Messiah College Top Questions

I'm not an old man, and I have no decades-long tome of worldly wisdom. So I hesitate to share my wise old thoughts with incoming freshmen, because my words are neither wise nor old. I also hesitate because no matter how wise or old the counsel, it's always better to just figure things out on your own. But if I can say one thing and have it stick, let it be this: never lose your curiosity. Class is important, and you can learn some things there, but it won't make you into an adult. Be curious, investigate, experience new things. Spend hours on wikipedia for your own enjoyment, even if your professors say it's not a credible source. Don't worry about "fostering intentional community"; just do what you enjoy with people you enjoy, and eventually you'll find that you've had community all along. Fall leaves and falling in love don't last-so experience both of them while you still can. If you want to choose the right college: pray. Pray that you can find best environment for your curiosity. Most importantly: forget everything I say. Figure it out on your own.

Your goal should be to find the college that will challenge you and prepare you for a changed mindset, will encourage and allow you to weigh different philosophies, and will also provide the emotional support and relationships that are needed when major changes happen in your identity as your mind grows and develops in college. Some Christian colleges provide a lot of interpersonal support for their students, but never really push them to think in a different way from how they were raised. Others effectively "rip the rug" out from under their students by debunking all of their traditional beliefs and values, but then do not support students as they cope with trying to discover what they truly believe. Your aim when looking for colleges should be to find a place that values both their students' intellectual development, and their emotional/spiritual health. When you leave college, you will suddenly discover that You are the sole decider of how you will orient your life and what your guiding philosophies are; it's essential to have the space and support in your undergraduate time to prepare for that freedom.

Visiting a college is very important. Also, if possible speek to students who are currently enrolled in the college you are considering.

Visit the school and try to stay over night. Maybe sit in a class. You need to get a feel for the college because you will not be able to do that just looking online. Talk to people when you visit because you will usually be able to tell what their real feelings about the school is. You can usually get a feel from the campus if it is the type of place you would like to live most of the year at for around four years of your life. When you are at school, join clubs and teams. Get involved. Get a job on campus because there will be plenty of things that you will want to do with your friends and you are going to want some money saved for when you graduate.

Make sure you have an idea of what you want to get out of college before you go. Maybe taking a year off or going to community college is a better idea to find yourself and figure out what you want to do with your future.

When searching for the right college it is very important to visit the campus and ask many questions while visiting. Know what kinds of things you want in a school and don't settle for less. Once you have picked a school, to make the best of your experience, get involved on campus. Join clubs, sports teams, musical groups, etc and participate in what you feel comfortable doing. Make lots of friends and enjoy your social time. However, be sure to focus on your studies as well. If it's all play and no work you won't be at the school for very long. As a freshman, try not to go home every weekend. Stay on campus and hang out with friends. Going home often will only make your adjustment to college life harder. Enjoy this time in your life where you have freedom but don't have all the responsibilities of being an adult yet.

Be sure to spend more than a day on the campus, trying out classes and getting an idea of the actual atmosphere. Visit on a day that's NOT a campus visit day. It's not that people are fake on these days, but they tend to heighten the intensity of activity and even friendliness. Come on a day you're not expected to :), and stay for a few days, maybe even a week. Also, if you decide to go to a college, pressure the school for financial aid. Don't let them get away with saying funds are insufficient; there's always extra aid laying around, and you have a right to it. Fight for your money, and don't live beyond your means; if you can't afford a school, don't try to force yourself to be able to afford it. Just because it costs more doesn't make it better!

College itself is a learning experience. Don't only focus on the class work and forget the world around you. This is the only time in your life that you will get this kind of life experience.

It's really difficult to know what you want in a college until you're already there...Good luck. One you get there, make the most of it... get involved, be intentional about making relationships.

You will often hear that college is the place to "reinvent" yourself but that is not true at all. Just let college be a time to figure out who you really are and let that person shine. Don't try and make yourself into someone you wish you were, but rather let who God has created you to be the strongest thing about what others see. As far as finding the right college, you really need to evaluate your needs and figure out what is most important to you in a college choice. Chances are you won't find a college that has every single criteria on your list (and if you do then GO FOR IT cause it IS rare) so make sure you know what your top priorities are. The most important thing though is to visit the campus and make sure it "fits". Just like you need to make sure you "click" with a person to date, you need to "click" with the school you're committing to. Four years (+/-) is a long time and you want to make sure its right for you!