More Than a Transcript

Finding Hope in the New Year

January 15th, 2020

I started my college prep class with the juniors last week.  We will meet throughout the semester in their Theology course to discuss all they need to be doing to prepare for the college application process. On the first day of class, we go over all the basics of the course.  Yes, you get a grade for this course. Yes, you have a syllabus and you must follow it. Yes, you are going to have to write. Yes, you will submit all assignments online. No, I may not remind you of all the assignments that are due- look at the syllabus. I design the course as close to a college class as possible to prepare them for the realities of a little less hand-holding than they are used to. 

We also hosted the annual alumni panel last week.  Those fresh-faced college freshmen, having just completed their 1st semester, return to tell us their experiences and give little tidbits of college knowledge to the current Rhetoric students. I could not have planned it better. The day after I met with my juniors, they were on stage telling of their experiences with the all-important syllabus, with turning assignments in online, with the importance of reading your email, with the importance of communicating with their professors. 

All of these details are important to note and to be prepared for when going to college. However, why do you want to college in the first place? This is where we begin in this class. “Why College?” They are asked to go to the board and answer that question. The most common initial answers to this are for independence, to get a job, to learn new things, to make money. Then we sit back and reflect a little. Do any of these things actually require college? Independence can be found by getting a job and an apartment. College not required. I learn new things every day just by reading books and newspapers. No college required. In William Deresiewicz’s book Excellent Sheep, he has an entire chapter entitled “What is College For?” It describes soul formation, the ability to remain fully human, the development of a philosophy of life, building a self. (If you don’t have time to read this entire book, at least read this chapter!)

So we reflect a little more. What is college for exactly? They are asked to go home and think about it, to write a paragraph describing what they are really looking for in college. It’s with this assignment that I see the Covenant Rhetoric student emerge. Here are some excerpts from their writing. 

“Learning in and about other places is one experience that, though it can be done outside of a school, is an influential and large part of the college experience that I want to have.

The most crucial aspect of college that slightly frightens me and at the same time intrigues me is the ability to grow in my faith throughout the next four years. Historically, college is a time when most kids lose faith and go through a period of spiritual darkness and I know the possibility is there for me to have the same experience. In contrast, college is a great time to minister and show God’s love to the people that I come in contact within the unique environment of college itself.”

“My parents have taught me how to manage my time, be intentional with friends, and pursue my faith with the Lord. However, when I leave for college all responsibilities rely on me and my determination to continue to pursue enacting these things. I am excited to hopefully see myself be able to start to make my faith even more my own through a college experience.

My determination and dedication to my faith will truly be tested without my parents physically there to guide me through the day to day challenges that I will face. I am also excited to see and know the people that God will place in my life through college and how these people will affect me as a person.”

“Other than the credentials that college offers upon completion, college offers an opportunity to mature in character and learn and grow to become an adult. In college, there is no more lunch made by mother or any parents to remind you of the tasks you need to complete. In this way, college allows one to grow up and learn how to be a responsible adult in order to succeed in life. The realm of collegiate studies also allows for a maturation of faith and a unique opportunity to defend and grow in your faith. The faith that was maybe once your parents needs to be possessed as your own in order for it to last and thrive. In college, new ideas that you have never encountered will surface and possibly alter the way you think, but if your faith is deeply rooted, it offers a chance to make it even stronger.”

“College is an excellent chance for me to expand my social influence and develop leadership skills through involvement opportunities. I strive to get involved in a society with the brightest minds in the world, where I am learning and contributing to the forefront of human society and technology.”

“Over the last few years, I have learned that it is important to have a change of scenery and have life present new challenges. It is easy to have the same outlook on life if you only look at it from one direction. I think that college will allow me to take a step back from the past and help move forward into the future.”

“I want college to be a place where I learn to break away from any traces of my faith that are solely grounded in the fact that I have grown up Christian and hearing Christian things, and instead transform and solidify my faith in order to be confident that it is completely mine and mine alone. Rather than squandering all the spiritual knowledge that Covenant, my church and my family have poured into me the last 17 years, I want to strengthen my faith and test it against the world. I am excited to find my own church, become a member and be involved in a young people’s ministry. Moreover, I want to learn to be an ambassador for Christ in a place like college, a place which is typically considered very secular.”

“At Covenant, I have watched as I went through middle school and high school just how many of the faculty have this incredible ability of analyzing a book, painting, lab report, movie, song or even a commercial and taking away which parts of them were good in that they reflect the character of God. My hope is that college will facilitate the development of this ability and help me to discern what is true and what is morally good and therefore help me to grow in wisdom, having the tools to help other people as well.”

“I think college matters because it allows us to continue to grow and be stretched as human beings. I am excited but also so nervous for this next step in life. Part of me is ready and feels so confident that I am equipped to go into this world, use all that Covenant, my parents and church have instilled in me to be a light in this world. I love that I know how to choose Christ in a society that chooses the world. For twelve years now I have been taught what being a lifetime learner is like and how to appreciate an education, not dread it. Now we get to go into the world and finish what Covenant so greatly started. I'm ready to be pushed spiritually because in an environment where Christianity is so elevated, I believe apathy is so easy to fall into. I'm excited to have to defend my faith, and truly be tested.”

Some people feel there is little hope in the world today. I am reminded every day of the hope in the eyes of our students. They see clearly.  They feel deeply. They have been rooted in all that is true, good, and beautiful, and they are hopeful to continue to pursue that when they leave here. I hope that you take the lead from them and continue to hope to see these things too in 2020. Happy New Year!