Advice for staying Catholic in college?

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Hi guys, I’m a senior in high school and it has finally hit me that I will be leaving for college in under 4 months! My faith is something I would like to maintain, but being Catholic in college sounds really scary. I’ve heard horror stories, that this or that happens and that no-one keeps it up while in college. I saw a statistic that said 7/10 of my peers lose their faith in college, next year is my first year not in Catholic school and I was wondering if there is a way to keep it going. So my question is do you have any advice about how to maintain it??? Not just the spiritual side of things, but also like the whole mindset. Any and all advice is welcome:)

P.s. sorry if this is the right thread (I wasn’t sure)
 
I got through university with my faith intact. You should not be scared if it. But you should be prepared for it. Your faith will be tested. A commitment to knowing it well and practising it will get you far.

At college/university you will find yourself exposed to many different views - religious, political, social, etc - and many different distractions - clubs, activities, parties, etc. You will be in control of which ones you choose to explore and which ones you choose to avoid. There should certainly be opportunity to join some sort of Catholic or non-denominational Christian groups, which will be important to keep your faith strong. I suggest you explore that as a priority.

Make good choices of the friends you keep. They will be the key people who lead you one way or another. I’m not saying you have to make and keep Catholic friends (I’ve never actually had a close Catholic friend myself - more protestants or agnostics), but be very wary of friends who would lead you towards things that are mostly contrary to our faith.

This does not mean you have to forgo parties and the like, but always be looking around and working out whether this is a party that I should be at. eg if people are taking drugs, that’s not a good party to be at. If people are randomly hooking up, that’s not a good party to be at. Alcohol is a bit more of a grey area and not being American I can’t comment too much - in Australia we can drink from 18 years so at university everyone is generally free to drink. And if you have an assignment due the next day, you shouldn’t be at any party.
 
The most obvious thing is to make sure you keep going to mass. If you are not at a Catholic college, and perhaps even if you are, you will be tempted to sleep late on weekends or feel pressured NOT to go by friends that have little faith of their own. Don’t give in to that.

Reject the thought that everyone loses their faith in college. Many may, but you don’t have to. Get involved with Campus Ministries right away if your school has one. If not at a Catholic school, find out where the nearest church is, or one that you enjoy going to mass at. After all, it will be your parish for the next four years. Introduce yourself to the priest and see what you can get involved with. Volunteer to help with something that interests you.

Try and find Catholic friends at school or in your new parish, they will help you stay faithful.

Try not to take classes where professors have a lot of opportunity to Catholic bash.

Good luck to you and may God bless and guide you. 🙂
 
Irishmom2 said:
The most obvious thing is to make sure you keep going to mass.
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Yes, indeed. I skipped over this, because, as you say, it is (hopefully) obvious. And it is crucial.

It’s also important to spend quiet time. It can be hard to find this time to yourself at college, but it is important too. This time can be spent sitting quietly in a church, or sitting quietly wherever you can find such a space. You need time to quieten all the distractions that college will throw at you. Both the practise of the Catholic faith and a good university education require a clear mind.
 
Stay on schedule by attending Mass regularly. Check into campus ministries. If there is a Catholic organization, check it out. They should be welcoming.

The habits you form now will shape your life.

Part of the college experience is designed so that students spend time thinking about philosophy, etc. Take a course in philosophy / religion. You will learn a lot. Or take a course in theology. Otherwise try to find a Bible study group.

Birds of a feather flock together.
 
College really isn’t that such a big, bad scary place. Promise. I had sorority sisters that kept their virginity intact through college and were quite responsible people, they weren’t Catholic, heck one wasn’t even religious.

