Stepping off the bus at Grand Canyon University can be shocking. The campus had so much bright green showing that it took me by complete surprise. Compared to the (correct) assumptions that Arizona is a desert state, the bright green of the campus really stands out.

Imagine being in a new state with approximately 50 other students all from the West Coast, only one of whom you really know.

It can be overwhelming and it certainly took me a few minutes to get used to it.

But from the minute we stepped off that bus, the atmosphere became inviting and relaxed, the other students and faculty actually wanted us there.

We checked in and received our welcome packet, which included a schedule of the day’s events and a free meal at one of their 18 restaurants on campus.

Directly after that, we were immediately welcomed by a free breakfast, filled with bagels with about seven different kinds of spreads, fruit, and a choice of orange juice or water.

Sara and I found seats beside three awesome girls, one from San Jose, one from Oregon, and the third was an admission’s counselor.

It was exciting to hear about the differences between our state of California, and the much colder state of Oregon. How much forest and greenery there was compared to Bakersfield and what we think of in Southern California.

But our conversations didn’t last long before we were told there was a campus tour leaving in just a few minutes.

As we made our way around the campus (which doesn’t seem that big, until you stop paying attention to where you’re going and end up getting lost) we heard all about exciting things that had happened recently. Katy Perry used their arena for rehearsal before the Super Bowl last year, and all the construction that was due to be finished before the fall semester like a 3,000-seat soccer stadium.

Grand Canyon University is also jokingly referred to as Grand Construction University due to their constant construction.

They have a top-ranked nursing program, which a majority of the students on the trip were majoring in.

Along with the 18 restaurants scattered throughout the campus, there are three gyms, fitness centers, a soccer field, sports arena, and the coolest part of the campus: the Thunderground.

The Thunderground is a place on campus for students to go and relax with their friends. It has a pool table, a ping pong table, places to sit, a “gamer chamber,” which is a room where students can come and play some of their favorite video games if they don’t have a system in their room, and a café on just the top level. Down below is a bowling alley free to students, a large TV area, and a large Jenga set.

Our tour guide, Kylie, a psychology major who transferred to GCU from Cal State Long Beach, was very friendly and full of knowledge about the campus and history of the university.

“The core class sizes here are really small, 25-1 ratio I think, so you get to really connect and know your professors,” said Kylie. “The content in psychology is really fascinating to me. It’s something that I’ve always enjoyed.”

After we finished with the campus tour, we went through an introduction to the school that was given by Julian our admission’s counselor.

We found out at the introduction that all textbooks have a set price of $85 as long as you buy it online and all classes have their textbooks available online.

Stepping out of the orientation meeting for transfer students was sudden and surprising, going from the somewhat calm demeanor of having just come from a quiet room, where most people were in their own little worlds as they took in the surrounding group, to loud music coming from the speakers as they blasted the song “Come and Get It” by Selena Gomez.

After a lunch that was provided by the university, we had about two hours of free time to wander the campus.

We explored the entire campus, roaming around the gift shops, talking to students and grabbing a smoothie at one of the restaurants before getting lost on our way to the next workshop.

There were three more workshops back-to-back, one about campus employment and internships, one on financial aid and scholarships, and the third was a student panel where Kylie was joined by three other students, two of whom were also transfer students.

Kylie and another of the students on the panel said that when they visited the campus when they were perspective students, they immediately felt right at home.

“The atmosphere is so welcoming, and it’s a Christian-based school so I immediately felt like I belonged here,” Kylie said as she answered questions from the audience.

After the panel, we were free to do what we wanted until we had to meet our counselor in order to head home.

Sara and I explored the campus a bit more, meeting a 17–year-old girl named Kaylie who is considering attending GCU in the Fall.

When asked what makes GCU stand out to her, Kaylie said, “The campus is really pretty and really modern, and it’s a Christian college, so it’s a lot smaller and more personal.”

The Bakersfield and Taft group then went to the Thunderground where we bowled for an hour before heading up to meet Julian for our journey home.

We landed in Fresno at 9:15 p.m. exhausted but I personally felt it was an amazing day filled with adventure and full of useful information that’ll make the decision of where to go after BC all the more difficult.

I think one of the Bakersfield students, Christian, said it best, “I honestly think this was the most fun trip that I’ve ever been on. Not saying that I’ve been on bad trips, but I honestly had a really great time on the campus.”

If you’re interested in going on one of these trips, contact Julian West at [email protected].