Faith-Based Schools » College Life

College 101: How to Create a Healthy Balance

Faith-Based Schools — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:12:51 +0000

So. College. The big time. Here you are, in that bridge between high school and the real world, beginning to independently manage your life. It can seem like a lot to handle – on one hand, you’re in school for one primary reason: to learn. On the other hand, you’re exploring everything from a new perspective and want to really branch out, meet new people and have a good time. Both are equally important and time-consuming, so how do you balance it all? It’s definitely possible! Here are some helpful hints:

Get your Z’s. Sleep may seem like an inconvenience when you have a big test to study for and your roommate just asked if you want to go grab a coffee. But scrimping on your shuteye (or, even worse, skipping it altogether) isn’t a good idea – it makes it hard to pay attention the next day, you run the risk of falling asleep in class, it weakens your immune system, and it takes days to get back on a routine. That’s not to say you can’t go get that coffee; just see if your roomie minds bringing some textbooks, too, and make it a study date. Also, don’t disregard a daytime power nap if you need it.
Eat right. Yeah, we know you’ve heard it from your parents a thousand times, but it’s true. High-fat, high-calorie diets are the quick way to the infamous freshman 15. Eating foods high in protein and nutrients will help keep your energy up and make you feel better about yourself. Long story short: an all-ramen noodle, ice cream and Doritos diet might sound awesome, but it’s not.
Move it! It may seem like you’re getting enough exercise walking between classes and to the stadium for games or up the jillion flights of stairs to your friend’s dorm room. But really, you need more than that. Shoot for at least 30 minutes of exercise 3 or 4 times a week. And, you can combine it with other things. On the treadmill? Take a textbook to read at the same time. Maybe join an intramural sport. You can also work out with a friend and make it a fun social activity! The important thing is that it doesn’t feel like a chore, because then you’re not going to want to go.
Follow the 4 P’s: Priorities, Planning, Prayer and Privacy. Time management and prioritization together are pretty important – keeping track of due dates, work and other plans will help you figure out when to devote time to school work so you don’t end up pulling all-nighters at the last minute. It’s also important that you take a few minutes to yourself every once in awhile to decompress and take a deep breath. This could be a great time to follow the fourth P: prayer. Supplement your regular worship with prayer for extra enriched practice of your faith. You can also join a prayer group to get involved!

With a little effort, you can get the most out of your college experience and keep yourself from getting too stressed out. After all, it’s hard to enjoy yourself when you constantly feel a few steps behind where you should be. Keep yourself on track and you’ll feel healthier, happier and much more motivated!

Leaving home for college? Will your faith make the trip?

Faith-Based Schools — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:47:59 +0000

“For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”
– James 1:3.

You will find this message to be true as you go off to college for the first time and leave behind your childhood home and your house of worship that you have known for many years. College life may offer temptations or, at the very least, you may drift from your faith.

How can you keep your faith while keeping up your grades, friendships and everything else going on in your life? The answer is easier than you think.

The easiest way to keep your faith is to attend a faith-based school. You can learn all about faith-based schools from this website and find the one that interests you the most. Faith and academics go hand in hand at faith-based schools.

As a student at a faith-based school, you are surrounded by believers. Your fellow students have a strong faith just like you. The friendships you form will be connected and strengthened by faith.

Faith-based schools integrate faith into the curriculum. They also use theology to enrich the learning experience, as well as religious rituals and church-centered events.

Opportunities for outreach and missionary work are greater at a faith-based school. Imagine traveling to another country and working side by side with missionary workers. School-based mission trips happen regularly at faith-based schools.

What if you attend a state college, private college or university that does not have faith at the center of its core beliefs? Revisit James 1:3 and the lesson about faith tested and endurance growing.

Underage drinking, illicit drugs and premarital sex are some of the temptations on college campuses across the country that can come between you and your faith. The less visible temptations are masked by pleasure-seeking tasks, such as having too many extracurricular activities or tuning in to shows like “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” The me-focused culture glorified in society may not be congruent with your faith.

Reconnect with your faith and watch your endurance grow by attending campus chapel or a church near campus. Seek out prayer groups on campus. Most groups post meeting times online or at the student union. These small prayer groups are the quickest way to find people who share your faith.

You can also practice your faith by volunteering in programs like Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian organization and Pioneer Club, an organization that helps kids walk with the Lord. These are just two worthwhile organizations where you can practice your faith and make a difference in people’s lives.

Going away to college is the biggest experience of your life. You will pack all the essentials: clothes, toothbrush, iPod, laptop and cell phone. But there is one thing many young people forget to bring or store away at home—the essential of all essentials—your faith.

