By Janelle Higdon
Being a college student is hard. Constant coursework to complete, stress of performing well, and so many social activities.
Some days you might be tempted to just check out. You might feel like you want to just skip a whole day of classes and put academics on pause.
Don’t.
It’s not just about the grades, and it’s not just about missing a key homework assignment. Your college classes actually have the potential to change and impact your life.
The best Christian colleges offer much more than an education and a diploma when you cross the stage at commencement. A Christian university should provide you with life-changing experiences, with faculty mentors, and with spiritual growth that will propel you toward your calling.
It’s up to you how much you learn in college
While you might be compelled by financial obligation (or even just routine) to attend your classes day in and day out, what you learn is somewhat up to you.
If you’re not present and listening, you won’t hear the content, and you’ll miss out on life lessons. If you’re not engaged, you won’t get energized. If you’re not participating, you won’t see the fruit of collaboration.
Listen to your professors
Your professors are professors for a reason. They are educated and wise. They’re experts in their subject areas. They’re not perfect, but they generally have your best interest in mind.
Professors at Christian universities are also interested in helping you find your calling. They might help you realize that you’re in the wrong major, or help you love a class you weren’t expecting to. Meet some of the amazing faculty at North Central University.
Read our article, “Why you should give every college class a chance” for more examples of classes students were surprised to love.
Actually try to do well
The phrase that might come to mind is “apply yourself.” Another that should come to mind is found in Colossions 3:23, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
Pursuing success in your classes is not ultimately about pleasing your professors, your parents, or your peers. It is about bringing glory to God!
Developing the practice and discipline of working for the Lord is directly applicable to your career or mission field after graduation. Building this skill in your college classes will change the way that you work for the rest of your life.
North Central student Jessica Baker shared how pushing herself impacted her experience in one class:
“This past spring I took Introduction to Business and it was the most influential class I have taken thus far. It showed me how little I knew at the start of the semester but by the end of the semester it showed me how much I could actually do.
“With pushing myself and professors believing in me – the growth was unbelievable. It was because of this class that I switched my major to entrepreneurship and I started a photography business a month after I finished this class. It was the best class I have taken.”
Collaborate with your peers
Christian universities offer unique community. Your friends and classmates share a core bond of unity in Christ. Working together during your classes will give you the chance to spur eachother toward goals.
Isaac Pirk changed his major from Psychology to Business because of the impact that one class, and collaboration, had on his student experience:
“Our class divided into teams, then researched and compiled an extensive Marketing plan for a Fortune 500 Company. Within a month of starting this class, I switched my major, and began discovering how I fit into this wide spectrum of work called “business”.
“Not only did this class change my life, but the people I worked with changed it just as much. The people I worked with in this group are some of my closest friends to this day.”
Want to try out a class that could change your life?
Schedule a visit to North Central University to meet your future professors and peers.
