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Could a Christian College Be for Me?
You've heard all the pros about what makes a Christian college a valuable and beneficial choice for higher education. You're heard all the arguments against attending a Christian school. However, all pro/con lists aside, have you considered who you are and if a Christian college actually would help you become the person you want to be? After all, Christian colleges today aren't our mom's and dad's Christian universities! Dare we even say that Christian universities have managed to balance spiritual sustenance and rigorous academia while still managing to be "cutting-edge"?
Let's face it. The idea of a Christian college sometimes makes people roll their eyes. You know how it goes...someone at your "Christian" schools, and you find yourself thinking, "That's not what college is supposed to be about." After all, isn't college supposed to be about finding out who you are, being on your own for the first time, experiencing something new? Wouldn't a Christian subculture, the same one you've been living in your entire life, hold you back from discovering the real you?
The fact is a Christian college is not right for everyone. However, there are some students who would integrate perfectly into a Christian academic community. So, the question remains, is a Christian college right for you? The only way to find out is to consider your personality, where you've come from and the nature of your passions.
PERSONALITY CHECK
When considering if a Christian college is the right path for you, the best test simply is to assess. What makes you, well...you? What makes you unique? How do you react in certain situations? How do you spend your time? All are interesting questions, but what you need to consider most in examining your personality is how your faith intersects with your daily life.
Everyone is at a different place spiritually when looking for a college. Sometimes, it seems that only the most spiritually mature are the ones who attend Christian schools. However, Christian education can be just as beneficial to those who feel spiritually inferior.
Keep in mind this surprising fact: Not everyone who attends a Christian college is a Christian! Different attributes of a campus attract students for a variety of reasons. Although you might attend a certain school for the Christian culture, another might attend for the high quality of the academics. While the average Christian college student fits a certain cookie-cutter image to some extent, there are still individual characteristics that make everyone on campus unique. The startling revelation is you probably will have a larger number of characteristics in common with your peers at a Christian school versus a secular school.
HISTORY LESSON
Those who attend a Christian school most often have a long history of going to church and are familiar with Christian doctrine. Numerous students attending Christian universities today have a history of Christian education, often having attended private, Christian schools or having been home-schooled for the majority of their educations. Oh, and if you are a PK (preacher's kid), you're a shoe-in for a Christian school!
If you practically were born under a pew, then it is perfectly normal for you to be considering a Christian college. After all, for some who have grown up in a Christian subculture, it is only natural to gravitate toward Christian higher education. Although, there is the other side of the argument leading us to believe these students are, indeed, ready and willing to break away from the Christian subculture for this very reason.
Again, it all goes back to your personality and your history. Were you a youth "groupie"? How about a youth retreat leader? Mission trip junkie? Bible study attendance winner? OK, who remembers Bible drills? If you answered "yes" to most of these questions, consider yourself a Christian college candidate.
Does falling into one or any of these categories mean you have to choose a Christian college? Of course not! It just means you are int eh same boat as a lot of other students already studying on Christian campuses across the country. Being heavily involved in your church youth group, having a heart for missions and leading Bible studies are just snapshots of the life of a Christian college student. You don't need Myers-Briggs to help you figure that out.
The life of the average youth group member is expanded on a Christian campus to develop a student's level of spiritual growth and to revolutionize the way a student views and implements his or her faith. This is not to say a secular school cannot serve the needs of Christian students. However, a Christian student at a secular school purposely must seek out Christian activities, friends and organizations.
PASSIONATE PURSUITS
Last, after taking inventory of your personality and your history, it's time to plug in to your passions. Don't think for a second that you need to plan to become a minister or a missionary to attend a Christian college. While this is an admirable desire for many students, and is a major contributing factor to why students study at Christian universities, God never intended for us all to choose the same vocation. That's why it's important to answer: What are you passionate about? The possibilities are endless for integrating your faith into your chosen career path.
So, how 'bout it? Taking your personality, your background and your passions into consideration, have you made a choice? Consider a Christian college...it just might be right for you.
Let's face it. The idea of a Christian college sometimes makes people roll their eyes. You know how it goes...someone at your "Christian" schools, and you find yourself thinking, "That's not what college is supposed to be about." After all, isn't college supposed to be about finding out who you are, being on your own for the first time, experiencing something new? Wouldn't a Christian subculture, the same one you've been living in your entire life, hold you back from discovering the real you?
The fact is a Christian college is not right for everyone. However, there are some students who would integrate perfectly into a Christian academic community. So, the question remains, is a Christian college right for you? The only way to find out is to consider your personality, where you've come from and the nature of your passions.
PERSONALITY CHECK
When considering if a Christian college is the right path for you, the best test simply is to assess. What makes you, well...you? What makes you unique? How do you react in certain situations? How do you spend your time? All are interesting questions, but what you need to consider most in examining your personality is how your faith intersects with your daily life.
Everyone is at a different place spiritually when looking for a college. Sometimes, it seems that only the most spiritually mature are the ones who attend Christian schools. However, Christian education can be just as beneficial to those who feel spiritually inferior.
Keep in mind this surprising fact: Not everyone who attends a Christian college is a Christian! Different attributes of a campus attract students for a variety of reasons. Although you might attend a certain school for the Christian culture, another might attend for the high quality of the academics. While the average Christian college student fits a certain cookie-cutter image to some extent, there are still individual characteristics that make everyone on campus unique. The startling revelation is you probably will have a larger number of characteristics in common with your peers at a Christian school versus a secular school.
HISTORY LESSON
Those who attend a Christian school most often have a long history of going to church and are familiar with Christian doctrine. Numerous students attending Christian universities today have a history of Christian education, often having attended private, Christian schools or having been home-schooled for the majority of their educations. Oh, and if you are a PK (preacher's kid), you're a shoe-in for a Christian school!
If you practically were born under a pew, then it is perfectly normal for you to be considering a Christian college. After all, for some who have grown up in a Christian subculture, it is only natural to gravitate toward Christian higher education. Although, there is the other side of the argument leading us to believe these students are, indeed, ready and willing to break away from the Christian subculture for this very reason.
Again, it all goes back to your personality and your history. Were you a youth "groupie"? How about a youth retreat leader? Mission trip junkie? Bible study attendance winner? OK, who remembers Bible drills? If you answered "yes" to most of these questions, consider yourself a Christian college candidate.
Does falling into one or any of these categories mean you have to choose a Christian college? Of course not! It just means you are int eh same boat as a lot of other students already studying on Christian campuses across the country. Being heavily involved in your church youth group, having a heart for missions and leading Bible studies are just snapshots of the life of a Christian college student. You don't need Myers-Briggs to help you figure that out.
The life of the average youth group member is expanded on a Christian campus to develop a student's level of spiritual growth and to revolutionize the way a student views and implements his or her faith. This is not to say a secular school cannot serve the needs of Christian students. However, a Christian student at a secular school purposely must seek out Christian activities, friends and organizations.
PASSIONATE PURSUITS
Last, after taking inventory of your personality and your history, it's time to plug in to your passions. Don't think for a second that you need to plan to become a minister or a missionary to attend a Christian college. While this is an admirable desire for many students, and is a major contributing factor to why students study at Christian universities, God never intended for us all to choose the same vocation. That's why it's important to answer: What are you passionate about? The possibilities are endless for integrating your faith into your chosen career path.
So, how 'bout it? Taking your personality, your background and your passions into consideration, have you made a choice? Consider a Christian college...it just might be right for you.