If James 1:3 is correct, your faith is about to be tested and, glory be, your faith will endure and grow from the experience of going off to college.

Paying for Religious Schools

Sasha Roe — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:15:03 +0000

The first thing that comes to your mind after being accepted to college is usually, “How am I going to pay for this?” No matter what school you choose to go to, the cost of tuition is always going to be on your mind. Christian colleges aren’t an exception. Tuition fees are a major worry and decision-maker when it comes to going to college. At first, Christian colleges may seem expensive, but with the financial aid they offer, they can be just as affordable as public universities. In this guide we shall look at how you can get scholarships and financial aid to Christian colleges.

Students attending a Christian college can apply to a variety of different scholarships and loans offered specifically to them. Scholarships can be awarded in various amounts—from a few hundred dollars to full tuition. Students can get scholarships based on their academic records, their Christian character, participation in a Christian church or involvement in a Christian organization or activity. Some Christian schools provide scholarships to students pursuing a specific field of study, such as ministry.

Where do you start your financial aid search for Christian schools? First, check in with your school. The financial aid office at your school should be able to give you a long list of financial aid opportunities available to students. Start searching the Web for more opportunities. Some good websites include:

Council for Christian Colleges & Universities: http://www.cccu.org/
Christian College Guide: http://www.christiancollegesguide.com/
College View: http://www.collegeview.com/product/christian/index.html

Check out a few of these scholarships available to students attending Christian colleges:

National Ministries Undergraduate Scholarships: Active members of American Baptist churches can apply for this scholarship. Scholarships are paid directly to the school to offset tuition costs.
National Ministries Graduate Study Scholarships: Graduate students who have been active for at least one year in an American Baptist church are eligible for this scholarship. Ph.D. candidates can earn up to $3,000.
Pryor Scholarship: Arkansas Baptist students pursuing a degree in religious education or religious music can apply for this scholarship, as long as their studies serve to prepare them for mission work for the Southern Baptist Convention. This link to the Pryor Scholarship will connect you to the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Georgia Baptist Foundation: The Georgia Baptist Foundation has several scholarship and student aid programs available. Students can receive aid in the form of special trusts, which vary in amount but are awarded to students of Georgia Baptist colleges. The Seminary Scholarship is awarded to qualifying students who are enrolled full-time at one of the Southern Baptist seminaries. Students may enroll at any one of the six seminaries. Depending on which Georgia Baptist church you attend, you may also be eligible to apply for another scholarship through the Georgia Baptist Foundation.
Rudy and Micaela Camacho Scholarship: This scholarship, offered by The Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, awards a scholarship to two undergraduate students per year. Each student receives $1,000 per semester, which can be renewed for up to four years. Eligible students must belong to a Hispanic Baptist Church in Texas that contributes to the Cooperative Program through the Baptist General Convention of Texas. They must also meet academic and church-related extracurricular standards.
Mary Hill Davis Ethnic/Minority Student Scholarship Program: Minority students who plan on pursuing vocations within Texas Baptist ministry programs are eligible for this scholarship. Students must be enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree program, and the scholarship is designed to be awarded for up to eight consecutive semesters, not including summer terms.
Louisiana WMU: Baptist women students enrolled in a mission or seminary program are eligible for this scholarship. This particular link will connect you to information about the Louisiana WMU scholarship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Champions for Christ: This Christian organization has been offering scholarships to students preparing for ministry since 1986. Students going to school to enter a life of full-time Christian service are eligible, and the Champions for Christ fund has awarded over $1.2 million in scholarships so far.

Scholarship opportunities intended specifically for Christian students are abundant—you just have to know where to look and who to ask. One of the best places to turn for advice about financial aid is your church. Both your local church and the national headquarters of your church affiliation can offer more scholarship and loan opportunities than you realize. Contact them to see how you can apply!

Division Decisions: Choosing Athletics at a Faith-Based School

Tara Schmidt — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:49:48 +0000

All throughout my life, athletics have been important to me. When I was growing up, I used to watch Division 1 athletes play on television whenever possible. I remember thinking that they were the best in the country and I only hoped that I would have a chance to be like them one day. Ten years later, that dream of playing with the “best” was a closer reality that I ever imagined. Because I happened to be 6’3” tall and left handed, I had a natural advantage over most other volleyball players in high school. This advantage, combined with countless hours of practices, games and tournaments allowed me to get recruited heavily by many schools that ranged in divisions from D1 to NAIA.

The recruitment process was very flattering, to say the least, but it also left me very overwhelmed and confused. Because there wasn’t one school that I had envisioned myself going to my whole life, I was open to every option that presented itself. This ever-present lack of a direction caused me to become very frustrated by the whole “choosing a college” situation. I began to research into many schools that had sent me letters in order to have a better idea as to what I did and didn’t want in a school. Because I knew that I wanted to play volleyball at a very competitive level in college, I started to weigh the pros and cons of every school and each division.

In talking with several D1 athletes, I realized that they had a huge commitment to their sport. Not only were they traveling most every weekend, but they had just as many practices in the off-season as they did in their regular season. Many of the athletes also had to stay on campus during the summers and other breaks in order to train with their teams. This information really turned me off to a bigger school because, although I wanted to be competitive, I wanted to have more than a volleyball experience. I wanted to have a college experience complete with time for friends and fun. The only real benefit that I could find in going to a D1 school that wasn’t also offered at a smaller school was the status and prestige of saying that you played a sport at a D1 college and were one of the “best.” Once I took my ego out of the equation, however, I realized that many of the faith-based schools that I was looking into offered great athletic teams that were capable of competing with, and even beating, many smaller D1 schools.

On top of allowing their athletes more of a well-rounded college experience and great competition, I found that NAIA faith-based schools have other benefits for an athlete as well. The typically-advertised advantages such as smaller class sizes and a feeling of belonging turned out to be true and very important to me because it allowed me to get caught up with my school work easier when I had to miss class for tournaments. Students at faith-based school also feel less pressure to be in the “party” scene, which is great because many sports teams (private or not) don’t allow their athletes to drink. There were a lot of opportunities for me to grow in my own personal faith through attending Bible studies or worship services with a few of my teammates. Also, student athletes can choose to play more than one sport because the time commitments may not be as intense on certain teams as they are in D1 programs.

When I added up all of these benefits plus countless others that weren’t sports-related, it became easy to see that I belonged at a smaller, faith-based school. In going to an NAIA school, I was able to help my volleyball team to become ranked 12th in the nation as well as build lasting friendships and memories that I would never have made at any other college. My decision to not only attend but to play volleyball at a faith-based school proved to be an excellent one that allowed me to get the “best” out of my college experience.

Finding Your Faith in College

Tara Schmidt — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:10:01 +0000

“Know what you believe. Know why you believe it. Then live it. Because, if you don’t live it, you don’t believe it.”

Our beliefs form who we are as a person. They provide us with the motivation, desire and even courage to be the person we want to be. For many, the formation of these beliefs begins to take place during their college years. College, for a majority of incoming freshmen, symbolizes a time in their life in which they are on their own for the very first time. This new-found independence represents a freedom that can sometimes cause students to stumble and lose their way; for others, however, it is a beneficial time of self-discovery and adventure.

I asked lots of my friends my freshman year of college what they believed and many of them couldn’t tell me because they honestly didn’t know. They had gone to church their whole lives, but suddenly when they were on their own, they realized that they didn’t know why they believed what they did. They had been riding on the coattails of the parents’, friends’, and families’ faith for so long they had no actual faith of their own.

I’ve known so many people in my life who have grown up in the church and then fall away from their faith when given the freedom to do so. With 64 percent of those currently enrolled in a traditional four-year institution ceasing to continue their church attendance during college¹, it becomes clear that their faith was not something that was a priority for them.

By growing up in the church and attending a faith-based school, I have been given the ability to see both situations of finding and losing beliefs play out on a regular basis. The main time in my life that I saw these changes was while I attended Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It was one of my professors at Olivet that first made me aware of the commonness of this spiritual uncertainty and challenged to live out my faith through his quote that is mentioned at the beginning of this article.

Because I’m from Kansas, college was far enough away from home that I was able to “get away” while still being able to come back to see friends and family on breaks and holidays. The distance gave me an independence that I had never experienced before and it forced me to make my own decisions and form my own beliefs. I no longer had the luxury of coasting through my faith with little to no effort. If I wanted to go to church, I had to get myself there on my own. There was no one there forcing me to go or making me feel guilty if I chose not to. Fortunately for me, my faith was and still is something that is very important to me. Because of this, going to church wasn’t a burden that was forced upon me when I was at home. It was a habit that I enjoyed and continued into my college career.

