A few years ago, I was driving a recent college graduate to lunch to celebrate his completion of college. He had a very difficult four years of college and he was excited for the next chapter of his life story. I asked him if he was graduating with much debt. “I’m one of the lucky ones,” he responded. “I’m only graduating with $50,000 of debt from student loans. Many of my friends have a lot more debt than me!”
What? I almost drove the car off the road. $50,000! I knew the degree he had earned, I knew of his plans for graduate school, and I couldn’t imagine being 22 years old, carrying that much debt. And he is one of the lucky ones?
This conversation was eye opening. First of all, it made me more attentive to the reality of debt most college students face. To my surprise, many of the students I have talked with since that memorable car ride are unaware of the crippling burden that debt can bring. A college degree can increase earning potential, to be sure, but not enough students and parents are talking about what kind of debt is good debt. Certainly, college is about much more than getting a degree to get a job and there is good reason to be concerned about the commodification of learning. We do need to be careful about how we measure the economic value of an education. But students and parents need to be practical and wise as well, asking: “Is this particular degree worth the cost?”
Secondly, the conversation with the young graduate open my eyes to the need for helpful resources for students and parents as they think through financial concerns related to college. As I surveyed the vast landscape of books available, a book by Steve Miller stuck out the most. Enjoy Your Money! How to Make It, Save It, and Give It Away is creative and engaging. It communicates deeper truths about money and spending through stories. Steve is an educator, investor, entrepreneur, and speaker who is known for drawing practical wisdom from serious research and communicating it in accessible, unforgettable ways. What follows is an interview with Steve about his important book and the financial challenges that many students and parents face:
Melleby: What motivated you to write this book?
Steve: My first wife died of cancer in her 30’s, leaving me with four boys to raise. Later, I married Cherie, who was raising three boys on her own. So we’re trying to help these seven boys, ages 16 to 28, to be successful in life. I like to research and write on issues that I’m personally struggling with. If we fail to transition them to successful independence, we’re sunk! How’s that for motivation?
Melleby: What are some of the biggest issues college students (and parents) face when it comes to finances?
Steve: Our sons are very different from one another – different strengths, different weaknesses, different personalities. Because of these differences, they all relate to money differently. Some tend to save, but lack generosity. Others tend to be generous, but lack the discipline to save a penny for tomorrow. Living among diverse kids helps me to realize that there are many issues and that cookie-cutter formulas for financial success don’t help everyone.
Knowing that people differ so much led me to write the book as a story of four diverse students who meet in “In School Suspension.” They find that they have something in common – their parents are hopeless with their money and it hurts their families. The students, desperate to do better, do lunch with an eccentric teacher once a week to discuss personal finance. Rather than tell them what to do, the wise teacher tells stories of successful people and lets the students draw out principles and have wide-open discussions about how to apply them. The discussions help to bring out the different ways that different people might apply the same principles.
So back to your question about the “biggest issues.” Sure, I could mention the obvious issues people face, like overspending, misuse of credit cards, enslavement to materialism and personal debt. But I’d suggest that the main problem is that although young people today have access to knowledge, they lack wisdom. They desperately need to understand basic principles of finance and to think through how they apply to their individual situation.
Example: high school graduates know something about History and Math and English, but they know nothing about—and have absolutely no vision for—their incredible potential to build up wealth during their teen years, while their parents provide free food, clothing and housing. And concerning the potential of investing for the future (I call it “the power of early”), I’ve yet to meet a high school senior who knows something as simple as the “Laws of 10’s and 7’s.” Money invested at 10% interest doubles every 7 years. Money invested at 7% interest doubles every 10 years. It’s one of the easiest methods to grasp the power of multiplying your money and to motivate people to start saving early.
Every young person ought to know how Warren Buffett saved up today’s equivalent (taking inflation into account) of $47,000 by high school graduation, doing jobs that anybody could do: paper routes, finding and selling golf balls, caddying, etc. Students don’t know the details of how Benjamin Franklin rose from having nothing to retiring in his early 40’s, so that he could devote full time to his experiments, community improvements, and founding a pretty cool country. (e.g., Franklin developed his skills, worked hard, learned insatiably, and lived frugally.)
Melleby: What mistakes do college students and parents often make when it comes to finances?
