This summer I’ve had the privilege of leading a “college prep” small group with our high school graduates of 2011. We’ve laughed, prayed, and prepared together for the next step in their lives which God has planned. College is an amazing time of personal and spiritual development, and I hope our graduates will capitalize on this opportunity.
To prepare for the class, I’ve read three books written for perspective college students. All three were helpful and I would recommend any of the three to new college students. However, I have “ranked” them in order of my preferences. Here are some brief summaries and comments of each.
How to Stay Christian in College by J. Budziszewski
Read the reviews at Amazon.com for How to Stay Christian in College (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2004), and you’ll see a mixed bag of reviews. Most of the reviewers love the book for its straight, strong, and biblical answers. Budziszewski, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin certainly does that. He doesn’t pull any punches and engages the difficult issues of faith that college students face such as worldviews, love and sex, politics, social life on campus, and finding meaning in life. However, a few of the reviews hated the book for its negative tone towards the college experience. I must admit, the book can at times, as one reviewer noted, make college look like a battle ground and an assault on faith (note the title: How to Stay Christian). The back jacket of the book highlights this phrase: “Warning: college can be hazardous to your spiritual health.” I do believe that college campuses can be a more hostile environment than some students are accustomed to. But this change of an environment can be a wonderful place of growth, even if it might be difficult. College can also be extremely developmental to your spiritual health! It was a helpful resource, but my least favorite of the three.
Welcome to College by Jonathan Morrow
Morrow’s book, Welcome to College: A Christ-follower’s Guide for the Journey (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2008), is an excellent mix of theological truth and practical application. Morrow covers quite a few theological topics from worldviews, moral relativism, tolerance, the existence of God, and the problem of evil, to practical help like budgets, overcoming “syllabus shock,” dating, sex, and handling death. The chapters are short and easily manageable in one sitting and include helpful summaries for each topic at the end. I loved this aspect of the book, but it comes with a trade-off. The “wide but not deep” approach gives a basic groundwork for all these topics, but those looking for deeper answers will need to look elsewhere for additional resources. Luckily, Morrow includes bibliographic data for “further discovery” to help readers who want that next step. This book would also serve well for a class on the topic who wanted their group to read selected chapters for discussion. (I seriously debated using it for my group but opted not to use a book.)
Thriving at College by Alex Chediak
My favorite book of the three was also the newest, Thriving at College: Make Great Friends, Keep Your Faith, and Get Ready for the Real World (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2011). Chediak is a professor at California Baptist University and offers a great perspective on staying faithful in the midst of college life. The book is divided into four major sections dealing with faith and college, relationships, character, and academics. Along the way, we learn about money, sex, family, independence, and study habits. Cover-to-cover, this book hit all the issues I was looking for including some I wasn’t but enjoyed reading (like how to interact with your professors). However, the material can be hidden in the midst of larger topics and makes certain topics a bit harder to find (an index would help). If you want to read a whole book, the tone and material of this book make it the one to grab.
God uses college experiences to forever change his children (he certainly did for me). For all those heading to college this year (or any year in the future), blessings!
I second the review of Morrow’s book. I used it over a summer with college kids from Northwest Bible. “Wide but not deep” is an apt description. We actually did as you suggested and picked certain chapters to jump start deeper discussions.
Hope all is well with you, Jennifer and your future daughter. Exciting times.
By: joshwilkerson on August 2, 2011
at 9:00 AM
Josh,
Good to hear from you. Yes that’s what I thought about doing (and the reason I originally bought the book). However, I decided the reading would be a turnoff for our recent graduates and I’m glad we didn’t use it “officially.”
We’re great! Jenn is doing well and we can’t wait for November 10!
By: Curtis W. Lindsey on August 2, 2011
at 4:04 PM
[...] they transition from high school to the demands of college. (You can read my review of the book here.) Among his topics is a insightful chapter on spiritual formation entitled “Becoming More [...]
By: Spiritual Formation for New College Students « Confessions of a Closet Academic on August 3, 2011
at 9:08 AM