December 18, 2025 by

I expected a lot from Cedarville University. As a high school senior who had looked forward to college for years, I was ready to begin my 1000 Days as a Cedarville student months before arriving on campus.  

I had chosen to double major in keyboard pedagogy and professional writing and information design, and I couldn’t wait to learn everything I could about them. I was excited to attend chapel with thousands of other students, and I was thrilled to be part of an authentically Christian community.  

If the Cedarville advertisements were true— and I believed that they were — I was confident that my college experience would be incredible.

Now that I’ve spent a year and a half at Cedarville, I’m thrilled to say that I love it here even more than what I thought I would — not just because of the positive things I expected but the wonderful things that surprised me about college life. Here are just a few of the things that surprised me most! 

It Was Easy To Make Friends 

I’m an introvert, and one of my greatest fears is talking to people I don’t know. I thought it might be difficult to make friends in college, but I was so wrong! Christians need community with each other, and we have a campus full of people who are passionate about fellowship and being friendly to people who are looking for friendships.  

At the beginning of my first semester, the upperclassman piano majors invited the freshmen to weekly piano dinner, and I quickly grew to look forward to it every Thursday. This year, the piano girls have started doing extra events together.  

At the beginning of the semester, we had a movie night, and in November, we had a PowerPoint night where we laughed at presentations ranging from “The Midwest Through the Eyes of a Southerner” to “If Our Professors Were Companies, What Would They Be?”  

Even outside of the community within your major, there are so many opportunities to make friends easily. RAs are spectacular about setting up hall dinners and events, and discipleship groups bring together a small number of people to discuss life and grow in the Lord together.  

Whether you look for friends through your academics or community involvement, you can find students who are eager to hang out with you. 

 

Campus Is Beautiful 

When I toured Cedarville before deciding to come here, I thought the lake in the center of campus was stunning. The lake is still one of my favorite parts about campus, but there are so many other beautiful things about Cedarville that I appreciate more each semester.  

I grew up in Kentucky, and I miss my hills, but the plains here allow youto see so much of the sky during beautiful sunsets. Last winter, we got several inches of snow, and the lake froze over. Although it was frigid, the winter weather was gorgeous.  

There’s something to love in every season at Cedarville! 

Major-Related Job Opportunities on Campus 

One of my biggest fears before college was that I would never be sufficiently prepared for a career. That fear was soon alleviated after realizing how much I had learned at the end of my freshman year. But in addition to the excellent professors and challenging classes, you can learn so much from the many job opportunities on campus.  

As a piano major, I get to work as an accompanist. I learn piano accompaniments for vocalists and instrumentalists and accompany their lessons, performances, and performance exams. As a result, I’ve become much better at sight-reading and collaborating with other musicians.  

Professional writing and information design majors also have lots of opportunities. I have friends who write for Public Relations and the University online newspaper, Cedars. Others edit for Channels, the Cedarville undergraduate research journal, or contribute to social media platforms for the University.  

Throughout all of these work experiences, Cedarville students gain valuable work experience that is related to our future careers. No matter what your major is, look for opportunities to use your skills on campus! 

Spiritual Growth Is Integrated Into Every Discipline

Before I came to Cedarville, I viewed my professional life and Christian life as two separate parts of myself.  My professors helped me realize that they should merge.  

My music classes have taught me that the beauty of music provides evidence for a loving Creator. As musicians whose ability comes solely from God, we should play for His glory, not our own.  

In my writing classes, we discuss how to live in corporate culture as a Christian and how we should approach writing ethics with a biblical worldview. Now, I have a greater understanding of how I can use my academic disciplines to glorify God. 

I Adjusted Quickly 

College is a huge life transition, but it didn’t actually feel that way. The welcoming community and beautiful campus soon felt like home. Although I found my classes challenging, what I was getting to learn and engage in constantly encouraged me to work hard and enjoy my progress.  

The spiritual encouragement from not only chapel and friends but also my professors frequently reaffirmed to me that I could take any struggle I had to the Lord.  

Maybe you are nervous about whether you will like Cedarville. Maybe you’re already convinced that you will love it. Either way, just wait — Cedarville might have several pleasant surprises for you. 

 

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