Steve: First, they forget to serve. Today, as I write, I’m assisting with my 104-year-old granny. What could be more important? It’s a delight! Students could help a fellow student who needs a tutor. Volunteer at church. Many excellent psychological studies tell us that people who make others happy find happiness themselves. Not only that, but serving at home, at church, at school and in the community gives you valuable relationships that you’ll need later in life. I hear it in seminar after seminar and read it in book after book: it’s all about relationships. People connect you with jobs. People recommend you for jobs. Good people skills make you successful at work. By serving, you build those relationships.
Second, they listen to bad advice. As Mark Twain once said, “It’s not so much what people don’t know that hurts them, it’s what they do know that ain’t so.” During the tech stock bubble, many advisors just knew that tech stocks would keep going up. They were wrong. During the housing bubble, many advisors just knew that the prices of houses would keep going up (after all, they aren’t making any more land!). Wrong again. Solomon warned us that “the fool believes everything he hears.” Consult an abundance of wise counselors about money decisions.
Melleby: What is one small thing that college students could do with their finances that would really make a big difference?
Steve: One financial counselor said that what distinguished him from many others is that “I never stopped learning.” As Solomon advised, “The discerning heart seeks knowledge….” Read a little each week about personal finance and careers. Get to know your guidance counselor at school. Come up with lists of questions to ask your parents about finances and work and life. Read a chapter a week in a solid, financial book. Read a bit from Proverbs each day (I still do). Listen to lectures by sharp, well-respected success gurus while you’re running or doing the treadmill (I read on a stationary bike.) Do it for a year and you’ll look back with amazement at how dumb you were a year ago. Never stop learning!
Melleby: What makes your book unique compared to other books on the same subject?
Steve: Although it’s well researched and documented (which I don’t see in a lot of money books), I wrote it as an entertaining story. That’s why one film producer called it “the money book for people who hate money books.” It’s multi-cultural, multi-generational, and encourages giving as well as getting. It’s also good for regular folks who may not make a lot of money. I’ve worked in churches, not-for-profits, and missions for most of my career, so I know what it’s like to struggle to get ahead, especially when life throws you a curve ball or two.
Steve’s interview reminds us of three important things to keep in mind when approaching finances:
First, helping teens to be better stewards of finances is not a matter of knowledge, but wisdom. Know your teens’ strengths and weaknesses. Look for teachable moments to point out principles of good stewardship. Be willing to be open and honest with your family about your own struggles. Discussing finances and stewardship should be a top priority for youth groups. Are we providing enough opportunities for teens to grow in wisdom about money or are they too easily being ensnared by the pressures of materialism?
Second, being more intentional about finances should push us to be other’s center, not self-centered. I appreciated Steve’s emphasis on service. Often we think about being good stewards with our finances as a way to be more financially secure, personally. In his award-winning book, The Call, Os Guinness reminds readers of the biblical principle “ours for others.” Every thing we have should be received as a gift from God (especially financial resources) and should be understood as ours for the benefit of others. The primary reason for taking better care of our finances is that it will give us more to love our neighbors with.
Third, we should never stop learning! It’s very easy to become complacent. Jesus calls us to be life long learners. Steve stresses the importance of being intentional with our finances, but also with our relationship with God. Read. Pray. Pursue wise counsel. The burden and stress of financial debt goes much deeper than a bank account. The mounting pressure of making ends meet can quickly lead to more significant relational and spiritual issues. It’s never too early or too late to talk to your teens about finances. This is especially true for students heading off to college.
1. Take time to discover your vocational passions. Take a wide variety of courses that interest you when you start out.
2. Get involved in co-curricular activities. A lot of learning takes place along side the classroom.
3. Seek out mentors and those more experienced to help you along the way.
Timothy Edris is a team and leadership development specialist. Tim has over a decade of experience designing and implementing corporate and university training programs ranging from 10-person team-building sessions to 120-person managerial leadership programs. He is the principal consultant at Emerging Leaders Institute.
This flyer can be used by churches and schools to advertise a college transition seminar. We put the details (location, time, contact information, etc) in the bottom left hand corner to customize the flyer for each event. Please contact me if you have any questions about hosting a seminar at your church or school or fill-out our online seminar request form (you will leave this site).
I’ve been blown away by this video. I can’t stop thinking about it, actually. For one thing, the delivery is incredible and creative. Kudos to RSA Animate. And, bravo to Sir Ken Robinson for so eloquently describing the need for a paradigm shift in public education.