Don’t be afraid, just don’t care what others think. The “I do what I want” attitude isn’t always a bad thing. 🙂
 
Kwiggs1257 said:
Hi guys, I’m a senior in high school and it has finally hit me that I will be leaving for college in under 4 months! My faith is something I would like to maintain, but being Catholic in college sounds really scary. I’ve heard horror stories, that this or that happens and that no-one keeps it up while in college. I saw a statistic that said 7/10 of my peers lose their faith in college, next year is my first year not in Catholic school and I was wondering if there is a way to keep it going. So my question is do you have any advice about how to maintain it??? Not just the spiritual side of things, but also like the whole mindset. Any and all advice is welcome:)

P.s. sorry if this is the right thread (I wasn’t sure)
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Bring your reading to Adoration, and pray in front of the Tabernacle as part of your preparation for exams and quizzes.

When the professors test your faith, bring your questions to the priest at the parish that you choose to go to for Mass. He will be thrilled that you asked.

Believe your professors on the subjects that they are being paid to teach.

Don’t believe the negative things they say about the Catholic Church. Don’t get into arguments with them, either, though. It’s not worth it.
 
Congratulations to you! I wish you well.

You’ve gotten great advice, especially Mass and trying to find some Catholic friends to support you.

I would also like to add that at public colleges (at least the one I attended) can sometimes find professors who promote anti-Catholic ideas. I didnt realize it at the time, but a professor I loved planted some seeds of doubt when she used a Bible passage in a literature class and some Women’s Studies classes promoted abortion.

Just be prepared. You are probably better catechized than I was, or I was probably more naive but just know where to turn for information.

Also, get a planner and try to keep to a schedule. It is easy to lose track of time.
 
Sometimes it seems that the “odd” priests are the ones sent to Newman Centers… 😦

Anyway, I would say another important thing is to start now developing habits to take with you. Be responsible for saying the Rosary, am and pm prayers, and some meditation and spiritual reading each and every day. That way you will have the habits when you arrive, and the lack of them will feel awkward, rather than arriving intending to start the habits… if you can, try going to Mass by yourself as well, so that won’t feel strange.

And don’t forget the spiritual reading which you will need to do for your mental prayer. I know it seems like a lot, timewise, but as they say, you’ll have a lot more time if you pray!
 
If you’ve already picked your college, begin now to contact the local parish or (hopefully!!!) the Newman center that’s nearby and find out what you can get involved in when you get there.

If you haven’t picked your college (or for others reading this who are discerning) - make sure to look at the Newman Center as one of the criteria.

I cannot say enough about how wonderful the people were at my daughter’s college Newman center. The priest and surrounding congregations did everything they could to welcome and support the college students. One great example was a late Sunday evening mass (no worries about sleeping in or traveling) followed by a communal spaghetti dinner where the students could discuss their weekend, the up-coming week, etc. Once a week, they’d have midnight kickball under the lights in the parking lot. The center offered free printing and copying services along with comfy couches and people willing to listen.

She volunteered there as a lector, participated in the prayer groups outside an abortion clinic, and camped out in a box overnight as part of a massive fundraiser designed to help bring attention to the plight of the homeless. They also did a Habitat for humanity project and various retreats.

In college - as in life - it’s really your decision. And an important decision is to surround yourself with people and support networks that will help you stay on track (be it in real life or online).

Best wishes and may God bless your efforts!
 
There’s been lots of good advice already.

I was a Protestant throughout college (although Catholic-curious) and I got a lot out of InterVarsity, where there were quite a number of Catholics.

We often go to a Newman Center near the local college as a family, and the quality of preaching is very good. They often have retreats and there are a number of different groups (Catholic Student Association, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters).

As it turned out, when I was in college, what I struggled most with and found most demoralizing was the college dating wasteland of the early/mid-90s. There was practically no dating on campus, and it was very disappointing. My parents had met and married as undergraduates at a small Protestant college, so I had a picture in my head of going off to college and meeting a nice Protestant boyfriend and getting married by the time I graduated. It was not to be. In fact, by the time I graduated, I had literally never been asked out by a fellow student (although I did date several off-campus guys) and I had certainly never been asked out by anybody that was a serious Christian. I expect it’s very much the same nowadays–particularly since the average age at first marriage for US women is now 27 while it’s 29 for men. So, manage your expectations about college dating. It’s not impossible that you will meet your future spouse on campus (that still happens), but don’t go in expecting that, and don’t panic if you find that you’re 22 and you haven’t started dating yet.

