Prepare Your Teen for the World of Academia

After homeschool graduation, teens need to decide whether they will go to college, apprentice, or go right into the work force. 

Many homeschool teens choose to go to college. 

​While some folks are calling for government-funded associates' degrees, in many career sectors, the tide is turning so that careers that only required a bachelor's degree, now require a master's degree. 

​If your teen wants to be a doctor, lawyer, accountant, engineer, nurse, physical therapist, architect, or teacher, college will be in their future. 

​It's in their best interest to not only prepare them for college studies, but to prepare them for the world of academia. You see, many university campuses have gone from being Christian or tolerant of Christianity to being anti-Christian. Post-Modernism, socialism, and New Age beliefs are often taught as fact, while Christian views are mocked and scorned. 

​In addition, sex outside of marriage and addictions of all kinds are promoted on college campuses by professors and fellow students alike. 

​How can we prepare our teens, who feel called to pursue a college education, to excel without compromising their values and beliefs? Rather, in fact, to shine brightly on a college campus? 

​All of my children have had opportunities to speak up in class, defend the faith, and to share the Gospel privately with several professors. In addition, they have witnessed boldly on the university, planting seeds and introducing friends to Jesus. 

​What can you do to prepare your teens? Well, I can only share with you what we did to prepare our teens for the world of academia. God will lead you to prepare your own teens, but our ideas may help you.

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Talk About What To Expect At College

Talk frankly with your teens about what to expect at a college or university. If possible, let your son or daughter spend a day with a college student to get a real picture of college life. 

​Talk about the worldview one finds a all secular colleges and some Christian colleges. Discuss atheism, post-modernism, secular humanism, socialism, and other philosophies that are a strong part of the world of academia worldview. 

​We have our teens read Understanding the Times ​the summer before or during their senior year of high school. This book is awesome! It explains Secular Humanism, Marxism, Christianity, Islam, Cosmic Humanism (New Age), and Post-Modernism, applying them to each of the academic disciplines like theology, ethics, philosophy, psychology, sociology, history, law, government, and economics. This book not only covers the philosophies and how they apply to each academic subject, but gives key words and key phrases to recognize in writings and lecture. It is so effective at helping to recognize worldviews that my kids were easier able to recognize their professor's worldviews each semester.

​It is so helpful to understand where a professor or textbook is coming from to gauge what is true and what is false. We are commanded to test everything in I Thessalonians 5 and hold on to the good. Anyone in college needs to test everything they read and hear, holding on to truth and letting go of falsehoods.

​After reading the book, we often role-played situations and my children would respond by defending their faith or the biblical worldview. Our teens can defend the faith in college, not be pulled to the world or believe lies that the world accepts.  

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Equip Teens To Stand Strong

Prepare teens for the pressure to conform in college. It is strong and comes more from professors than fellow students. Our sons and daughters can stay close to college in high school. 

​One good class in logic is a great foundation for listening to hear if what is being said is true, reasonable, and logical and to respond in a clear, reasonable way. 

​Josh McDowell has written wonderful books on apologetics, as well as Ken Ham. There are also several video series about apologetics. Check out Josh.org or AnswersinGenesis.org for great resources to read, watch, or listen to with your teen. We weave in lots of apologetics into our teens lives during the high school years.

​Many teens have doubts about Jesus Christ and Christianity. That is normal. Walk through their doubts, answer their questions, and stand by them while they sort through the most critical relationship in their life.  

Teach Teens To Say Yes to Purity

Their is a lot of pressure to be sexually active on college campuses across the USA. Some freshman are required to watch a video that is very graphic before setting foot on campus. Yes, you read that right. 

​Teach children to control their sexual desires and how to stay pure for Jesus. I memorized I Thessalonians 4:1-12 decades ago when I was in college and my teens memorize this passage, along with other verses in high school. 

​More importantly, my husband and I commit ourselves to doing everything we can to nurture our children's relationship with Jesus. We try to set an example of living a holy life and loving Jesus and people with all our hearts. No matter where our teens go (college or jobs), they will be faced with temptation. They must learn to set apart Jesus as Lord in their hearts so they can say yes to His ways and no to the world's ways. 

We love teaching high school at home and have had a blast learning together with our teens. 

​If you would like to learn more about homeschooling high school, I wrote a book just for you. ​Unlocking the Mystery of Homeschooling High School​ equips parents to homeschool high school with joy and confidence. When you are finished reading this book, credits, creating courses, transcripts, choosing living books, making a four-year plan, and planning a high school graduation will seem much more do-able. You can do it!

​​Unlocking the Mystery of Homeschooling High School ​is available at Amazon. The E-book is available at PayHip and Currclick. 

God bless you! 

Warmly, 
​Meredith Curtis
 
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