• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Alex Chediak

Helping young adults thrive at college and beyond

Header Right

  • About
  • Books
    • Beating the College Debt Trap
      • Why Write Beating the College Debt Trap?
      • Table of Contents
      • Endorsements
      • Preface and Introduction
      • Pre-order Freebie: A Parent-Child Discussion Guide
      • Fox News Article
      • Desiring God Article
      • Promo Video
      • Press Kit/Media Info
      • Reviews & Sample Audio
      • Low Res – Front & Back Cover Art
      • High Res – Front & Back Cover Art
    • Thriving at College
      • Table of Contents
      • Endorsements
      • Read the Foreword
      • Read the Preface
      • Read an Excerpt
      • Reviews/Interviews
      • Leader’s Guide (Tyndale)
      • July 2011 CBA Best-Seller (Young Adult)
      • YouthWorker Journal “Best of Best in 2011”
      • NEW!! – Parent-Child Discussion Guide
      • Testimonials From Schools
      • Educational and Church Discounts
      • Buy on Amazon
      • Buy on WTS
      • Purchase Thriving at College in Chinese!
    • Preparing Your Teens for College
      • Why Write Preparing Your Teens for College?
      • Table of Contents
      • Endorsements
      • Foreword
      • Read an Excerpt (PDF)
      • Video
      • Educational and Church Discounts
      • Front and Back Cover Art
      • Interviews/Reviews/Notable Tweets
      • Order on Amazon
    • With One Voice
      • Endorsements
      • Reviews
      • Buy on Amazon
      • Read a Chapter
    • 5 Paths to the Love of Your Life
      • Endorsements
      • Reviews
      • Buy on Amazon
  • Resources
    • Articles
    • Audio/Video
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Contact

An Educated Choice: Advice for Parents of College-Bound Students

June 3, 2012 by Alex Chediak

Frank A. Brock, former President of Covenant College packs a ton of wisdom into this short book, available as of this moment for $5.20, 60% off. It echoes a lot of the themes I discussed in Thriving at College, but in a book suitable to parents walking their children through the college preparation and selection process.

Brock sets out to help parents “understand something of the educational landscape and see that there are many types of learning communities with differing philosophies of education, all of which have different outcomes.” He wants to help higher education customers be discerning, because “there’s a difference between getting a degree and getting a good education.”

Brock explains that there are four “emotional filters” through which parents tend to process the college decision: financial, location, familiarity, and who they view as the primary decision maker, the child or themselves. Brock advises parents to initiate a series of conversations with their children about what is important in the college decision. The goal is “an intentional student, one who knows where he or she is going and why. Such intentionality will greatly increase the student’s own desire to make the most of the college experience, thus significantly increasing the likelihood of getting a good education.”

Brock incisively captures today’s teen mindset–as true today as when the book was published 10 years ago: They go to college seeking money and success, whereas they used to go primarily to develop a meaningful philosophy of life. Only about half of high school graduates pursued college as recently as 1970, today it’s well over 70% (although half of these don’t complete a B.A. or B.S. degree even after six years). The number of colleges has proliferated–i.e., supply has grown to meet the rising demand. To best compete for students, colleges have reduced the number of mandatory courses from 6.9 in 1964 to 2.5 in 1993.  Since students don’t have to work hard to get A’s and B’s in high school, they go into college never having learned good study skills (and assuming they’ll still get high grades).

Professors often don’t care to address student work ethic and character in general (let alone their spiritual development), as they were trained (and are now rewarded) in research, not teaching. Many colleges have thus become disintegrated into sharply divided departments, rather than providing a coherent, unified educational experience for students of all majors.  But “curricular coherence” is of vital importance, writes Brock, as is students developing a meaningful philosophy of life, and becoming truly wise and virtuous members of society.

On campus visits, Brock suggests that students ask these sorts of questions:

Was there interaction between the students and the professor in the class?
Did students appear interested or bored?
Were students taking notes?
What are the tests like? Are they true/false and fill in the blank, or essay tests?