Best wishes!
 
Keep the 10 Commandments, NEVER, EVER MISS MASS (no matter how tired you are or what assignment is due Monday) and pray, pray, pray; the rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy would be good.
 
Kwiggs1257 said:
Hi guys, I’m a senior in high school and it has finally hit me that I will be leaving for college in under 4 months! My faith is something I would like to maintain, but being Catholic in college sounds really scary. I’ve heard horror stories, that this or that happens and that no-one keeps it up while in college. I saw a statistic that said 7/10 of my peers lose their faith in college, next year is my first year not in Catholic school and I was wondering if there is a way to keep it going. So my question is do you have any advice about how to maintain it??? Not just the spiritual side of things, but also like the whole mindset. Any and all advice is welcome:)

P.s. sorry if this is the right thread (I wasn’t sure)
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Here is a short list (in no order)
  1. is done after your Confirmation and through out high school… i.e. keep going to mass after you are confirmed. The fact that you asking this question means that you are already ahead of many of your peers (unfortunately).
  2. Attend Mass every Sunday, and try to attend Daily Mass when possible. Locate the local Catholic Church or Campus Ministry. Many non-Catholic colleges have Campus Ministries on campus. Check to see if your school has one by checking this website: ccmanet.org/
NOTE: They are sometimes called Newman Centers and sometimes they are called something else. When I was in college, I knew about ours, but I didn’t know they had Mass every day. The flyers only advertised study hall and weekly dinners, so I never knew they had mass until Easter of my senior year! 😦

If you join any religious clubs, stick to the Catholic ones (which if you have a campus ministry, they will have a social aspect to it). Things like InterVarsity Christian Fellowship are Evangelical protestant (even though they claim to be non-denominational). So they could hurt your Catholic Faith if you are not strong enough to ignore the Protestant doctrines they believe and subscribe too (if you ready their new mission statement, you will see that it is protestant 100%)
  1. This is a continuation of (2): If you campus has FOCUS, join up. Their website is www.focus.org. If you campus doesn’t have a FOCUS Chapter, try to start a FOCUS chapter.
  2. Try to attend Catholic College conferences, such as the SEEK Conference (check out their 2015 Conference website here: seek2015.com/), Steubenville Encounter Your Adult Conference = steubenvilleconferences.com/adult/encounter_2015 or one of the Steubenville Adult Conferences = steubenvilleconferences.com/adult.
You can also keep an eye out of Men’s or Women’s conferences (which ever you are) in Diocese.
  1. Buy Catholic materials to continue to learning about your faith. Besides books from shop.catholic.com, another EASY way to keep learning is to subscribe to Lighthouse Catholic Media’s CD of the Month Club (or MP3 of Month Club). lighthousecatholicmedia.org/subscriptions?promoCode=104130
    Books can also be purchased from Lighthouse here: lighthousecatholicmedia.org/store/refer/104130
  2. Read ***33 Days to Morning Glory ***and consecrate yourself to Mary. You get the book here: lighthousecatholicmedia.org/store/categories?promoCode=104130&category=mary
  3. Make sure to always attend Confession as needed, but more than once a year, especially while in college. Attend Adoration as much as possible.
  4. If you join other college clubs and/or Fraternities/Sororities, try to figure out if they filled with students of good character. In regards to Fraternities & Sororities, the further they deviate from the virtues and values they were founded on, the more sinful they are. If they haze, they are most likely not a good place to spend your time. But that’s not to say that they are all bad, in-fact many are good and still develop men or women of good character. I joined a college Fraternity and had a relatively good experience (but my chapter didn’t haze when I was there)
  5. Keep in mind that the temptation to fornicate and “go to 2nd or 3rd base” is quite high in college, and depending on what school you attend could be subtle or out in the open.
  6. Finally, be careful of elective classes like “World Religions” or “Human Sexuality”… typically these courses are very anti-Catholic, but in a very subtle way.
God Bless!
 