College is a great time of self-discovery. It challenges you to find out who you are and why. By attending a faith-based school, I was able to find answers to the religious questions I had and learn more about myself and my faith that I ever thought was possible. I was able to realize why going to church all of my life was important and why I should continue to do so. It allowed me to discover the reasoning behind the beliefs that I had held my whole life and helped me to determine my priorities in a way that better prepared me for my future. Thanks to my faith-based education, I now know what I believe. I know why I believe it. And I’m learning to live it.

¹ Uecker, J, and M Regnerus. “How Corrosive Is College to Religious Faith and Practice?” Social Science Research Council (2007): 2. Web. 15 Jul 2010. http://religion.ssrc.org/reforum/ Regnerus_Uecker.pdf.

Ministry/Service Work for Recent Graduates

Christina Martin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:13:23 +0000

Are you searching to fulfill your Christian service in life? Looking to mirror Christ not only in image, but in action by growing in faith and serving those in need?

Every year, thousands of recent high school and college graduates dedicate several months to postgraduate service work through their local Christian colleges. During this service period, these students not only make an impact in other’s lives, but they also fulfill part of their own purpose in life by actively employing Christ’s messages of faith, love and service. Rather than focusing exclusively on a religious future, Christian colleges attempt to mold outstanding model citizens of society and encourage an environment that will allow their students to grow.

Through these offered volunteer and charity programs, students can choose from a variety of service projects, including:

Serving low-income families
Helping build housing projects
Aiding in child and family development
Serving as Christian camp counselors
Assisting with substance abuse recovery

In addition to their long-term service, students also make the commitment of positively impacting their surrounding community and engaging in spirituality through shared adoration and devotion.

Because making a long-term dedication to service work can not only be physically sacrificial, but financially sacrificing as well, most colleges that offer these programs provide several benefits to help ease any financial and/or other concerns that could arise such as:

Providing room and board
Receiving a monthly stipend
Covering health insurance
Offering potential student loan deferment
Eligibility for AmeriCorps Education Award (depending on college and service program)

To become a long-term service volunteer, you typically must meet the following requirements from your chosen Christian college:

Be at least 18 years old
Be dependable and flexible
Possess the willingness to share in community life
Have a sense of humor
Desire to serve others
Complete a volunteer application, including a complete driving records check, three personal references and a national background check
Interview with the school’s volunteer program staff
Pass a drug screening test to begin your service

If you think you have the servant spirit and the willingness to continually spread the good news, then you should consider the volunteer and charity opportunities offered at your local Christian colleges. Make a difference in the life of someone who not only needs help physically but spiritually as well.

College Athletics and the Faith-Based Experience

Abbey Reinhardt — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:16:44 +0000

Your faith is important to you – important enough that you’re thinking about choosing a faith-based school. But if you’ve ever been told you’ll have to sacrifice the “college experience” when you choose a faith-based college environment, think again. By choosing a faith-based school, you open yourself up to so many unique experiences and opportunities.

Even if some people consider public universities and similar secular private schools to be the “typical” college experience, you can enjoy many of the same activities and organizations at religiously affiliated schools all across the country. Learning in a faith-based environment doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the sports and activities you love!

Many religious universities and colleges offer a wide variety of student organizations and groups, just like their secular counterparts. Student athletes and sports fans are especially in luck. Religious universities of all affiliations offer many opportunities for students to get involved through athletics. Popular sports like football, basketball, baseball and softball, soccer, and more are commonly found at faith-based universities all across the country. And even if you’re not looking for a hard-core, competitive team to join, many faith-based schools host intramural sports teams where you can still participate in the sports you love.

Whether you have an all-star athletic background from high school, you want to try a new sport or activity, or you’re just interested in cheering on your favorite sports team, chances are you can do all of the above at your faith-based school!

Christian student athletes at both religiously-affiliated schools and secular schools also have the unique opportunity to join national networks and connect with other student athletes. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action are two popular organizations that allow students to combine their love for sports with their passion for their faith. Together, these organizations work to bring a Christian message to athletes, students and families all over the world, and they offer excellent involvement opportunities that can help you meet others who share your interests in fellowship and service.

Just as a faith-based education can enrich your experiences within the classroom, it can also shape your extracurricular involvement. Nearly every fun, popular college student activity is likely to be an option at your faith-based school. So, make a visit to the campus, and chat up other students. Those who share your faith probably share a lot of your other interests, too!

College Life = Party Life?

Allison Gard — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:27:22 +0000

People have a variety of thoughts on “going away to college.” Some think of the academics, taking challenging classes and studying in the library all night. Others think of the athletics, all that school spirit concentrated in one place. Finally, some others think of “Animal House” – four years of parties and drinking. But what do you want out of your college experience? Will your faith-based school be any different?

