Student Experiences in Torrey

Torrey Honors is a great books program with a focus on searching out answers to big questions together alongside fellow students under the guidance of a faculty mentor.  Throughout a Torrey Honors student's time at Biola, he or she will pour over some of the best books ever written and upon graduation, be able to enter a community dedicated to lifelong learning and pursuing Christ both personally and vocationally.

Hear more about Maggie and Anna's experience in Torrey below! 

Being a freshman this year, I didn’t know what to expect from being a part of the Torrey Honors Institute. I didn’t know what being part of a cohort meant, what PQ’s were, and what Don Rags were. But overall looking at Torrey this past semester, these are all parts of Torrey that are important, but they aren’t Torrey in itself. Torrey is the opportunity to learn from the best teachers of all, the ones whose words live on today. After reading the works of Plato and Aristotle, you come to learn that you really don’t know much at all. If you think you might have a profound thought on some subject, most likely, Aristotle or Plato had it first. This isn’t being said to pop anyone’s bubble, but rather I say it in hopes of encouraging you to read of those people who documented those profound thoughts.

In Torrey, we are able to learn from the best thinkers and I truly think it is the best education you can receive. Not only do we read from great authors, we are put into a classroom to discuss what we read. In the classroom is when I learn the most. Hearing thoughts from my peers about a subject of the book that are different from mine only benefits my learning. I am not only limited to my own thoughts but am able to expand beyond that by hearing others’ point of view. Sometimes, you realize that what you were thinking was wrong, or you learn how to defend your answer better. Though time in session can be challenging to start off, you learn to adapt to the situation and eventually will look forward to discussing the books that you spent so much time reading.

I can’t wait to look back and see how Torrey shapes me over the next four years. Hopefully, for those of you who are interested, this gave you a better insight of what Torrey is. If you are interested, I highly suggest visiting the website: https://www.biola.edu/torrey. Also, since I only gave a quick summary of my experience in Torrey so far, if you have any further questions, hop on ZeeMee and we’ll do our best to answer! Thanks for reading :)

Til’ next time,

Mags

Being a junior this year in Torrey, I have the opposite feelings of Maggie. I feel as though I know the system inside and out and I have figured out how to manage the workload and pace myself. I am currently in my sixth semester of Torrey, which also happens to be the last semester of a traditional eight credit Torrey semester. I am almost done! And that is absolutely crazy to think about as I feel as though just yesterday I was a freshman who did not know how to time manage and was trying to figure out how to write a paper? Did I not just move into college and complete Torrientation? Time flies.

I have discussed over a hundred books so far, and while I have read from, talked about, and written about some of the greatest minds in all of human history, I feel as though Torrey has taught me so many important life lessons just from being in the program. I have learned how to be a truly dedicated and determined worker and student, I have learned how to plan ahead and manage my time well, I have learned how to articulate and stand by what I believe, and I have grown into a confident and competent individual due to the growth I have experienced in Torrey. Not only has it made me a more well rounded student in terms of reading, writing, discussing, it has also made me realize that I can do challenging things and to not be afraid of new opportunities.

One of my fears with Torrey was that I would need to completely devote all of my waking hours to it and that I would never have time to do anything else. This is not the case. I personally am very engaged at Biola and in my social life, while still maintaining good grades in Torrey and being ahead. I am highly involved at Biola by being on the Dance Team, running a Mock Rock team, working a job, while still managing other classes and having a social life! I was afraid that being in Torrey would mean that I could never participate in anything else, but that is not true at all. In fact, I believe that Torrey has even allowed me to look at my passions in a greater way and has defined them even more. While Torrey does take a lot of time and effort and is not something that you can only give half of your effort to, I have also learned that if you plan accordingly, you have so many other opportunities to do other things as well.

There is not one type of person who is a “Torrey Person.” Torrey is made up of a beautiful arrangement of individuals from around the world with different gifts and variant talents who all come together to discuss what is the good, the true, and the beautiful. One of the reasons that I love Torrey is for this very opportunity that we all have to come together in a resemblance of the body of Christ, bringing all that we are, and finding the truth together.

Torrey has even taken me around the world. I was even able to study in Cambridge because of it. I cannot wait to see where it can take you to.

With Grace,
Anna Gus 

Curious to learn more? Head on over to the Torrey Honors Institute website to hear more about how Torrey Honors works and what to expect as a student in the program. 

Also, check us out on ZeeMee at Biola University and Instagram @Biolaadmissions! Feel free to reach out to any of our counselors or ambassadors on those platforms - we'd love to hear from you and answer your questions! 

Banner Photo by Mike Yukhtenko on Unsplash