One of the difficult anomalies of the modern era is the rise of the concept of adolescence. Prior to the modern era, cultures has little to no concept of a period between childhood and adulthood. The individual transitioned immediately between the two. With industrialization, the advantage of jobs requiring advanced training, and more opportunities to afford that training, the age at which someone was considered an adult increased. We don't consider someone to be an adult until they are able to financially meet their obligations, to take care of themselves and their families. Considering most people now go to college, this entry into adulthood may not occur until ones early to mid-twenties. This can mean that one lingers in the uncertain state of adolescence for possibly a decade.
The cultural situation does not demand much from us in terms of Biblical application. Practically speaking, prolonged adolescence has its own challenges whereas the immediate transition to adulthood had other challenges. We ought to be aware that this arrested development that we see in the modern day has its roots in this prolonged adolescence. Christian adolescence must wrestle with the need to take responsibility for their own actions, for their own finances, while still honoring their parents who often still subsidizes or completely pay their bills.
Within this tension, the Bible's injunctions regarding the duty of every adult to provide for themselves indicates a responsibility to prepare for that future vocation. We have already address the choice of vocation, we now move to choices and behaviors in preparation for that vocation.
Every vocation requires training. While the Lord gives us talents and abilities to use for His kingdom, none of us are born knowing how to work. It is a learned skill. Whether you are called to be a farmer or a brain surgeon, every work has its necessary training. The farmer certainly does not need to go to medical school, but must learn the way of the farm and the tools of his trade.
This requires us to think outside the classroom. Training for our vocation may not require classroom instruction. Certainly certain basic fundamentals will be taught in a classroom environment. Every vocation requires the ability to read, write, and calculate. Even if someone could be trained to a work without these abilities, they benefit the worker in bettering his ability to pursue his vocation. As a Christian ought to strive for excellence in his work to the glory of God, these minimum lessons are necessary.
The point we labor to make is that not every calling requires a person to attend college. Skilled laborers may benefit from vocational training, but the kind of specialized education of college may be excessive. I say this, because our society has made college a necessary part of life. There is an uncritical assumption that one must go to college to obtain a well-paying job. This assumption has so infected our society that demand for skilled manual labor has risen precipitously. Students who dislike school and show talent for manual labor often struggle with a society that determines worth based on education. The absence of a college degree does not indicate that a person lacks intelligence or knowledge. The church should not perpetrate not perpetuate the hubris of culture.
For those whose calling requires further education, the Bible has something to say about the choice of educational providers. We live in a glut of colleges and universities, fighting for a limited pool of applicants. Even so, the costs of a four-year degree are substantial. Student loans have provided a means to defer the payment of these costs. However, the burden that student loans can place upon individuals has become a major concern in many industries. The ABA reported that graduates from law school borrowed on average between $84,000 and $122,000. (https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/legal_education_and_admissions_to_the_bar/statistics/avg_amnt_brwd.authcheckdam.pdf) A law student basically graduates owing a house without the house. This does not even count the cost of college. USA Today reports that the average student debt coming out of college is around $30,000. (https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2017/04/28/average-student-loan-debt-every-state/100893668/) So, a graduate of law school owes the equivalent of a new car and a house without the car and house. Medical student generally owes more. Even graduates from seminary headed to the pastorate often carry substantial debt limiting their options.
This debt burden has garnered attention in the present age. The Bible speaks strongly about debt. "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." (Proverbs 22:7) "Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts." (Proverbs 22:26) While debt is not in itself a sin, the Bible warns that we not become a slave to debt. With this in mind, We ought to think carefully about our debt obligations. We ought to plan and consider how our debt obligations will restrict our opportunities.
While the Christian's duty to pursue excellence in his work remains, that ought not require the assumption that one must attend the "best" college or university. At the outset, the determination of "best" arises from criteria of the reviewer that may not reflect the individual's experience, nor may it well-train the student. In law, many assume that so-called "ivy-league" schools were the best. The last few decades, employers grew less sanguine about hiring these graduates due to the political rather than practical education the students received. Instead, we need to allow the Bible to guide us into the "best" college for each person.
Some wisdom guidance here may be raised with little comment. The options should have the degree program and be respected with regard to that degree program. The campus and housing should be a safe environment. A common sense factor, but one that becomes more and more important in the current rash of violence in and around educational institutions. A visit to the institution should precede any decision and the student satisfied that the institution will meet their needs as well as provide an environment acceptable to the student and learning.
