Many Christian schools have used Thriving at College with their students to better acclimate them to the institution and to the realities of being a college student. California Baptist University, Dordt University, Hannibal-LaGrange University, LeTourneau University, Missouri Baptist University, New Saint Andrews College, Patrick Henry College, Providence Christian College, Reformation Bible College, and Samford University are among these schools. So I’ve asked a few folks I know at these schools if they’d be kind enough to offer “testimonials” on what sort of impression the book is having in the lives of their students. Here’s what we’ve heard so far:
“This past Fall semester I led a small group study for first-semester freshman college students using Professor Chediak’s Thriving at College. Students found the book to be very clear and readable, and we often used the end of the chapter Discussion Starters that led to meaningful discussions. The students found the book very helpful as they were in the heat of adjusting to college life and academic expectations. We often discussed the application of the book’s theme (as we came to see it) – Be Intentional – in your studies, in your personal care and health, in relationships with others, and in your relationship with God. Be Intentional! Professor Chediak’s insights and suggestions are excellent. His book is the perfect guide for helping students find the right balance and encouraging them to consistently apply their Christian Faith to all aspects of college life (and to life thereafter). I plan to use Thriving at College each Fall in leading a new group of freshman students as they successfully adjust to college. Ideally every college freshman should be required to read and discuss this transformational book. I highly recommend Thriving at College by Professor Alex Chediak.”
Dr. Chris Pursell, Chair of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama
“Thriving at College has been a great fit for our Freshman Seminar course. It is consistently well received by our students and helped prepare them for college life in a way that aligns with our desire to promote a biblical worldview. This book provides a practical approach to not only surviving but thriving in today’s college environment. Alex has devised an accurate roadmap to success that every traditional undergraduate student can benefit from!”
Dr. Clay Biggs, Division Chair of Exercise Science, Hannibal-LaGrange University, Hannibal, Missouri
“Alex speaks in a decisive yet gentle way to the core issues that face college students. His biblical guidance mentors students to make wise choices in the midst of their newfound freedoms. Students at CBU have expressed that Thriving at College prepared them for the rigors of college life, and some stated that it repaired their view of what college life is supposed to be. However, Thriving is not just for students at Christian universities. Alex addresses the issues that Christian students on secular campuses will face, and he equips them to live godly lives in a setting that does not value holiness.”
John Montgomery, Dean of Spiritual Life, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA
“What perfect timing! For years I have searched for a book like Alex Chediak’s Thriving at College – a book that seamlessly blends Scripture and personal anecdotes with practical advice geared toward today’s college students. So often, books like this rely too heavily on personal experience and become out-dated as time goes on. Not this book! In Thriving at College, Chediak balances God’s timeless word with tried-and-true godly wisdom, spurring students on to do more than just make it through college – to thrive, not just survive. Already I am seeing this book make a difference in the lives of my students. I wish this book would have been available when I first started college!”
Marie Tudor, Director of First Year Experience, Missouri Baptist University, Saint Louis, MO
“We enthusiastically buy this book for every engineering student in our intro-to-college classes. The chapters cultivate thinking and class discussions that powerfully promote a healthy transition into college and the adult responsibilities essential to success in a rigorous program. Alex winsomely articulates many of the truths I long for my students to embrace, and backs them up with appropriate depth of thought. I recommend this book to anyone in high school or college who wants to make the most of life.”
Dr. Matthew Green, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, LeTourneau University, Longview, TX
“My high school students thoroughly enjoyed reading and discussing Thriving in College. They found it readable, challenging, and very practical. It’s one of the top books I recommend for graduates.”
Sean McDowell, Educator, Speaker, and Author, Capistrano Valley Christian High School, San Juan Capistrano, CA
“Alex Chediak’s Thriving at College is a helpful and practical resource for guiding young people through their college years. Because it offers good counsel on a variety of subjects from organizing time and money to maturing in Christ., we give every incoming student of our college a copy of this book.”
Dr. L. Michael Morales, Provost and Professor of Old Testament, Reformation Bible College, Sanford, FL
“A handbook of practical wisdom for the would-be college student. Chediak expertly navigates the competing callings of undergraduate life, shedding light on what it means both to ‘love God with all your mind’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ This book is an essential summer read for every incoming freshman.”
Dr. Gene Veith, Provost and Professor of Literature, Patrick Henry College, Purcellville, VA
“As a pastor in a college town, I have the privilege of working with college students all the time. I welcome the chance to get Thriving At College into as many of their hands as I can manage. If just a small fraction of the scriptural counsel offered here were to be put into practice, more than a small fraction of my pastoral migraines would go away. And who wouldn’t want that?”
Douglas Wilson, Senior Fellow and Trustee, New Saint Andrews College, Moscow, ID
And here are a few blurbs from similar folks:
“It would be hard to find a better book for the new college student than Thriving at College. This book does not just give practical principles for “thriving” or maturing personally at college, but it also lays the biblical foundation for these principles. Alex Chediak’s emphasis is not just on what students should “do” in college, but on what they should “be” during and after the college years. He well reminds us that it is the character of the young college student that really matters.”
Dr. Mark Cosgrove, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology, Taylor University, Upland, IN
“I really needed this book when I began college 50 years ago. But I really, really need it now. I’ve been a Campus Pastor for the last 17 years, and have seen a lot of excellent books on how a Christian student should go about being a truly Christian student. Chediak’s book is the best I’ve seen. He’s done his homework and understands both the spiritual significance of higher education, and the young people who often stumble into it unaware of its opportunities and dangers. Give it to a student you love, and buy it for yourself to help you pray intelligently for that student. That’s what I’m going to do.”
Ben Patterson, Campus Pastor, Westmont College, Santa Barabara, CA
“Alex Chediak’s goal is to spare college-bound young people from entering college thoughtlessly and then drifting after they are there. The book has all the right ingredients to meet that goal for anyone who reads it. The book has two great strengths. The topics that Chediak puts on the table are a veritable guide to the college experience. Secondly, Chediak writes about these topics engagingly, with good sense, and thoughtfully. I can commend the book by saying to young people headed for college: Don’t leave home without it.”
Dr. Leland Ryken, Professor, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL
“Thriving at College, by Alex Chediak, is a significant how-to volume to help new college students and their families prepare for and adjust to the numerous transitions that accompany the college experience. Few writers have so helpfully combined the multi-faceted challenges involved in this most significant life step. Chediak offers wise counsel for students and their families regarding academics, student life, spiritual development, intellectual engagement, relationships, and time management. While there is no ‘one size fits all’ for the diverse experiences of college students, many will find Thriving at College to be immensely helpful.”
Dr. David S. Dockery, President, Union University, Jackson, TN
“Thriving at College is every parent’s prayer for their kids and every student’s intention when they begin. This resource is an important guide to that process for those who want to make the most of a very large investment. The wisdom in this may not always be easy to hear and students may not accept it all immediately, nonetheless, buy this book for someone you love. They will likely pass it on to their children 25 years from now.”
Dr. Erik Hoekstra, Provost, Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA