Why do you think people go to college? I ask this question during the introduction of the College Transition Seminar. It is always interesting to hear how students and parents respond. “To get a job” is probably the reason I hear the most. And, of course, there are the playful, more peripheral answers: to get married, to party, and to play sports. But then someone will sheepishly raise a hand and suggest: “to learn something.” A few weeks ago at a church in Florida, in fact, I counted eleven answers that were given before someone mentioned, “learning” or “education.”

College is certainly about more than learning. The time between adolescence and adulthood includes a variety of character-forming decisions and activities. But it does surprise me when a room full of college bound students don’t naturally list “learning” as a reason for going to college. In his new, informative book, College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be, Columbia University professor Andrew Delbanco challenges readers to think more deeply about the aims of a college education. Delbanco explains that historically there have been basically three prevailing answers to the question, what is college for? The most common answer is an economic one. A college education makes an individual more competitive in the job market. The second answer is based on citizenship. An educated society is required for a democracy to flourish. The third answer is rarely considered, however Delbanco thinks it deserves more attention: an educated person enjoys a fulfilling life. “You want the inside of your head to be an interesting place to spend the rest of your life,” Delbanco quotes former college president, Judith Shapiro, to make his point. Delbanco laments:

“In Today’s America, at every kind of institution—from underfunded community colleges to the wealthiest Ivies—this kind of education is at risk. Students are pressured and programmed, trained to live from task to task, relentlessly rehearsed and tested until winners are culled from the rest. They scarcely have time for… contemplation.”      

And contemplation about education, and life in general, is desperately needed! According to Delbanco “most students have no clear conception of why or to what end they are in college. Some students have always been aimless, bored, or confused; others self-possessed, with their eyes on the prize. Most are somewhere in between, looking for something to care about.”

Students are craving something to care about. The pressure to perform and achieve is intense and often leaves students feeling empty. I recently had a conversation with a youth pastor who was worried about his students. The Advanced Placement (AP) exams were this past week and many of his students were stressed and overwhelmed. What’s more, the students who were not taking AP tests were looked down upon and ridiculed. At one point in our conversation, the youth pastor passionately asked, “Where is Jesus in all of this?”

This summer marks the fifth anniversary of the publication of The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness. My good friend Don Opitz and I published this little book to try to answer the question this youth pastor appropriately asked: does Jesus care about our academic pursuits? Our hope is that our book serves as a guide for students who are perhaps “aimless, bored or confused.” It is also a challenge to students with their “eyes on the (worldly) prize.” We invite students to consider Kingdom-shaped answers to the questions, what is college for and why is learning important? Here are a few answers we suggest: 

• “We want you to find the deep satisfaction of pursuing your daily labors (for now, primarily attending class and studying) as service to God. We want you to experience the unending challenge of exalting Christ as Lord of your thinking… to imagine the application of your learning—your studies and plans and dreams—as an expression of love, or better yet, as a conduit for the love of God.”
• “Christ is the very source of learning, and his disciples are the intended recipients of that wisdom and knowledge. As we learn in faith, not only will our own capacity for wonder and insight and love increase, but others will benefit as well.”
• “Being concerned about grades is appropriate, but too often students become obsessive about grades and success and begin to lose the bigger picture. Learning needs to be pursued with the right motives and applied to worthwhile purposes.”
• “Two things can happen to a college student, and both of these things are very bad. Unfortunately, both are also very common. You can lose the capacity to dream, and you can lose the gumption to act.”
• “The Bible portrays a seamless continuity between our knowing and our doing… Learning isn’t merely for job readiness or self-advancement. Learning ought to be a way to love God and neighbor, a way to care for the creation and develop healthy communities.”
• “If your capacity for delight and wonder and curiosity and compassion is being enlarged while you are in college, then that is a very good sign indeed… that is what most of us really want for ourselves. Academic faithfulness is the sure cure for collegiate boredom, apathy, and listlessness.”

When the topic of academic faithfulness or Christian scholarship has been raised, Christian students often see the challenge as beyond them, as a task for the stout and the wise, for the uniquely gifted. We think every Christian student has been called by God to think faithfully about learning. But students shouldn’t have to engage this conversation alone. A study guide has been created to be used in small groups as well. Our prayer is that The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness invites more and more students to ask better, bigger questions about faithfulness and learning.

Professor Delbanco’s new book, College, should help to keep this important conversation in front of many students and parents as they make important college decisions. I am grateful for Delbanco’s wisdom and hope his book is widely read. (Read an interview for Inside Higher Ed with author Andrew Delbanco.)

Last week was a first. I gave two College Transition Seminars in back-to-back nights. Tuesday evening I was at the Presbyterian Church of New Providence, New Jersey and on Wednesday night I was at Grace Community Church in Washingtonville, New York. Thank you to my hosts for all they did to make the tour stops happen. And, thank you to all the families who attended the seminars!

