait what? Who are these from?"
"Oh you weren't expecting these?"
"Um no..."
"Oh yeah I don't know, I just deliver these"
"Oh wow!" *sign and rip open card, reeeead*

*cue busting up into laughter* 

Coworkers come rushing "Who are those from!?" Yeahhhh WOW! I was shocked to say the least. They're gorgeous and things like this just don't happen to me. Floored. 

So Friday we're going to the top of the Hyatt and I'm so excited. Wonder what Saturday will bring since after date one I got these beautiful flowers!! ha ha 

The jury is still out on him but I can say I'm very impressed, I had a fabulous time and I am looking forward to seeing him again. I do need to make sure these flowers don't cloud my judgement though... that will be hard....

Until next time...

Shocked and excited right after I got these.
They're SO heavy!!