Learn how to study.
JOHN K., AGE 22
College is an amazing thing. No other earthly institution you will encounter in your lifetime will have as much potential to affect, influence, mold, direct, discourage, energize, prepare, poop out, enlighten, frustrate and change you—all in the space of a few years.
On the one hand, college is very tangible, because it’s a place. When you tell people, “I attend Westmont College” or “I’m going to Iowa State,” they immediately think of a campus with buildings and trees and dormitories (even if they don’t know where Westmont or Iowa actually is).
On the other hand, college is intangible, because in many ways it’s a state of mind. When you tell people, “I’m a college student,” they probably think of all the stuff you are learning. (They also wonder how much you’re goofing off, but they won’t mention this because they once went to college, too.)
The oldest institution in the United States is Harvard University, which was founded in 1636, only 16 years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
College isn’t for everyone, although the excuse “I don’t like to study” isn’t a good reason to avoid college. There are legitimate reasons why college may not be right for you—at least for right now:
• You started a high-tech company in your room while you were in high school, and you’ve just been bought out by Microsoft.
• You’ve been working in your dad’s construction business since you were old enough to tote a brick, and you know that is what you want to do for your future.
• You want to spend a year serving God on a short-term missions trip.
• You figure the growth occupation of the future will be tattoo removals, and you want to learn the skill now in order to be ready for all those Gen-Xers when their skin starts to sag.
You may have some very good reasons for not continuing your education past high school (or at least not going to college right away). But don’t discount the college experience too quickly. Even those who decide not to pursue a bachelor’s degree may want to take a few courses or even earn an associate’s degree to give them special skills for whatever they want to do, from running a business to becoming a better stay-athome parent. So if you know for sure that college isn’t for you, then skip the rest of this chapter. But if college is a certainty or even a possibility, keep reading.
For the last 18 years or so, pretty much everything you’ve done has been planned for you ahead of time: the food you ate, the clothes you wore, where you went to church, where you went to school, what classes you took and what you learned. Oh, you may think you’ve had options, but they’ve been pretty limited. Well, that’s about to change. You’re an adult now (or you’re almost there), and the world of options is about to open up to you in a big way. Let’s look at some of the big considerations when choosing a college.
Staying Home or Going Away
Whether to attend college in your hometown or to go out of town is a major decision requiring much thought, a thorough investigation and many discussions with your family. Several factors affect this decision, not the least of which is financial. In addition, you need to do an honest self-evaluation to determine if you are ready to leave home (of course, as long as you can bring dirty laundry home on weekends, you haven’t really left).
Many students prefer the option of attending a junior or community college in their hometown for the first couple of years and then transferring to a four-year college or university for the rest of their education. This can be an efficient and cost-effective means of getting through college. Consequently, many parents prefer this option (unless they are anxious for you to go away so that they can remodel your room with a spa and sauna).
Private or Public
Cost is probably the biggest factor in whether to choose a private or a public college. Every state has a college and university system that benefits resident students. The cost of a private college education seems almost prohibitive to many families, although you would be surprised how hard the private schools will work to help you find scholarships, grants and loans.
It’s often very difficult to get the classes you need when you need them in order to graduate in four years from a public college or university. However, it’s not uncommon for a student to earn a college degree at a private school in less than four years. Keep in mind that you can take summer school classes at your local public college, which can help you get some basic classes out of the way.
It may be important for you to attend a private school of considerable prestige. Maybe your parents graduated from an Ivy League school, and it’s virtually expected that you will do the same. Family tradition often carries a lot of weight when it comes to choosing a college.
Big or Small
There are big differences between large and small colleges. You may think your high school was big with 3,000 students. Well, that’s considered small when it comes to colleges. Big is a university the size of a medium-sized town. The pace is faster, the crowds bigger, and the options greater. That may get your blood pumping or it may scare you to death. You just have to investigate, which means talking to people who know the differences and personally visiting the campuses of your choice (see the section in this chapter called “Campus Visits”).