The Bible does remind us that education functions in aid of our service of Christ rather than in opposition to it. For this reason, some have chosen Christian colleges. There are many fine institutions that provide a distinctly Christian moral atmosphere for their faculty and students. I have experienced a number of these firsthand and heard reports of others. While the moral atmosphere has its advantages, it does not compensate for the worship and Christian fellowship the church provides. Many look to a Christian college or college Bible studies to compensate for their lack of engagement in the local church. They often excuse their lack of connection to the church with the perceived busyness of their lives. They are not alone in this excuse, and the excuse does not excuse. Engagement with the local church is necessary even for those in Christian colleges.
Further, many Christian colleges follow a legalistic methodology toward Christian behavior. The slippery slope argument truly occurs. It is not a hypothetical slope, but one history shows actually leads many to legalism. The way this slope works comes from the combination of the Christian, Biblical morality of the institution and the necessity of practical living regulations. In any collective group, some rules are necessary to preserve a peaceful society. Everyone acknowledges that these rules are needed even if they are inconvenient. Students willingly put themselves under these rules. This ought not cause a problem. Many of these rules are broken through inadvertence and forgetfulness, without malice or the desire to rebel. Christian institutions that insist on absolute obedience, who equate the inadvertent infraction with direct rebellion, who crush any voice of dissent, use their power to enforce a legalistic mindset. Non-biblical rules take the same place as the Ten Commandments. The atmosphere becomes fraught with fear and suspicion. This is not the case with all Christian colleges, but more common than may at first seem. Choosing a Christian college then is not unwise, but cannot be elected uncritically.
In addition, whatever college is chosen, the student must find and engage in the worship of God and fellowship with God's people within a church. While this choice of church lasts for a limited time, it is nevertheless critical. Do not let the name on the sign dictate your decision. All Reformed churches are not good, nor all baptist churches problematic. In addition, as part of the review process for a particular institution, the availability of an appropriate place of worship must be considered. The lack of an acceptable church should disqualify the college or university. The matter of spiritual growth and guidance during these years is critical.
Near the bottom of the list of factors to be considered is the question of location. Most people think of this factor in relation to cost: in-state versus out-of-state tuition. This factor does influence another part of life. Research has shown that most people end up living and working within a few miles of their college or university. While this statistic only points to trends rather than forming an invariable result, it does elevate the factor to one that requires thought. There is an element of proximity to family that matters as well as proximity to community. In a later place, we will discuss more fully the issue of location. Suffice it to say here, that God not only calls us to a particular work, but also to a particular place. It matters then where we go.
Finally, college campuses have become difficult places to live faithfully for Jesus Christ. Absent a Christian college, the environment will generally trend to the secular, at times even exceeding the general community in its dalliance with depravity. I remember hearing with horror some of the warnings given to students at state colleges and universities, warnings necessitated by the wicked things that sinful people perpetrated on one another. While these may have been isolated incidents, their occurrence reflected the abandonment of morality that we see trending in our culture.
Not only are these campuses environmentally discouraging toward Christian morality, they also discourage Christian speech. A person who supports Christian ideas will often find himself opposed to the thinking, not merely of his classmates, but also of the faculty. This means that the student must enter this environment with a grim determination to stand for Jesus regardless of the opposition that exists. How to do this will appear in another place concerning the manner in which Christians ought communicate.
Again, we have no interest in giving absolute answer to highly specialized questions. The factors involved are so greatly individualized as we have noted they begin with individual calling. Nevertheless, though not exhaustive, these guidestones provide sufficient direction to point the prospective student toward a wise method of considering the question. A proper decision in this area will begin the journey of living Christian in an unchristian world.
N.B. I think it important to note that a seemingly unfortunate decision in the choice of college, God often uses for good. Providence works. My choice of PCC may have had soul crushing effects, but God worked that experience to my good and His glory and set my feet upon the path that put me right were I belong. Remember, we make these decisions based on limited knowledge, and may find ourselves in a position we consider troublesome. This does not invalidate the wisdom of the decision nor hinder God from using it in our life. College is preparatory, not determinative. It is a means, not the end.
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