It’s at this time of year when seniors choose which college they are going to attend from the list of schools where they have been accepted. It is also at this time every year that most juniors start realizing that the college applica tion process for them is only a few months away and how “stressed” they are when it comes to choosing the colleges to which they are going to apply. I will be the first to admit that it is tough not to get caught up in the facts and figures around college admissions and start paying att enti on to list after list that books and magazines put together thinking that there has to be that one school that’s a perfect fit for you. Here are a few tips, however, to keep things in perspec tive and make sure we are keeping in mind the ul timate goal of glorifying God and being used by Him.
1) Keep an eternal perspective. There are going to be many times in your life that you are going to have to make a big decision. Where to apply to college is just the beginning. When we have an eternal perspecti ve regarding these decisions, we can rest assured that God is over each one and He will be with us through each decision as well. We can’t approach these decisions thinking that if I am unhappy a year or two down the road that I made a “bad” decision. God uses each decision we make to mold us into who He wants us to be as long as we let Him lead.
2) You cannot do it yourself. If you try to keep God out of your college planning and decision making process, you will become very frustrated, selfish and anxious. I see this some times in student’s interac tions with me and the way they respond to my ques tions. They can’t relax because they put so much pressure on themselves to make the “perfect” decision when there really isn’t a “perfect” decision when it comes to choosing a college. Each college has its pluses and minuses and it’s going to be up to each student to take advantage of the opportuniti es provided to him/her and be proac tive in using the gifts and abili ties God has given him/her. It’s the same when it comes to marriage. Every husband and wife comes into a marriage with great strengths but also weaknesses. It takes hard work, forgiveness and love to make a marriage work and no matt er where you go to college, it’s going to take commitment, ini a tive, hard work and even forgiveness to make it work as well. You don’t just walk on a campus and it’s all of a sudden a smooth ride because of what school it is.
3) Take joy in the process. I am going to refer to the book of Philippians when Paul is talking about joy in the enti re book even though he was chained, in prison and persecuted for proclaiming and sharing his faith. I am not comparing what Paul went through to applying to college, but Paul can serve as an example of what is most important. The college planning process can be enjoyable if we keep things in perspec tive. Enjoy the visits you take to colleges, the fairs and information sessions you att end, the research you will do and time spent with family and friends talking things through. It may lead to wiser decisions being made and proper informa tion being evaluated in the end.
4) Surround everything in prayer. When we pray we are giving God control and letting Him take the lead in the process which is most important. We are handing our pride, anxiety and worry over to Him and surrendering to His plan and purpose in our lives. I know it’s not easy and we all will struggle at times to let go, but only with Him will we find fulfillment in the college planning process.
