Preparing to fail?
Almost 18 years ago, I set out on a long (and winding) drive to West Wales. It was a trip that would come to be the most profoundly important journey in my life as a young adult.
As my parents drove me to university for the first time, I dreamt excitedly of throwing myself into debating legal theory and getting established in the theatre of the courtroom, where legal actors moot the guilt or innocence of the defendant for the watching audience.
Well, despite three years of hard graft and intensive study of the Law, I decided not to pursue a career in it. Truth be told, my disillusioned heart just wasn’t in it. I began to understand that the adversarial aspect of Law wasn’t quite as dramatic as I had hoped and learned the painful reality that most lawyers do not contribute to landmark rulings.
Had I been prepared for the reality of academic study of the Law, perhaps my choices would have been different.
An article by the BBC[i] a few weeks ago highlighted many concerns raised about the quality of careers and further education advice available to young people. And from my own experience with A-Level students, university and career guidance in state schools is sadly somewhat hit and miss. Despite a statutory duty on schools in 2014 to advise pupils on all post-16 routes, there is a long way to go before most schools hit even some of the eight Gatsby benchmarks of Good Career Guidance[ii]
The UCAS report referenced in the BBC report highlighted the impact of qualification and subject choice at school on students' future pathways. And indeed, it would be wise for teachers and parents to pay heed to the recommendations in the report to help students make informed choices at every stage.
But as Christians, are we missing a bigger issue here?
You see, what I didn’t realise all those years ago, in that jam packed car, was that I was making one of the most perilous journeys of my life. And I’m not talking about crossing the Welsh mountains and valleys on narrow, winding B-roads. I’m not even talking about the journey to an ill-advised career path, studying a subject that ultimately had little direct bearing on my eventual profession of teaching - and indeed made it somewhat harder to get into.
The peril was entirely spiritual.
I was a new believer, but still heavily entrenched in worldly culture.
Each year thousands of Christian freshers move into university towns and cities. And it’s estimated that around 7 out of 10 students[iii] from Christian families won’t find a home in a church when they get there. This sets a pessimistic trajectory for the spiritual lives of these young people.
So what can churches and Christian parents do to help prepare young people for this perilous transition?
Encourage your young person to embrace a realistic assessment of themselves (Romans 12:3) and pray through degree options with (or for!) your young person. Help them to consider their God given preferences and skills, as well as thinking about (albeit tentatively), their long term plans. Encourage them to choose a course that would naturally enable them to glorify God and serve other people.
Choosing universities with spiritual priorities should be a real consideration. Encourage young people to make engaging with a local church and the Christian Union a priority. Similarly, choosing locations where there are good Christian links already in place might be something to consider.
To succeed in study and employment, young people need to assume responsibility for their lives, which can be difficult when there is so much ‘hand holding’ in schools due to the pressure to get results. Gently remind them that they won’t be followed up on assignments that are late, or chased for missing lectures. This is also true for church attendance- nobody will be monitoring how many services they’ve made it to, so enabling mature independence is key.
Christian families must not consider academia or work as something separate from their spiritual life. The reality is that God is far more concerned with how we go about our lives than what we decide to. Let your young person know that pursuing excellence is praiseworthy, but that could be in any area of life - not necessarily university study.
Model what it looks like to resist defining worth by accomplishments. Remember that the Bible teaches the importance of diligent study, but not at the expense of one’s soul. After all, “what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)
Remember that the Lord is sovereign! Ultimately, young people may make unwise or ill informed decisions about their futures. But God is greater than our mistakes, and works through all things for the good of those who love Him.
I know this full well, and am thankful that despite my 18 year old immaturity and idealism, God took me as a wobbly infant believer and lavished His grace on me, keeping me right where he wanted me: close to His heart.
UCCF has various helpful resources for young people starting university at Starting Uni - UCCF: The Christian Unions
Lizzie Harewood is ACT’s Executive Officer
[i] Fifth of students 'poorly prepared for university' - BBC News