I’ve benefited greatly from public schools. I have graduated from a public high school and university, and my family and friends have been deeply invested in the success of the schools in my community as teachers, board members, coaches, counselors, and administrators. Recently, I have had many conversations with this conclusion: public education is a vital but broken institution.
It was never perfect, to be sure. I don’t think there is a golden-age to point people back to. But it does seem to be breaking down more and more each year, and many families, if they can afford it, are choosing alternate forms of education. There are many factors for the breakdown of public education, of course. Other essential institutions aren’t as strong as they should be or have been: family, church, and voluntary organizations. The breakdown of the family has probably had the most drastic effect on public education. (I’ve recently written about the crisis of fatherlessness in America.) I cannot believe the stories I hear from teachers and counselors about the family lives of many young kids. These kids are heroes in my book. I couldn’t image walking a day in their shoes, let alone going to school and trying to learn something.
Ken Robinson’s diagnosis is very helpful and needed: the overall educational model/system we are using is out-dated. Of course, many educational theorists say this every year, usually accompanied by a new text book and a teacher “in-service day” speaking tour. Educational theoretical pendulums go back and forth and many schools keep signing up for the latest and greatest. But what Robinson is saying goes deeper than block-scheduling or smaller class sizes or adding more specialists. He is calling for schools to educate students for the world they actually live in and to do so in a way that brings out the best in people. What will this look like? He’s not exactly sure (surprise, surprise), but he is sure that the educational paradigm needs to change if we truly want to educate the next generation to be wise, creative and successful citizens.
Public education may be broken, but it’s also worth fixing. It won’t be easy. The problems cut deep. But only when we know where the true problems lie, can real healing begin. I think this video is a good place to start the conversation.
I’ve also found these videos of Ken Robinson to be insightful and inspiring as well:
Your brain is part of your body—treat it that way. Scientists are discovering more and more just how much your brain needs sufficient sleep, good nutrition, and physical exercise in order to learn and retain information. So if you want to develop your mind during college, don’t overlook the simple, basic facts of caring for your physical needs.
Beware of “multi-tasking.” Today’s wireless gadgets have lots of benefits, but there’s a big downside. Real learning requires focus. Use each day strategically and focus your attention on one task at a time. Save Facebook for your dorm room, not the classroom.
Find a faculty mentor. Professors are not just a valuable source of knowledge about your major, they also have plenty of wisdom about life. They get paid good money to teach at a university. Make them earn it; visit them often.
Keep the big question in mind: Ten years from now, what will you wish you had focused on back in college? Quick answer: intellectual development, deep relationships, and spiritual growth.
Last week, my good friend and coauthorDon Opitz preached a powerful sermon about anxiety for Chapel at Geneva College. I highly recommend it. Download and listen here: High Anxiety (November 10, 2010).
I recently discovered the above video of a lecture Dr. Freitas gave at Cornell University. It is worth watching. The point that she makes over and over again is the primary reason why I find her research so eye-opening, discouraging and yet ultimately hopeful: students involved in the hookup culture of promiscuous and casual sex don’t like it. They’ve been deeply hurt by it and it has left them feeling empty. And yet, many students can’t imagine an alternative to relating to the opposite sex. While this is disheartening, it also provides a great opportunity to engage students about meaningful relationships.
Here are a few resources that have helped me to better understand the challenges students face and to respond to those challenges with wisdom and discernment:
The best article I’ve read about the hook-up culture is by Steven Garber, “Sex is easier than love: why sexuality is at the very heart of life and learning” in Comment Magazine. A teacher of many students over many years, Steve thinks this question is most pressing: “How can I be persuaded that it is worth all the work of developing a Christian vision of literature, of music, of political responsibility, of international justice, if I am not persuaded that the Christian vision of sexuality really makes sense of what I feel most deeply, of what I know most profoundly?”
