to all the college students...

Hi . I am doing some research about christians going away to college. I was wondering if you felt spiritually prepared for college and being away from home. Did anyone have difficulties adjusting? I am asking because I also had a hard time and I am writing a paper about it. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

pressing On,

Jen

[Kakashi]

Originally Posted by jenda

Hi . I am doing some research about christians going away to college. I was wondering if you felt spiritually prepared for college and being away from home. Did anyone have difficulties adjusting? I am asking because I also had a hard time and I am writing a paper about it. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

pressing On,

Jen

I'm in college, but i don't live in the dorms....but I basically live their cause I'm there 80 percent of the time. When i started college 3 years ago i made sure that i prepared myself spiritually so i wouldn't get caught up in all the mess going on. Even though my college isn't a party college, there are still some bad influences. I almost slipped when i started joking around in ways i promised i wouldn't. Soooooo, i got serious with myself and told myself i need to not fall into their ways, but show them my love, Christs love! i promisee you that if you are respectful to people in college and practice God's love proactively then you won't fall into any bad habits in collage as long as you watch your heart.

^^That's the conclusion i've come to after 3 years.

[sweetnshy]

I went to a junior college first and that helped me a lot, 'cause at 18 I was definitely not ready to be away from home and out on my own yet. Then when it was time to choose a university, I was torn between staying close to home and getting out of my comfort zone, so I started checking out some schools that were a few hours away from home. That way I was still out on my own, but close enough to home that I could go home for a weekend if I wanted to. I felt like God was leading me toward a Christian college and I ended up going there. I did have trouble adjusting at first, 'cause people weren't as friendly as I was expecting. But I did end up making some good friends there and overall it was a good experience.

Hey Jen,
What are the odds, I also just wrote a paper on the effect of college on the spiritual lives of students. I found that a lot of student's ranked their proffesors as a tough influence on them, ecspecially in psychology and social sciences. Also, its not so much the big problems like drinking and relationships that get people down, but the general distractions like overwork and stress that keep people from their devotions. I know this is really vague, but I hope it helps.

[Kakashi]

Yea, teachers in those fields can be a pain. i challenged my sociology teacher when he took a bible verse out of context( the one regarding women should remain quiet in church). i was pretty ticked off.

I found it really unprofessional of my Psych professor when he decided to mock-immitate people speaking in tongues. Everybody laughed, but I was hurt and angry. I feel like those kinds of Proffs just use class as an excuse to say disgusting and rude things to students and claim that its "mind opening." Excuse me, I do not want to hear about a "fascinating" case of bike handlebar fetish, thank you very much.

Yeah I totally get what you guys are saying. I was in an upper division biology class and my prof would not let us tape his lectures because of what he said in class! He'd talk about sex, cuss, and everything else inbetween!

I'm not sure what kind of spiritually prepared you mean. I grew up in the church, mostly spent my free time with other church kids. So, when I went to a public secular university, the one thing I was really unprepared for was how to share my faith with unbelievers. I had never done it. I met this girl in college that thought in philosophical terms and would ask me these philosophical questions about God and the Bible and I felt like an idiot. These were not the kind of questions I was prepared to answer. I learned on the spot and did my best to answer, as far as I know she is still not a Christian, I always wonder how I could have done better and what was the missing link as far as converting her.

[Kakashi]

Originally Posted by luke15chick

I'm not sure what kind of spiritually prepared you mean. I grew up in the church, mostly spent my free time with other church kids. So, when I went to a public secular university, the one thing I was really unprepared for was how to share my faith with unbelievers. I had never done it. I met this girl in college that thought in philosophical terms and would ask me these philosophical questions about God and the Bible and I felt like an idiot. These were not the kind of questions I was prepared to answer. I learned on the spot and did my best to answer, as far as I know she is still not a Christian, I always wonder how I could have done better and what was the missing link as far as converting her.

This is exactly a type of preparation i mean. 1st peter 3:15 says:But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

here you see a base in Christ, but also we go farther to be able to give an answer on all sorts of subject to be able to tell others what we belive and WHY we believe it. Even philosophical question.s Finally it tells you the attitude to do it. Even if you could offer a rebuttal to your friend, but had the wrong attitude, then being right would be for naught.

i have spent a good amount of time thinking of what my response will be to a lot of people at my college when it comes down to it, but i think even more about the loving way in which i can say it. build up your mind, but always show love when you share your thoughts!

I went go to a Catholic college, so college life hasn't exaclty been a challenge to my Catholic faith to be honest. Granted, 40% of the students are not Catholic, and by no means is every one here perfect. There are some things that happen that I wish would't, but people are people and we can't filter them out in the application process I guess. The college itself has been a blessing to me spiritually, as I am afforded time during the day to pray with the monks on campus. If anything, I'd say that my love of Christ has been strengthened and has grown since I've been here. I know most college aged students tend to loose their faith altogether when they go off to college, but not here, I must say.

Best wishes for your assignment!

I'm on my path of starting college. But it's not away from home, so I won't be living in the dorms. I've heard a lot of different stories from my friends about going away to college, and most of them are positive. They said it opened them up to a new world, new experiences, and a new found respect for being on their own, depending on only God to get them through.

i went to a christian college and honestly the temptations haven't been too great. I think what helped me most was going to a public high school, and making the decisions back then about where i would stand on drinking and sex. i decided in 10th grade they would not be something i would partake in. i was so used to saying no that by the time i got to college it didn't even seem like a struggle. if i had gone to a secular school, however, i think it would have been much harder.

I've just graduated from a 2 year program in college. I chose not to live on residence because it was not my type of scene, plus the money was not there. I lived both at home and other family's places, trying to cut costs on commuting in any way I could. So I was not submerged in the college life, living on campus and going to every pub night. But either way you spell it out, temptation is all the same; it all comes from the same evil mastermind (Satan), with no intentions to help or benefit your life. And like all temptation, God is your only exit from the situation.

I think an appropriate verse for this topic is James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

As far as being prepared for the college lifestyle, who says you need to adjust? By this time we've already been through years of school and the typical pressures that come with it. College should be no different. It all comes down to each individual's foundation in Christ. When God's word becomes your default answer to temptation, the devil will have a hard time getting to you. Sure, pressures may feel more intense because everyone is the legal drinking age and have more freedom. But if you've been fighting temptation until the time you enter college, it's going to be textbook plays for resisting sin in the same way you always have.

II Timothy 2:22 reads, "But run away from the evil desires of youth. Try hard to live right and to have faith, love, and peace, together with those who trust in the Lord from pure hearts." I encourage you to continue reading through verse 26.

Hope someone finds this helpful.

Think you should had invited her to meet your pastor he/she will be the good person who could have helped u answer her questions and also converted her!