This is something I feel like I'm doing more and more every day.

The world seems to push that you must go to a four year college in order to get a decent eduacation and you must go right out of high school.

The comments I get from my extended family and even strangers in my workplace can get tiring and quite frustrating, to be completely honest. Yesterday I had a customer tell me I should have gone straight to college instead of taking the year off. I was so irked that my emotions played on my face and my supervision (who is like a great-aunt to me) asked me what was wrong.


Something that is also heartbreaking is the percentage of Christians who lose their faith in college. It's so sad to see even my best friend, who is attending a private Lutheran college in Iowa, is finding that everything she though she believed in is shattering before her very eyes. They are teaching her evolution and now she explained to me over the phone tonight that she believes a mix of God and evolution. (And we're not talking the kind of evolution in plants and such.)

I have close friends who get distracted from their faith by the newfound freedom of adulthood and no boundaries that they do things they wouldn't at home such as drinking (getting drunk), going to parties (with alcohol involved), getting way overly affectionate with people you meet that night, ect. I seriously want to cry over the decsions my friends have made when I knew they were Christ loving people!

It makes me scared for my own experience. I don't plan on going to a four year University, but I plan on going to a Community College. Obviously, since I won't be living on campus I don't feel like I'll have to worry too much about worldly distractions, but you never know! I'm already planning to investigate more of what I believe in because I don't feel I could defend my faith very well. I've been raised in it, so I never thought to question why? Why do I believe in God and Jesus being my Savior? This is not to say I don't believe, but I want to understand what I believe in so I can grow closer to the Lord.

So, I hope if you ever feel like the world is against you, you are not alone. When we chose to believe in God, He never said it would be easy. I'm learning that more now than ever before.

I'm sorry for the rant, but these are some things that have been weighing on my mind for the past couple days and I felt like it would be good to share it.

Stay strong my fellow believers! Stay strong!

~Calen

I agree. 100%.

I've pretty much decided not to go to college. This is for a variety of reasons.

1) I don't think I could handle it. I'd get...'sucked into the world'. I'd like to think I wouldn't, but I honestly think I might. >.O So I'm just going to stay away until I think I could.

2) I can't afford it. And I refuse to go into debt over it.

3) One can't very well travel for years on end in a bus with one's family while in college.

4) I don't think I need it. I'm going into Graphic Arts, something I can study just fine on my own. I'm determined to get to professional grade in that area, and I think that's enough. Worst thing that'll happen is that I won't get hired by some company because I don't have the proper 'credentials.' Which I don't plan on doing anyway. I'm going to freelance.

5) I just plain don't /want/ to.

And those are the reasons for my decision. But whenever asked 'where I'm going to college' I always feel awkward. I never know what to say, 'cause I'm afraid that people will look down on me because I've decided not to go to college. Have them think that I'm second-class, or somehow throwing my life away. It's really frustrating, sometimes.

Now, that's not to say a person shouldn't ever go to college. I just don't think it should be mandatory. If a person doesn't need to go to college, why spend the money on it?

I wouldn't want to have a surgeon that didn't go to college though. But I've decided not to. I don't like it when people look down on me because of that.

Anyhoo. My $0.02.

College is over-rated. And the idea that students have to go the minute they graduate isn't even that logical.



Not sure I could, either.

Are you interested in apologectics? I might have a few good books/websites in that area if you'd like. ^.^

- Terra

Calen, I completely understand. I myself am not going to college, and I get some strange reactions when people learn that. I also have had several friends fall away, some of them very far.

I want you to know how much it warms my heart to see you so cautious and so committed to God's best plan for your life. It is also encouraging to me to see someone else who is willing to fight the worlds' norms. *hugs*

I know that Daniel Schwabauer, the creator of the One Year Adventure Novel course, has a course on how to thrive as a Christian at college. I could give you the information for that if you like.

Thank you for sharing this, my sister. I admire you in your fight against the world. Keep standing strong! I am standing with you!

Great post, Calen! I totally agree! College is overated - especially the idea that you have to go right after high school. My older sister is taking the year off, and I for one am very glad! I'm sure she wouldn't go astray in college, but I would sure miss her!
Of course, college is a good idea (sometimes the only way) in some professions, but in others it is certainly not necessary.
For myself, I don't like the idea of slaving through four years of study just to get married at the end, and forget it all, since I want to be a stay-at-home mom. Of course, whether your your college study is relevant to homemaking depends on your major, and all.

