College can be one of the most formative times of your life. You learn about yourself, discover new passions, and shape your future career. It’s a big deal! But change rarely comes without strife. And there are times where you may question yourself, your choices, and what you want in your future. For this reason alone, a Christian college may be the right decision for you.
A college campus is unfamiliar, with hundreds upon thousands of new faces, new professors, and new rules. For most students, this is the first time they live on their own instead of with their parents. It’s a world of freedom and change – and it’s good, never doubt that it is good. The problem many students face however is they can lose sight of what they want or want to be. Faith-based colleges however can provide an anchor for your college experience; something that keeps you balanced and steady while you explore the vast ocean of possibilities.
Furthermore, Christian colleges are not limited to religion focused majors, nor are they seminaries, they are for people that want to study biology, engineering, music, business – you name it! The difference is that people who choose a faith-based college are able to acquire an education, grow in a community, and continue to prosper in their faith.
What is Warner Pacific?
Warner Pacific is a Christian college where students can obtain undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as teaching credentials. As a faith-based college in Oregon, Warner Pacific has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
What Does Attending a Faith-Based College Really Mean
For Warner Pacific, it’s not simply about finding your occupation, but your vocation; your calling. For many students, this distinction is what helps them to cross the threshold to graduation. Pursuing your education works hand in hand with your faith, so even on those tireless nights and challenging exams, there’s an omnipresent motivator to get you on the right path.
In addition, the morals and lessons of your faith continue to be integrated into your studies. Typically, this means that you must attend some biblical classes for your degree, and some Christian colleges enforce a mandatory attendance to daily chapel, but more than all this, there are classes where the question is posed to you, “What does this mean in regards to your faith?”
This is the element that can greatly determine if a Christian college is right for you: do you want deeper meaning and purpose? A faith-based university asks the deeper questions about your education and your future. It’s not just about, what career will make you happy; it’s, “what career will give you purpose.”
For many people, faith is all well and good, but they also want a high-paying career. That may be the path for you as well, but at Warner Pacific it’s about finding out why that’s your path and how that plays into your faith.
Of course, none of this means you aren’t tested. Your grades are important and you cannot exercise strong faith in hopes that you’ll compensate for poor academics. A Christian college is still a university, and your academics are every bit as important as your faith – it’s about finding the balance and how the two elements of your education work together.
The challenging academic program pushes you to grow spiritually, it’s simply not something that can be done in secular colleges. It’s not just work ethic, it’s spiritual.
Campus Lifestyle
Of course, Christian universities like Warner Pacific, continue the college campus traditions. In other words, you’re not attending an outdated college system. The campus lifestyle is vibrant with plenty of sporting outlets, movie nights, concerts, and other extra curricular events.
At a Christian university, you don’t simply sit in your dorm and read the Bible, you get out, socialize, and have fun. Students still go out and have fun while trying to find a balance between their studies, friends, hobbies, and sometimes, work. College students still date and find their way through various relationships and love.
In addition, there are opportunities to volunteer, travel abroad, and give back. There’s no shortage of the “college experience” at a Christian university. In fact, there’s a misnomer about Christian colleges that they shelter you, isolating you from the real world. This isn’t the case however.
Christian colleges like Warner Pacific encourage personal growth and prepare you more for the real world than secular schools. All too often, students head off to college because it’s an expectation set by their parents or because it’s the “next step.” Christian colleges are always applying a deeper message onto your studies, it’s not simply “doing something” or “going through the motions,” it’s figuring out why and what it means.
With many other universities, once the students graduate they’re on their own, but at Christian colleges, they have an entire community to fall back on. Moreover, the universities provide realistic expectations of what they will face and the challenges to their faith.
How to Know if a Christian College is Right for You
The best way to know if a Christian college is right for you is to take a look into yourself and your values. If you want to receive an education but apply your faith to it and be supported by a community that shares your values, then a Christian college may be right for you.
If you’re struggling with your faith and trying to find your way; trying to understand what your religion means to you during this rapidly changing time period, then a Christian university may be right for you.
If you’re looking for your future to have a purpose beyond making ends meet, then consider Warner Pacific.
DMG