Prepare to Thrive not Just Survive

This fall, thousands of young people across the country will begin their journey in higher education. Many of these young people will take the step to enroll at a Bible college. As young people prepare to enter into their new lives as a Bible college student, it is good for them to take time now to prepare themselves for this new stage of life. If you are one of those young people, prepare to thrive at Bible college: think past registration, classes, textbooks, and room decorations. Are you taking necessary steps to prepare yourself spiritually? The nine tips below are intended to help you prepare to thrive, not just survive at Bible college.

Make Bible reading a priority

If you have been in church any length of time, you have heard much about Bible reading. Preachers are regularly stressing the importance of reading your Bible. Bible reading is a vital part of Christian growth; however, many Bible college students find the demands of college to be a hindrance to their personal Bible reading. If you wait until you get to Bible college to develop a habit of consistent Bible reading, you may find the struggle of classes, work, ministry, dorm life, and countless other responsibilities too great a hurdle to overcome. Start now to set aside time each day to read your Bible.

Start developing a strong prayer life

Prayer is one of the most underused tools in the Christian’s tool belt. The danger exists that a student can attend four years of Bible college and never develop a consistent prayer life. How could that happen? When pressures mount and time is short, we often neglect those things that are not as noticeable to others. People notice when you don’t go to class, so you don’t skip. People notice when you don’t go to church, so you faithfully attend every service. However, people don’t see when you skip prayer time because you overslept. A consistent prayer life before you come to Bible college will better prepare you to meet the demands of college life.

Start studying the Bible now

Bible college is about Bible study, but don’t wait until you arrive at college to start diving into the Bible. The sooner you begin forming good habits of Bible study, the better. The Word of God is supposed to be read, but it is also to be studied and rightly applied. [2 Timothy 2:15] You may not know a lot about how to study the Bible right now, and that’s okay. That is one of the reasons you are coming to Bible college, to learn how to study the Bible. Start now to do more than a casual reading of the Bible. It will reap huge rewards in college and in life.

Be active in church ministry

A key part of Bible college training is local church ministry. Each student at Heartland is required to be involved in a ministry and visitation. Involvement in local church ministry should not begin at Bible college. While you are still at home, ask your pastor if there is an area you can serve in right now. It could be anything from cleaning, straightening chairs, shaking visitors’ hands, helping set out music for choir practice, to teaching a Sunday School class. Just get involved. No small or insignificant ministry exists in the church!  Make it a point to be around when work is going on at church. Stay late to help clean up after a fellowship. In short, be a servant!

Adjusting to a new place

As great as Bible college is, and as hard as the students and staff try to make you feel welcome, college is not the same as home. At home you have your schedule, the food you like to eat, and hobbies that occupy your time. You may walk out your front door and see beautiful mountains in the distance. You may live in a major metropolitan area with high rise buildings all around. Your comfort zone may be normal everyday America. It’s amazing how many students arrive at college and are surprised that things are different than they were back home. Just remember that different is not always bad. Different is just different. If God has led you to Bible college, understand that God knows the difference between where you are from and where you are going. Prepare yourself now by trusting God’s work in moving you to Bible college.

Adjusting to a new church

A great blessing at Heartland is the relationship that exists between Heartland and Southwest Baptist Church. The members have welcomed the students and actively invest time and money into their lives. Remember though, Southwest Baptist is different than your home church. More than likely you will experience a time of adjustment. The size of Southwest may be different than your home church. Your level of ministry involvement may be different.

The type of ministries you were a part of at home may be different. The best way for you to prepare for membership at a new church while at college is to purpose now to get involved. God has you at college to learn and to prepare. If you sit in the shadows and regularly think about how things are different, you will likely miss the lessons God is trying to teach you.

Adjusting to new people

People are different! Everyone who has ever attended Bible college, or any college, has a story or two about some of the more “unique” people that are found at college. When you take several hundred young people from all over the world and put them on one campus, differences are evident. People come from different places, different churches, different family situations, have different standards and are at different stages in their spiritual growth.

Coming with the understanding that everyone did not grow up like you will help in the adjustment process. Even though Bible college is filled with students that differ one from another, we do have one thing that cuts through all the differences, our mutual faith in Christ. Our salvation should be the thing that binds us together greater than any cultural or personality differences that try to divide us.

Adjusting to new demands

College by nature will be, and should be, demanding. You will be expected to be faithful to classes, work, church, ministries, personal time with God, homework, bills, relationships, roommates and the list goes on and on. At times, it may seem like these things are competing against each other. How will you handle all the new demands that you are facing? Here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Keep your priorities in order
• Keep a schedule
• Be wise with your spare time
• Ask others for help
• Remember you are not the first to face these demands

Adjusting to new liberties

Some may look at a Bible College Student Handbook and think they have no liberty. It’s a sad fact, but some students come to Bible college and fail to succeed because they did not know how to rightly manage their new-found freedom. College students are at a stage in their lives where they are making their own decisions. Boundaries will help in making right decisions, but ultimately, the choice is up to you. Will you study for that test with the hour and half you have free, or will you go with your roommate to satisfy that afternoon Chick-fil-A craving? Are you going use that hour break to take a nap or catch up on your reading in Old Testament Survey?

At college you will make decisions that have heavy consequences. How do you respond? Start now by purposing to make the right decisions. We are good at making decisions that are easy, fun, or self-serving. Determine by the grace of God to do what is right and a lot of the decisions will be simplified.

Being mindful of these areas will help in adjusting to life as a college student. The goal of each student should be to successfully complete the course God has set for him or her. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the staff and faculty for additional help in adjusting to the everyday demands of college life. The Dean of Students’ Office is the place to go for all things relating to a student’s personal life. The entire staff at Heartland is willing to help you not just survive Bible college but thrive.