Hey, here are some really great apologetic books that I enjoyed.
I Don't Have Enough Faith to Become an Athiest by Geisler and Turek (actually didn't finish this one, or the following one, but the beginnings were great! )
The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
And last, but not least, (And I did read this one all the way through!) Mere Christianity

I agree completely. I want to go to college (what for, I have no clue at the moment) but I loathe the pressure they put on you to do it right after high school. I personally want to do some traveling and witnessing and protesting, and being an overall nuisance to the world, but it seems like that's not going to happen.

I'd recommend alwaysbeready.com. It's an apologetics site for pretty much everything and has several articles on each defense. It's really awesome and helps to believe in God with all of your heart, strength, and even more than before, your mind. And you don't have to be a super-genius in every subject. I'm not all that well learned in science, but I can understand the scientific portions with no problem. It also provides logical and Scriptural defenses, so it's pretty well-rounded.

I wish you blessings and strength in the Lord.

Ooh, thank you, Calen. I could quote your post, and it would almost be word for word what I'm going through. I am taking a year off, too, and am trying to decide whether I even want to go to college---I'm not sure I do. Though I am looking into what seems a wonderful Christian college, I am scared of how leaving my roots might affect me.

Why is the population in general so preoccupied with COLLEGE? Every single adult I meet asks me, first off, about college. I wish they wouldn't.

Same, Aemi.

Amen!
Our first real homework assignment in English had to do with it. It's like this evil, sinister subject that people, for some reason, enjoy to be sadistic enough to bring up.

I know what you mean Calen. Now that I've graduated extended family feels the need to encourage me to go to college - even online. I feel like I'm repeating myself over and over. "Maybe online college, but not this year... I don't want to carry around that kind of debt for the rest of my life... I'm going to focus on improving my skills as a writer and artist this year." Why don't they seem to get it the first time?

Worrying about going off to college and the effect it will have on your faith shows a lot about you as a Christian. Being conscious of it can prepare you to keep your guard up and wear the full armor of God. (Wearing mithril chain mail under your t-shirt couldn't hurt either though. )

If you are a girl, you don't really necessarily need to go to college. Just find a good husband

But in the order of spiritual things...
My youth group has talked much of the matter of the extremely frightening high percentage of Christians that drop out of their faith in college. What could this be? Why? How? People go to church, read the Bible, but sometimes, people don't really OWN their faith. They 'believe' in Jesus, but haven't really gave everything to him. They know that God is real, they just don't know why. If we want to be close to Jesus, we need to be able to answer this question.
It looks like most of the people here can answer it. Own your faith, know what. Know how, know why.

I know exactly what y'all mean. Yes. Amen.

1. So many Christian teens fall away from the faith and from walking with Christ during their college years! No way do I want this to happen with me. Spend your teen years digging deep with God and steeling yourself against attacks of the world.

2. College is necessary to get a job? I don't think so! Just take courses and get skills early. Start working earlier. Or just get married, as dear Steelie recommended

3. College and debt go hand in hand. Of course, there are exceptions. Be the exception, by all means! But be warned.

All that said, I *am* planning to go to college. But I've thought through my reasons quite thoroughly. I've talked to people in the profession(s) I would like to go into. I am working hard for money and scholarships and such. I am defending my faith at each opportunity.

But, just thought I'd chime in there--it is not a vital ingredient to life.

*groans * Oh no, not that discussion. You get that too?

I went to a public college for almost a year and it was the worst experience of my life. I dropped out in the end because I hated it so much and never finished my courses. I knew what I wanted to be and so I went to a small private establishment where I was taught alongside a small group of older women. It was so nice and I was actually able to learn what I wanted to in a nice atmosphere. College is overrated, and you don't have to go to college, I'm living proof of that.
I have heard that some people fall away after going to college. I used to feel awful when I came home from college, I found that refreshing myself in God's word each time I came home helped a lot. I know lots of homeschooling friends who went to college and are fine. It isn't a recipe for falling away, you just have to view it, in my opinion, as a place where you are learning, not a place where you are going to hang out, make friends and do everything they do.

Really good thoughts, Elanor.

If I'm not mistaken, I actually believe that some pretty well-known colleges encourage students to take a gap year. I'm writing an English essay about this right now, and there are many benefits to taking a gap year. Some include: Growing in maturity, raising money for college, gaining additional experience in the world, and even just taking a break from school for a year.

So, keep at it! And keep us posted on how you're doing!

Thanks, Andi.

Yes, most students here take a gap year; those are good ideas, Nemo.