Three important books disseminating research on student sexuality, linked to fuller reviews:
Tom Wolfe’s novel I Am Charlotte Simmons (Farrar Straus Giroux) was controversial when released in 2004, to say the least. As R-rated as it is, I still think it’s an important book to read, especially if you desire to engage students in conversations about the hookup culture. At the very least you can ask, “Is this really the way it is?!” Wolfe’s fictitious “Dupont University” was both heavily praised and criticized, but I found the review by William Willimon, former chaplain of Duke University, to be the best. In his review for The Christian Century Willimon wrote, “It’s time that modern higher education check out its environment and the effect that it is having upon our best and brightest. Although he surely didn’t mean it this way, Wolfe’s novel is an eloquent call for campus ministry. In a world in which liberation, purpose, vision and truth have become problematic, Dupont is a fertile field for anyone attempting to rescue a few for the One who is the way, the truth and the life.”
Finally, I have not seen this documentary by Denice Ann Evans but it sure looks interesting: Spitting Game: The College Hook Up Culture. It certainly appears to have the potential to be a great conversation starter!
It’s probably not surprising to learn that a hookup culture of casual sex exists on college campuses. What might be shocking are three discoveries made by sociologist Donna Freitas in her groundbreaking research and book Sex & the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America’s College Campuses. After many years of surveying and interviewing college students, here’s what she learned: First, most students don’t want to participate in the hookup culture, but feel pressured to for lack of an alternative. Second, while many students identify themselves as “spiritual,” their spirituality has very little influence on their sexuality. Third, even though most students are frustrated and have been hurt by the hookup culture, they have very few places to openly discuss their concerns.
Freitas also interviewed students at evangelical colleges. While the hookup culture was not as prevalent, students still felt like they had limited ways to discuss sexuality on campus. There was intense pressure to be engaged before graduation (“ring by spring”) and students who were in sexual relationships didn’t have many people who they could confide in. Freitas concludes, “The prevailing religious message about sex among students is either to guard purity with one’s life or to see sex as irrelevant to one’s spiritual practices and religious commitments.”
Desiring to address this sobering sexual reality, I spoke with Mindy Meier, author of Sex and Dating: Questions You Wish You Had Answers To (InterVarsity Press) about Freitas and her research. Meier serves with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship staff in the Chicago area with a special focus on working with students in fraternities and sororities. Her book Sex and Dating is a very insightful resource for students and parents. She is wise and discerning. What follows is an e-mail conversation to help those who care about college students think more deeply about the struggles and temptations students face.
Melleby: Before we talk about Donna Freitas’ book, tell us about your work and what led you to write your book,Sex and Dating.
Meier: I work for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, an interdenominational parachurch ministry that serves college students. Part of my job is meeting with students, and sex and dating are frequent topics of conversation. I find that the same questions come up over and over again during Q & A sessions on sex and dating and student appointments. I simply took these questions and gave brief three- or four-page answers to help college students think through these issues. Each question involves a personal story of someone who is wrestling with the issue raised. Students are very busy and a book written in a Q & A format allows them to zero in on topics of interest and skip the ones that do not intersect their lives.
Melleby: From your own experience, do you think Freitas provides an accurate picture of the sexual culture on today’s college campuses?
Meier: Yes, I think Freitas presents an extremely accurate picture. She interviewed students from a wide range of schools. The fact that she allowed students to answer in writing and also did personal interviews makes her research very enlightening. She is an academic researcher but also captures subtle nuances with colorful narratives used to describe the people she interviewed. I found her book very engaging. The student stories rang true with my experience on college campuses.
Melleby: Reading Sex & the Soul, especially the students’ stories, can generate a wide range of emotions. What were some of your emotions while reading the book? Which student stories stood out?
Meier: The stories that elicited the strongest reaction in me were the ones where students admitted being part of the hookup culture and felt empty afterwards, but saw hooking up as the only way to somehow stumble into a lasting and meaningful love relationship. They know in their gut that this process is off target, but do not see any other alternatives for finding the love connection they long for. They find themselves swept down river by a strong cultural pull called peer pressure, which makes them feel powerless. They are afraid to come out and denounce the hookup scene. It’s as if there is some invisible gag order on college campuses that renders them mute. I found myself feeling deep sadness as I read those stories. I kept thinking that if only one or two gutsy students would go public with their true feelings, dating with an emphasis on building a rich friendship was seen to be a viable way to find a lasting love relationship, others would find the courage to follow. I wanted them to find that lasting love their hearts were hungry for, and experience the joy and ecstasy God intended them to have.
Melleby: Did you disagree with any of Freitas’ research?