Kwiggs1257 said:
Hi guys, I’m a senior in high school and it has finally hit me that I will be leaving for college in under 4 months! My faith is something I would like to maintain, but being Catholic in college sounds really scary. I’ve heard horror stories, that this or that happens and that no-one keeps it up while in college. I saw a statistic that said 7/10 of my peers lose their faith in college, next year is my first year not in Catholic school and I was wondering if there is a way to keep it going. So my question is do you have any advice about how to maintain it??? Not just the spiritual side of things, but also like the whole mindset. Any and all advice is welcome:)

P.s. sorry if this is the right thread (I wasn’t sure)
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Jesus and HIs Church, the Catholic Church are One and the Same. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. Learn your Faith. Stay close to the Sacraments that He instituted for us and pray the Rosary.
 
Pay attention to growing in the faith and you need not fear losing it. The Lord will not let go of you if you are devoted to following the Lord. On that account, those who said “fear not!” were absolutely right.

The only caution is to test whatever fashion of theology that is going around against what the Apostles handed down. Most Catholics who lose the faith in college lose it through sloth or by distancing themselves from it for fear of falling from the favor of the enemies of the faith. A few, however, lose it because they are too enamored of new ideas to test them.

Here is some reading: The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis, which very cleverly throws light on the snares the tempter will use against someone in company similar to that which may be found when going through a university education. The other piece is more difficult going but very blunt: encyclicals outlining the fallacies common in modern thought:
HUMANI GENERIS
w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_12081950_humani-generis.html
PASCENDI DOMINICI GREGIS
w2.vatican.va/content/pius-x/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-x_enc_19070908_pascendi-dominici-gregis.html

The best weapon against sloppy and misguided thinking, after all, is well-founded and well-guided thinking. 👍
 
Kwiggs1257 said:
Hi guys, I’m a senior in high school and it has finally hit me that I will be leaving for college in under 4 months! My faith is something I would like to maintain, but being Catholic in college sounds really scary. I’ve heard horror stories, that this or that happens and that no-one keeps it up while in college. I saw a statistic that said 7/10 of my peers lose their faith in college, next year is my first year not in Catholic school and I was wondering if there is a way to keep it going. So my question is do you have any advice about how to maintain it??? Not just the spiritual side of things, but also like the whole mindset. Any and all advice is welcome:)

P.s. sorry if this is the right thread (I wasn’t sure)
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There are a couple of things to keep in mind.

I think the one that is most likely to cause problems is the lack of morality that is often found on campus. I would recommend staying away from the binge drinking, drugs, and the so-called “hook-up” culture (a code name for fornication). I am sure that you are already convinced that these behaviors are all gravely immoral, but they are things to watch out for.

The other thing to look out for is ideas. Always take what you are taught in classes with a healthy sense of critical thinking. Don’t be afraid to question it when necessary. The Faith withstands the scrutiny of reason, so don’t be afraid to use your head and think. You don’t have to be obnoxious—pointedly challenging your professors in class, for example—but you, on your own, should be ready to analyze and your teachers’ points of view and submit them to a healthy criticism: does this make sense in the light of the Faith? Does it make sense in the light of reason? And so on.

On the same token, try to learn as much as you can about the Faith. Try to see its intrinsic rationality (which it has). Catholic Answers is a good place to start.

And, of course, I concur with the other posters: never lose sight of your sacramental life: Mass on Sunday, at a minimum, and if you can manage it, sometimes also during the week. Go to Confession as often as you need to. The Sacraments are the food that sustain your faith life. If there are groups of faithful Catholics on campus (Newman clubs or what have you), consider joining one; fellowship with other Catholics who feel the same you you do can be very helpful.
 