Your school experience will be different, if you want it to be. Faith-based schools often have a few more rules on drinking that secular schools don’t. Does that mean no student at your college will ever drink? Does that mean you won’t ever be able to go to a college party? Probably not. But it does mean that there is a mindset that school comes first and fun doesn’t have to involve drunken parties. At faith-based schools and secular schools alike, students usually find friends that have a similar outlook on life, at least in terms of weekend activities. As you get involved in your college, you can find other students that have fun in different ways. As a group, take some time to get involved. Check out the theater department and other clubs. Get together in Bible study groups and get excited exploring your faith. Go on mission trips. Just have fun! Drive around town and see what there is, watch funny movies and eat junk food. Check out the events happening on campus.

Another great thing about a faith-based school is that the “party atmosphere” probably won’t be as prevalent. Discussion before class on Monday morning won’t focus on the drunken antics of the nights before. You’ll be comfortable saying, “No, I don’t drink,” without any judgment or pressure. Plus, it just might help you focus on school. When the people around you are ready to learn, you will be too.

At any school, your college experience is what you make of it. You’ll be free to spend your time how you want and make decisions that are best for you. You faith-based school just might make it a little easier to choose the path that is sometimes less traveled by college students.

Finding Faith Comfort at College

Rachel Ryan — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:21:29 +0000

After being raised in a multi-denominational household, I always took for granted the church homes my parents provided me with. I never realized what it was like to have to discover a good fit for myself. I was more than comfortable in the churches where I grew up. I had formed wonderful relationships with the youth groups and, more importantly, I was used to the ways of my pastor and priest. It was scary to think about having to adapt and accept a whole new spectrum of a faith home. I will admit, freshman year I mainly worried about fitting in, which resulted in my faith getting put on the backburner. Toward the end of the year, a friend and I visited different churches for a couple of Sundays in an attempt to find a new church home, but we didn’t have much luck. Sophomore year I was determined to find a place of worship I wanted to attend every week.

One of my closest friends with a strong faith background and I had the same mindset and ventured together on this difficult journey. From being the youngest attendee by at least 30 years to a three hour service, we started to lose hope. Finally, we found a church with a service similar to both of our churches from home. Granted, it wasn’t the exact same and it was hard getting used to something different, but as an individual I realized I was maturing in my faith because I knew it wasn’t about the little details; it was about being in God’s home and having others to share that with. By junior year, my friend and I made sure we went every Sunday together. In fact, we found other sorority sisters who were attending the same church and we all started to carpool. I will not lie, there were the occasional Sundays where we had been out late on a Saturday night after a formal dance that we decided to sleep in, but overall, we attended regularly and had a sense of fulfillment in our adventure and faith experience in college.

College has actually been a time where I feel I have grown the most in my faith. I found an amazing campus ministry in which I have formed wonderful friendships. As a part of the “growing up” process, it has also been interesting to see where other people are in their faith journey. One of the best parts about college is meeting so many people. Along with that comes the opportunity to share your faith with others. As well as agreeing with some on your faith opinions, I have learned to tolerate people who have extremely different points of view than I do; because I know I can learn from their beliefs in order to strengthen my faith.

A key factor to finding these people to share with you in faith requires some bravery. Talking about your faith is not the easiest topic of conversation when you’re meeting new people, especially in college when you’re in an environment with judgmental people from all backgrounds; everything from extreme religious beliefs to atheists. But, if you let down your guard a little with people you learn to trust, discussing faith issues can be one of the most comforting conversations when you’re in such a transition-filled part of life. I will never forget a girl I met my freshman year in a Calculus II class. After doing everything to survive the class together, we formed an amazing friendship, discovered many similarities and discovered we even shared a similar vision of faith. All it took was a simple conversation mentioning campus ministry activities that led us to being comfortable sharing any aspect of our faith journeys to each other.

While I was fortunate to find a friend on the same faith level as myself, I also found two very close friends who came from different religious backgrounds. Despite the differences, we respect each other’s faith journeys and in fact have helped each other grow in faith. These friends live hours away from me, yet when we travel to each other’s homes for weekend get-aways and get-togethers in the summer, going to church together is always on the agenda.

When I look back on preparing for college, I knew I wanted to continue my faith. I don’t think I ever imagined the difficulties that were in front of me, but with a little bit of motivation and signs from God, continuing your faith when out on your own is one of the most rewarding experiences. It has been thanks to God and the faith situations I have encountered which have helped me get to where I am today.

Continue to believe in yourself and your faith. Faith can take you a long way in life.