During both events, many students and parents had questions about taking a “gap year” before heading off to college. In a previous blog post, I mentioned that I am noticing a trend among families when it comes to making college decisions. When I first started giving seminars in 2005, Christian parents were very concerned about whether or not their children should attend a secular or Christian college. Now, it seems, parents are more concerned about the cost of higher education. I think the cost of college is what is driving much of the discussion about the merits of taking a gap year.

Taking a gap year can be a good decision for students. I’ve written a short article explaining why: “God in the Gap Year: The Benefits of Taking Time Off Before Going to College.” It’s not for everyone, of course, but I do think it should be considered as a legitimate next step after high school. At the end of his important book, You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church And Rethinking Faith, author David Kinnaman features “Fifty Ideas to Find a Generation.” David asked me to offer advice to “the next generation.” Here is my contribution:

“Take a gap year. Taking a gap year before going to college creates a remarkable opportunity for students to think more deeply and intentionally about the person God is calling him or her to be. Many students who struggle in college do so because they are not able to articulate reasons or explain goals for going to college. College has become the assumed next step after high school, with very little thought about why.

A growing trend among Christian camps, churches, and parachurch ministries is to provide a gap year experience for students that forces them out of the routine of “schooling” and into a deeper relationship with God. These residential programs typically last nine months; focus on worldview, identity, and service; and include a cross-cultural experience. While not for everyone, many students who participate in gap year programs are far more prepared for the transition to college and adulthood.

As followers of Christ, we are challenged to ‘not conform to the pattern of this world’ (Romans 12:2). This is a reminder that the church is shaped by a different story with a different definition of success. Too many students and parents allow the “world’s story” to direct their higher education decisions and fail to think critically and biblically about the best steps for life after high school. Participating in a gap year program is a helpful way to counter this trend.” (Read more “Ideas for Change” at the You Lost Me book website.)

I’ve also created a list of Christian gap year programs. Let me now if you have any questions about these programs or know of other programs to recommend. I hope to be adding more programs to the list in the near future.

There is one more stop on the Spring Tour 2012:

• June 2 • 1:00-4:00 PM – Heritage Presbyterian Church, Warrenton, VA (click here for details)

It’s never too early (or late!) to schedule a seminar for the summer or fall. Feel free to fill-out the online request form! And, as always, contact me if you have any questions about the College Transition Seminar or other resources to help students be spiritually prepared for life after high school.

Card 1: You Are a Work of Art (Ephesians 2)

Inside text: “May you go forward from graduation with confidence and courage, trusting in God’s promises now and always.”

Bible Verse Featured Inside: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” – Ephesians 2:10

Card 2: Rearview Mirror (Isaiah 43)

Inside text: “Looking forward with great joy to what lies ahead for you in Christ.”

Bible Verse Featured Inside: “Behold, I will do something new…”  – Isaiah 43:18

Click here to order Graduation Cards

Click here for more CPYU Grad Gift ideas!

Although it is official dubbed the “Spring Tour,” I drove through snow on my way home from Medina, Ohio on Saturday! I couldn’t believe it. Snow?! The wintry mix didn’t stop the College Transition Seminar from being held at Harvest Presbyterian Church, however. Thank you to all the students and parents who attended and for the church staff and volunteers who made the event possible. Medina is a lovely town with lovely people. I hope to return someday!

The Spring Tour 2012 makes three more stops this week, in three different states (there’s still time to register!):

• May 1 (Tuesday) • 7:00 - 9:00pm: The Presbyterian Church, New Providence, NJ                    (click here to register)
• May 2 (Wednesday) • 7:00 – 9:30pm: Grace Community Church, Washingtonville, NY                (click here for details)
• May 5 (Saturday) • 9:30am – 12:00pm: Hope Community Church, King of Prussia, PA                (click here to register) 

Looking for Graduation Gifts?

Thank you Calvary Chapel of Central Bucks in Chalfont, PA for hosting a College Transition Seminar on Saturday. It was a good crowd, with good questions, engaged in good conversation! And, thank you to all who attended who had to deal with the weird late April weather (as well as miss the Flyers game!).

This is crazy… the remaining four stops on the Spring Tour 2012 begins this Saturday, April 28 in Medina, OH and will cover four different states in one week (OH, NJ, NY, PA)! Here’s the schedule of events:

• April 28 (Saturday) • 9:00am - 12:00pm: Harvest Presbyterian Church, Medina, OH               (click here to register)
• May 1 (Tuesday) • 7:00 - 9:00pm: The Presbyterian Church, New Providence, NJ                    (click here to register)
• May 2 (Wednesday) • 7:00 – 9:30pm: Grace Community Church, Washingtonville, NY                (click here for details)
• May 5 (Saturday) • 9:30am – 12:00pm: Hope Community Church, King of Prussia, PA                (click here to register) 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the tour or are interested in hosting a college transition seminar.