Meier: No, but I did have some disagreement with a few of the solutions she proposed. Freitas accurately points out that there is a great problem with many college students at non-religious schools (which Freitas calls “spiritual schools”) exhibiting a complete disconnect between their spiritual beliefs and their sex lives, because their spiritual beliefs have little impact on their dating and sex lives.
Freitas rightly points out that college students need adult mentors, and that sex, religion and romance should be topics of conversation on college campuses. She cites the wonderful dialogues that students, staff and faculty have at Evangelical colleges, where great effort is made to integrate a person’s faith into all aspects of life, whether that be entering the marketplace as a finance major or setting sexual boundaries with their date on Saturday night. This faith-integrated learning atmosphere gives students a place to ask the “big questions” of life. Freitas proposes that this could happen at non-religious schools. She states, “Professors need to embrace the idea of themselves as ‘spiritual guides’ of a sort and their syllabi as ‘confessions of faith.’ The campus should be a culture forged by a shared identity, mission, and values of its own, each forming a sense of itself as something special and set apart from the broader culture” (p. 67).
But is that realistic at a large state university? Professors who teach at Evangelical Christian colleges are really bi-vocational. They see themselves as experts in their discipline (geology, computer science, English literature, etc.) but also as deeply devoted followers of Christ who want to shape the next generation in their faith tradition. It is precisely this integration of faith with all of life that energizes them. Many professors at a state university or even a Catholic university would say, “Look, I love physics or microbiology or Russian literature, I am an expert in that area, but I never signed up to be anyone’s spiritual guide.” People become professors because they know a great deal about a given body of information and have devoted years to be an expert in their field, but they often have no training in how to engage students in meaningful dialogues about faith, romance, sex and religion. And they often have no desire to have that kind of relationship with students.
Melleby: Freitas concludes that most college students, regardless of their institution of higher education or spirituality, lack safe places to discuss sexuality and faith. What advice would you give to those who want to engage students in these kinds of conversations?
Meier: I would tell parents, youth workers and campus ministers to not be afraid to have honest, open conversations about sex, sexuality, dating and love relationships. We must banish the notion that sweeping talk of sexuality under the rug will make for sexual purity. It is crazy wishful thinking to believe that if we don’t talk about sex students won’t think about it or engage in sexual activity. Nothing could be further from the truth. High school and college students are eager to have meaningful discussions about sex, dating, love relationships and romance in the context of their religious beliefs. Spiritual and emotional health is being able to talk honestly about the things that really matter to us.
In these open and honest discussions, we need to move beyond “sin management” as our primary way to discuss faith and sexuality. Too quickly we want to answer the question, “How far can I go with my girlfriend/boyfriend?” We can get gridlocked by endless discussions about sin management. By doing this, we unknowingly cast sex in a bad light. We focus on the ‘don’t’ of sex. Purity culture in some cases leaves students with the notion that sex is bad. Many devout Christians marry and are very uptight about sex. They have a hard time developing a healthy sex life after they are married, because in their single years remaining pure required them to exert great effort to repress their sexual longing.
When I speak to college students about sex, I start by painting for them the wonderful and glorious picture of God’s gift of sex. When students come to terms with the fact that their sexual longings are God-given and fundamentally good, they have a healthier view of themselves and sex. When they understand the purposes of sexual intercourse and the wonderful way it acts as super glue bonding a husband and wife together, this view will inform the choices they make in their dating lives.
As we engage in this ongoing dialogue, we need to hold two great truths in tension. First, that God has given the gift of sexual intercourse to a husband and wife committed to one another for life. The Bible is clear in teaching that sexual activity outside the marriage relationship is not God’s will. God’s prohibitions are not given to spoil our fun, but rather to protect something of great value. The second great truth is the fact that Christianity is a religion of grace. We are broken people, living in a broken world. We are not always perfect in living out our beliefs. There must be a way for students who have failed sexually to hear a redemptive narrative. Forgiveness and healing are possible at the cross of Christ. People are not ruined for life or doomed to a miserable marriage because of past mistakes. Our God is a God of new beginnings. Allowing students to hear stories of Christians who have failed to live up to God’s ideal but have found forgiveness, redemption and healing will help them in their own journey. Too many Christians suffer alone in shame because of sexual sin. We are told in James 5:16 to confess our sins to one another and pray that we might be healed. Surely this applies to sexual sins.
Melleby: Lacking from Freitas’ book was a significant discussion of how evangelicals at secular schools work out their sexuality in relation to their faith. What would you like to add?
