Mennonite High School vs. Mennonite College
November 9th, 2007
While searching for colleges, I never thought I would end up at a Mennonite College. I had gone to a Mennonite High School for a few years, and thought that going to a Mennonite College would be like taking the easy way out, or staying in the “Mennonite Bubble.”
I don’t really know how, but somewhere along the journey, I ended up exactly where I never thought I would. Contrary to most beliefs, Mennonite College is not just like Mennonite High School.
- Many Mennonite High Schools, or at least mine, are associated with having a lot of drama. I was very excited to get away from drama when I came to college. And luckily, I have been able to escape drama here. The nice thing about college is that there is more than one building. There is such a difference from being in one building all day for four years and seeing the same faces constantly. Here, there are several different buildings and I am still constantly meeting new people.
- EMU is very diverse. I was very used to everyone having the same opinions and ideas in high school. It’s really cool to sit in classes and have discussions with people who barely know anything about being Mennonite or aren’t even Christian.
- The workload and courses are completely different. Instead of book reports and questions out of a book, you’re constantly reading or writing papers that make you really think. There is a variety of classes to pick from, and you can study things you care about.
- You aren’t restricted by your parent’s guidelines any more. And that changes a lot. You are free to make your own decisions, come and go as you please, and sleep whenever you want.
- I have found that the environment here at EMU is completely different than in high school. People are genuinely excited to be here and to be alive. I have found incredible friends, the professors love their jobs, and it is a bubbly place.
So just because you’ve gone to a Mennonite high school, or even been Mennonite schooled your whole life, don’t throw out the idea of a Mennonite college yet. You just may find yourself here!