How to succeed in college by really trying

School’s out for summer, and many of those who made it all the way through high school graduation are anticipating college in the fall, a radically new phase of life. It’s short—a mere four years—but hugely transformative. It’s also quite expensive. So it’s wise to approach it thoughtfully. As a professor at an academically and spiritually serious Christian college, I offer the following advice on how to succeed in college.

First, center yourself in Christ. Learning is inseparable from commitment and growth as a Christian. Because all truth is God’s truth, and genuine knowing is a kind of worship, education requires a robust Christian faith, regular corporate worship, active participation in a multi-generational church community, and faithful prayer and Bible reading.

Second, remember that your college experience is a narrow window of precious opportunity. Your four years will fly by, so wring them for all they’re worth. Every reading, every assignment, every lecture, every visiting speaker is a benefit you should maximize. You never come out of a quiz, lecture, or paper the way you went in. Your horizons are broader, your understanding more mature, your skills better honed. Aggressively pursue that growth. So, if a reading is assigned that day, read it! If there’s a written assignment, give it your best! You’re not serving the professor, but yourself.

Third, in all these things you are not just serving yourself; you are serving God. While you’re at college, your calling is as a student. After the obligations of worship, your studies are your priority. Hanging out comes second. Extracurricular activities like sports, the debate team, or even your Christian fellowship group are valuable but secondary. Do not sacrifice what is best for what is merely good. Put first things first.

Fourth, do your own work. Plagiarism is theft and deceit. Intellectual honesty is essential for the academic enterprise to mean anything. It also builds character that will endure throughout your life: honesty, integrity, honor, perseverance in the face of challenge.

Fifth, keep your eyes and ears open and learn from the world around you, from history as it happens and from the characters who surround you. “Consider the lilies of the field.” Not only will this supply raw material for reflection and illustration in your formal studies, it will cultivate lifelong habits of perceptiveness and reflection on political, cultural, and intellectual developments as you apply principles from the lecture hall.

Sixth, you are part of an academic community, so cultivate your thoughts with others. Some of the best times at college will be staying up until 2 a.m. with friends in your dorm kitchen hashing out the exciting theories you discovered in an ancient author or are developing on your own. Visit your professor during office hours with questions you found unanswered in class. If you are reading and listening thoughtfully, you will have questions.

A serious college education is a rare privilege. If you make the most of it, you will make the most of yourself.