Keep in mind that you will get more personal attention from your professors in a small school than a large one. A fact of higher education is that the larger the school, the more common it is for teaching assistants and graduate students to teach undergraduate courses. In smaller colleges the professors generally teach the classes.
Christian or Secular
The fastest growing category of higher education is the Christian college. More than a place to prepare for the ministry or to get training for missionary service, today’s public institutions. Christian colleges integrate the Christian worldview (see chapter 11) with a classic liberal arts education. There are even Christian universities that offer advanced degrees in business, nursing, computer science, psychology and art.
According to recent statistics, undergraduate enrollment at colleges that are members of CCCU is increasing five times faster than other private colleges and all public institutions.
There are over 4,000 degree-granting institutions of higher education in the United States. Of those, approximately 1,600 are private, nonprofit colleges. About 900 of those private institutions claim to be “religiously affiliated” in some fashion. But only 105 institutions in the United States qualify for membership in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (www.cccu.org), because they are considered to be intentionally Christ-centered.
1. The Last Supper would have been eaten the next morning—cold.
2. The Ten Commandments would actually only be five—double-spaced and written in a large font.
3. Forbidden fruit would have been eaten because it wasn’t cafeteria food.
4. The reason Cain killed Abel would have been because they were roommates who disagreed over who would occupy the top bunk.
5. The end of the world would occur at finals, not Armageddon.
6. Moses and followers would have walked in the desert for 40 years because they didn’t want to ask directions and look like freshmen.
7. Instead of creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh, God would have put it off until the night before it was due and then pulled an all-nighter.
Should you consider a Christian college? We think you should (we admit to being biased, but in a good way). We’re not saying that a Christian college is your only option, but it should definitely be an option if you already have a Christian worldview. Today’s Christian college doesn’t shelter you from competing philosophies, but rather it shows you how secular ideologies compare to God-centered truth.
Still, more Christian students attend secular colleges and universities than Christian colleges. And that’s not a bad thing. Our secular institutions need the influence and witness of Christian kids, and you may need the specialized training that a secular institution can provide. You just need to be ready, willing and able to stand up to professors who will denounce your beliefs and students who will degrade your moral values (more about that later).
Visiting the top schools on your list—especially if you’ve applied to them—is essential. The college you eventually choose—even if it’s local—is going to be your home for at least the next year, and possibly the next four years. Contact the colleges on your list and arrange for a visit. Colleges can’t wait to show off their campuses and have you meet their students and faculty. You and your parents should prepare ahead of time a list of what you want to see and questions you want to ask.
It’s essential to tour the local community as well. If you’re going to live off campus, check out the cost and quality of housing. Safety, both on and off campus, is always a big concern for parents, so ask about security issues.
Most colleges sponsor preview weekends for parents and students to go and look things over. These are great, but remember that if there’s ever a time for a college to make everything look near perfect, this is it. Our suggestion is that you plan your own visit during the week (when classes are in session) and that you stay overnight, preferably in the dorm (this would be for you, not your parents). Talk to the students and ask direct questions. You’ll get direct answers.
Ultimately you are the one who will have to decide where you’re going to go to college. The best decision will come after you’ve done a lot of research, asked a lot of questions and done a lot of praying! Just in case you’re still undecided, here are some wrong and some right reasons for choosing a college:
• The admissions counselor is a cool guy.
• The promotional literature and video are first rate.
• A bunch of your friends are going there.
• The beach (or mountains or lake or Krispy Kreme Doughnut shop) is less than 30 minutes away.
• This is the only school that accepted you (we’re thinking of the famous line from Groucho Marx: “I’d never join a club that would have me as a member”).
• You discovered that the college has a strong program in your area of interest.
• You found you liked it after you visited the campus, talked to some students and faculty, or even stayed in the dorm overnight.
• If you’ve chosen to attend a Christian college, you are confident that you will learn to integrate your worldview into your area of study.
• If you’ve chosen to attend a secular college, you are aware of at least one strong Christian ministry on campus and you’ve already found a Bible-teaching church.