On Monday night I presented the College Transition Seminar to students and parents at Suntree United Methodist Church in Melbourne, Florida. After the seminar one of the students said, “This was the best talk about college I have ever heard.” To make sure my ego didn’t become too inflated, my good friend and youth pastor, Joel Lusz, remarked, “Keep in mind, this is the only talk she has ever heard about college.” Very funny, Joel. Thanks for pointing that out!

Here’s what I’ve been thinking: even if the student’s comment was a bit exaggerated (and it probably was!), it should still give us pause to consider that this was the only talk she had heard about college. Sure, many students have had conversations (lectures?) about college. Most have been pushed, from a very early age, to do well in school so that they can get into college. But what I’ve discovered, and what continues to motivate my work, is that many students and parents do not take the time to ask bigger questions that often shape the college experience:

• Why are you going to college?
• What kind of person do you want to be?
• What do you believe?
• With whom will you surround yourself?

Creating space to wrestle with these questions is at the heart of the College Transition Seminar Spring Tour 2012. After a month “on tour,” I’ve learned that many students are craving the opportunity to reflect more deeply on the next chapter of their life story.

Two more stops on the Tour this week:

• April 19 (Thursday) • 6:30 – 8:30 PM – Living Waters Chapel, Lebanon, PA (click here to register)
• April 22 (Sunday) • 1:30 – 4:00 PM - Calvary Chapel, Chalfont, PA (click here to register)

A big THANK YOU to pastors Chris and Craig of Otterbein Church in Waynesboro, PA for hosting the College Transition Seminar last Thursday evening. And, thank you to all the students, parents and ministry leaders that attended. Sorry for the bloody hand, red-pen incident. You just never know what will happen on the Spring Tour!

Two stops on the Tour next week:

• April 19 (Thursday) • 6:30 – 8:30 PM – Living Waters Chapel, Lebanon, PA (click here to register)
• April 22 (Sunday) • 1:30 – 4:00 PM - Calvary Chapel, Chalfont, PA (click here to register)

And, we added a NEW date in New York!

May 2 (Wednesday) • 7:00 – 9:30 PM – Grace Community Church, Washingtonville, NY (more details)

Click here for a complete list of dates and venues.

Let me know if you have any questions about the Tour.

Make College Count: A Faithful Guide to Life and Learning

Discover the way to true success at college–and beyond

There’s more to college than classes, credits, and a nonstop social life. It’s more than getting a degree to improve your job prospects. College is a time where you develop into the person you will be for the rest of your life. Make College Count will help you make the most of your time in college. It encourages you to ask the big questions, like

• Why am I going to college?
• What kind of person do I want to be?
• How do I want my life to influence others?
• With whom will I surround myself?
• What do I believe?

You want your college years to count. This book shows you how to make that a reality!

Click here to read the Table of Contents, Foreword by David Kinnaman and the Introduction (.pdf)

Click here to read the first chapter: Following Jesus During the Critical Years (.pdf)

Click here to order from the CPYU Resource Center (bulk rates available, shipping included)

“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, Fuller Theological Seminary

“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.” –Allen Jackson, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Video created by Kent Mast Photo & Video.

What a week! The College Transition Seminar Spring Tour stopped in Lancaster, PA on Saturday. THANK YOU to tour sponsors Geneva College and College Funding Advisors for your presence and support. The tour would not be possible if it were not for your investment. And, thank you for all who attended the first week of the tour. The conversations have been very engaging and I hope the seminar has been helpful to the families in State College, Harrisburg and Lancaster.

On Saturday we had a very good conversation about the “hook up” culture of casual sex that exists on many college campuses. I mentioned one of the most important books that I have read in the last few years, Sex & The Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America’s College Campuses by sociologist Donna Freitas. Freitas’ research points out that while many students are involved in the hook up culture, they are craving an alternative. A few years ago I asked college minister and author Mindy Meier (Sex and Dating) to respond to the Sex & The Soul research. We turned our exchange into an interview article (download .pdf). And, click here for more resources regarding sexuality on today’s college campuses.

Next stop: Waynesboro, PA (register here)

There are four more stops in April as well. See the full list of dates and locations here.

www.cpyu.org/SpringTour2012

On Tuesday night the College Transition Seminar Spring Tour made a stop in Harrisburg, PA. A big THANK YOU to Living Water Community Church for hosting the event.

The next stop is this Saturday, March 31 at the Worship Center in Lancaster, PA. Register here. (Use coupon/promotional code “SpringTour” to receive 50% off your registration!)

Two more dates have been added to the tour (click here to see the complete list):

• April 19 (Thursday) • 6:30-8:30PM – Living Waters Chapel, Lebanon, PA (click here to register)
• May 5 (Saturday) • 9:30AM-12:00PM – Hope Community Church, King of Prussia, PA (click here to register)

Let me know if you have any questions!