Meier: There are many churches and parachurch ministries like InterVarsity that offer a safe place for dialogue about sexuality in relation to faith on college campuses. This can take many forms: speakers at large group gatherings, one-on-one counseling sessions, and sharing in Bible or book studies.
Recently, I spoke at an InterVarsity retreat in Virginia where 365 students gathered for a weekend. The title of the conference was “The Sex Conference: Healthy Sexuality in a World of Brokenness.” We began by helping students develop a healthy attitude about sexuality. Then elective seminars were offered dealing with recovery from sexual abuse, singleness, sex in an age of technology (pornography), body image and pursuing holiness in dating. Saturday night we had a time of repentance and healing focusing on the Cross. Sprinkled throughout the weekend were personal testimonies. One woman shared her healing journey after being sexually abused; another man shared about coming out of a homosexual life style. On Sunday I gave a talk entitled, “A Vision for Healthy Relationships.”
So many students who attended this weekend, commented on how much they appreciated being able to bring these topics out in the open, to voice questions and think about how faith in Christ intersects their sexuality. They wanted to know what it would look like to honor God in their dating and romantic lives. An event like this draws a subset of the larger campus—those interested in integrating their faith and their personal lives. Finding like-minded people who share their beliefs and values made them realize that they are not alone. There is a better way than the hookup culture.
Words can’t express my gratitude for the people that took the time to read the book and offer their commendation. Thank you, thank you, thank you. What’s more, my good friend David Kinnaman has written the perfect foreword.
When I began working on this project, I had certain goals in mind. I wanted to write a book for college bound students that would serve to cast a vision for how to make the most of the college years. The book is an invitation to begin the college journey with the “right” questions in mind. The endorsements reflect my hopes for the book. I’m honored and humbled by their kind words:
“In Make College Count, my friend Derek Melleby will help you see that the most important choices you have to make are not merely where to attend or what major to select. He shows how the bigger questions—who you are, why you are going to college, and what kind of person you want to become—are the most important. And they are the hardest to answer.” – from the foreword by David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group; author of unChristian
“For years I have been looking for the right book to give to Christian high school grads: readable, real, honest, grace-focused, Christ-centered, and practical. Finally, I’ve found just the ticket—Make College Count is that book.” ―Chap Clark, author of Hurt: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers; professor of youth, family, and culture, Fuller Theological Seminary
“Christian college students hear a lot about what to avoid during their college years. So, it’s refreshing to encounter a book that explains what students should embrace in college. It’s clear that Derek Melleby understands the world of today’s students. His book proves the point as he rolls out wise and practical advice that will equip young people to make the most of their college experience and graduate as mature, effective followers of Jesus Christ.” —Joseph M. Stowell, president, Cornerstone University
“Make College Count is just right! What Derek Melleby has done is find a way to come alongside someone on the way to college and offer guidance about things that matter most. His own rich vision of learning and life threads its way throughout, giving windows into the challenge and complexity of the college years with a playful seriousness that feels like that of a friend who honestly cares how it all turns out.” ―Steven Garber, director of The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation & Culture; author of The Fabric of Faithfulness
“Make College Countoffers an accurate preview of college life and encourages and equips students to thoughtfully make the most of college (and the rest of their lives) by embracing a real and vibrant faith that’s not an extracurricular add-on, but a foundation for all of life. This could be the most important book a student reads during their college years.” ―Walt Mueller, president, Center for Parent/Youth Understanding
“With this great little book, Make College Count, Derek Melleby offers a kind of CliffsNotes study guide for these critical years. His knowledge of college students allows him to write convincingly about both the adventures and the perils of college life. With good humor, savvy realism, sound biblical counsel, and practical advice, this book offers valuable insights for those who find themselves facing the big questions and the hard tests for the real-world curriculum of college life. And it’s a short enough book that college students are likely to actually read it!” ―Duffy Robbins, professor of youth ministry, Eastern University
“I am always leery when I pick up a book designed to be a gift book for high school graduates. They are mostly cheesy or condescending. Derek has written to college freshman from a perspective that is wise yet hip, profound yet common sense, and complete yet not overwhelming. Both of my college-aged children will get a copy as soon as the book is published.” ―Allen Jackson, professor of youth and collegiate ministry, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