The first couple of weeks of college are going to be a major learning experience for you in more ways than one. You think you’re going to arrive and be cool from the very start. You’ve got these mental images of yourself cruising onto campus with a certain attitude that says, “Look out, world, here I am.” Well, get that image out of your mind and picture yourself looking bewildered, befuddled and completely out of sync. This phenomenon befalls what used to be called a “freshman” but is now referred to as a “first-year student.”
A first-year student is one of the lowest forms of life, only slightly higher on the social scale than pond slime. You’re like a green recruit going into the Marines for the first time. College administrators know this, of course, so they program your life for the first week or so.
You will stand in more lines and fill our more forms than you thought existed in the entire universe. You will go through registration, orientation, configuration and probably deterioration. You’ll move into your room and meet your roommate (more about rooms and roommates in chapter 3), buy books, stock up on junk food, meet new people and check out the neighborhood (scoping out the local Denny’s for those future midnight runs).
You’re going to feel like a complete dweeb, but that’s okay. The good news is that you won’t stand out because all first-year students feel like dweebs.
It’s Time for Class
Unlike when you were in high school, when your mommy woke you up and made sure you got to school on time, no one’s going to wake you and dress you and send you out the door with a lunch pail and a kiss on the cheek, not even your roommate (if this happens, get a new roommate). The reason for this is simple: The college already has your money in its bank, so it has nothing to lose if you don’t show up for class.
The size of your school will determine the size of your classes, but even small colleges sometimes throw undergraduate students together by the hundreds in those so-called survey classes, such as the History of the World 101, Old Testament Survey or the History of Pots and Pans. It’s up to you not only to show up for class on time but also to develop good listening skills in these larger classes (staying awake is the first step to good listening).
Meet the Modern Professor
Unless you graduated from Sticks High School in rural Montana (sorry to be redundant), most of your nonsurvey classes will be smaller than your average high school classes. This is so you can have close interaction with the new authority in your life, the college professor.
Without college professors, college wouldn’t exist. You go to college to learn, and professors are the ones who teach (it’s amazing how many brilliant insights we come up with). College professors are supposed to be experts in their field of instruction, and for the most part that’s true. In fact, you will find that most college professors are very dedicated to teaching you what they know so that you can graduate and be productive in your chosen field. There are some professors, however, who couldn’t care less about teaching and really don’t care about you. Somewhere along the way, these people became cynical about life because they got mad at God—or perhaps because they were dropped on their heads as infants. Their only joy comes from contradicting the truth and making your life miserable.
When it comes to your professors, learn to distinguish between the eccentric and the arrogant. An eccentric professor wears Birkenstocks, appears absentminded and mumbles to himself. But he still loves to teach. An arrogant professor doesn’t care about your questions and ultimately doesn’t care about the truth. Enjoy eccentric professors, but avoid arrogant professors like the plague.
Keep in mind that your college professors are the new authorities in your life. They know it and you should, too.
Don’t Believe Everything You’re Taught
A college professor worth his or her salt doesn’t expect you to believe everything you’re taught. Some professors love to make shocking statements just to stimulate your thinking. Try not to act shocked or offended, even if you’re going nuts inside. Think it through. What is your professor really saying and why? Do your homework and ask questions (hint: Be inquisitive but not annoying).
If a professor says something that offends your beliefs, don’t react emotionally and don’t take it personally. Think it through. Respond clearly and with respect, particularly if you are writing a paper.
Can You Learn from a Non-Christian Professor?
Absolutely! In fact, you may learn more about your faith than you ever thought possible. Just remember that when it comes to papers and tests, it’s possible that some professors will mark any answer even remotely connected to God as wrong. On the other hand, don’t leave your brains in your room just because your professor is a Christian. God may be simple to accept, but He’s a complex Being with many mysteries. Avoid pat answers in any setting.
In the next chapter we’re going to tackle some of the issues involved in living on your own, whether you’re in college or not. College can be a huge part of your life, but there’s much more to these years than going to class and graduating. Remember that real success is more a matter of who you are than what you do.