The learning environment of the college outside the classroom is also important–e.g., the residential culture, opportunities for meaningful cross-cultural service/missions experiences.  Brock recommends that parents assess the selectivity and cost of various schools, but not to forget that private schools often give merit- and need-based financial aid.

Much more can be said about this excellent book. I highly recommend it to parents of high school students.

0
0
0
0
0

Filed Under: Thriving at College, Culture, Personal, Practical Ministry

Primary Sidebar

DISCOUNT PRICING!

Thriving at College book cover368 pages. Please allow 7-10 days for delivery.
Sales tax will be added for California purchases, as required by law. For orders to Canada, please contact us. (See also CASE DISCOUNTS below.) No PayPal account required to place order. (Debit or Credit card will work.)

$10.99


DISCOUNT PRICING!

Beating the College Debt Trap book cover224 pages. Please allow 7-10 days for delivery.
Sales tax will be added for California purchases, as required by law. For orders to Canada, please contact us. (See also CASE DISCOUNTS below.) No PayPal account required to place order. (Debit or Credit card will work.)

$4.99


DISCOUNT PRICING!

Preparing Your Teens for College book cover 448 pages. Please allow 7-10 days for delivery. Sales tax will be added for California purchases, as required by law. For orders to Canada, please contact us. (See also CASE DISCOUNTS below.) No PayPal account required to place order. (Debit or Credit card will work.)

$9.99


CASE DISCOUNT PRICING!

Thriving at College book cover1 CASE = 28 COPIES
Please allow 7-10 days for delivery.
Sales tax will be added for California purchases, as required by law. No PayPal account required to place order. (Debit or Credit card will work.) For orders to Canada, please contact us.

$269.99


CASE DISCOUNT PRICING!

Beating the College Debt Trap book cover1 CASE = 44 COPIES
Please allow 7-10 days for delivery.
Sales tax will be added for California purchases, as required by law. No PayPal account required to place order. (Debit or Credit card will work.) For orders to Canada, please contact us.

$189.99


Order Thriving at College!

Amazon Book Bomb for Thriving at College"There is no better guide to college."
--Alex and Brett Harris

"Insightful and useful."
--Randy Alcorn

"Written by an ‘insider’—an excellent gift for high school seniors."--Jerry Bridges

 

COMPARE STORES!

Westminster Bookstore
Christian Book Distributors booksamillion.com : books, music, movies & more
Westminster Bookstore booksamillion.com : books, music, movies & more
Westminster Bookstore

Order Preparing Your Teens for College!

Amazon Book Bomb for Thriving at College

"A sharp tool." Tedd Tripp

"Outstanding book on preparing teens for adulthood." Jerry Bridges

"Highly recommended.” Josh McDowell

 

RESOURCES

 

Also by Alex

With One Voice book cover

With One Voice

Read More Endorsements
Reviews
Read a Chapter
Buy on Amazon

 

Praise for With One Voice

This relatively short book packs a powerful bang for the buck, providing much biblical and practical advice for young men and women seeking to glorify God in relationships.

Alex and Brett Harris
Best-selling authors of Do Hard Things

Alex and Marni Chediak offer sound biblical advice and a clear Christian framework for working through the maze of confusions surrounding modern marriage.

R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Publishers have been cranking out books with all sorts of directions to help Christians navigate the treacherous waters between the buoys of singleness and marriage, and I know of none that is more clear, concise and helpful than With One Voice.

J. Ligon Duncan, III Ph.D.
Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church

With One Voice is clearly written and God-centered. Our eighteen year-old daughter just read it and restrained herself from underlining nearly the whole thing!

Dr. Bruce A. Ware
Professor of Christian Theology
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Categories

  • Thriving at College
  • With One Voice
  • Culture
  • Personal
  • Theology
  • Practical Ministry

Copyright © 2025 · Genesis Sample on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in