Kwiggs1257 said:
Hi guys, I’m a senior in high school and it has finally hit me that I will be leaving for college in under 4 months! My faith is something I would like to maintain, but being Catholic in college sounds really scary. I’ve heard horror stories, that this or that happens and that no-one keeps it up while in college. I saw a statistic that said 7/10 of my peers lose their faith in college, next year is my first year not in Catholic school and I was wondering if there is a way to keep it going. So my question is do you have any advice about how to maintain it??? Not just the spiritual side of things, but also like the whole mindset. Any and all advice is welcome:)

P.s. sorry if this is the right thread (I wasn’t sure)
Click to expand...
Congratulations on your upcoming high school graduation! Just as leaving grade and middle school meant a transition to a bigger world, so will transition from high school to college especially if you’re planning on dorming. Here’s a few suggestions (some may have been mentioned but it never hurts to repeat):

Contact the campus ministry as soon as possible and preferably BEFORE you set foot on campus so they’ll be ready for you. Keep an open mind; you’ll meet a lot of new people with different depths of belief and even different ways of expressing their beliefs.
Keep your core belief solid and don’t give up the truth of your faith.

Find the nearest Catholic parish and then the next closest. If the first parish doesn’t make you feel welcomed, you have a back up ready to go. Just don’t give up going to Mass and the opportunity to be in the full grace of God. Remember, God never cuts us off from His grace via the Sacraments; we cut ourselves off.

Research and join the Knights of Columbus before you head off to college. We have financial AND spiritual support programs for college men just like you! When you get to campus, search the nearest Council and introduce yourself to the Grand Knight. Once a Brother Knight, always a Brother Knight. You can attend a Council anywhere in the world and be in the company of good, Catholic men who can help you in many ways.

Finally, develop and keep a prayerful life. The Liturgy of the Hours can be used by some; I prefer Give Us Our Daily Bread publication which has morning, Mass, and evening prayers. I also fit in praying the Angelus at noon, a Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3pm every afternoon, and try to finish my day with a Rosary. A daily prayer routine reminds me that God is above all in this world and I even did this at my office (now I run my own business so it’s even better!) There’s comfort in knowing you’re close to God and stopping to pray also reduces your stress and brightens your day no matter what’s happening.

God Bless you!
 
Lots of good advice already. I agree that you don’t need to be scared, but you do want to be prepared. This is a good book that was made for people just like you. 🙂

Disorientation: How to Go to College Without Losing Your Mind

That book will give you an idea of some of the ideas you may encounter on campus and (more importantly) why the Catholic worldview makes way more sense. 🙂

If you are sure in your faith and not prone to peer pressure, that will go a long way. I went into college as a generally introverted, timid sort of fellow. So my dorm mates were somewhat taken aback that I steadfastly refused to drink. But I made the decision going in to college that I wasn’t going to get sucked into that “Animal House” sort of college experience. And I wasn’t going to let some random guys convince me to act otherwise. They would make fun of me sometime. I even had a guy offer to buy me a video game console to take just one sip of a drink. But in the end, I earned more respect by not caving into peer pressure than I would have otherwise.

I do recommend seeking out other Catholics, such as at the Newman Center. I think most every non-Catholic college has a Newman Center or Newman Club (named after the great Catholic intellectual John Henry Newman). It took me too long to figure that out, but thankfully I did figure it out and my faith grew a lot as a result. Depending on the college, the Newman Center may be larger or smaller (mine was huge), but it’s the best starting point. You could even give them a call now and let them know you’ll be there in the fall. It’s a great blessing to have other Catholic friends who can assure you that it is not you that is crazy. 😛

Of course, the most important thing you can do is to pray. Pray every day. Go to daily Mass. I started that up in college and I cannot overstate the benefits derived from it. At daily Mass, you’ll quickly find the other students who take their faith seriously. But prayer is key. We need to stay attached to the vine.

God bless you as you begin this new phase of your life. I will say a prayer for you.
 
I’m just finishing up my first year at university (also after K-12 Catholic schooling), and I’ll echo everyone else by saying that going to Mass every week is the single most important thing you can do. Don’t miss once.

Personally, I found the Masses offered on campus to be kind of cheesy, since they were geared for my age group, which I found rather condescending. They were also too late in the day for my taste. Don’t be shy of looking around town for a great parish - I discovered my diocese’s cathedral to be an amazing and inspiring place for Sunday Mass.

Adoration can be quite helpful as well.

If you’re a social person, try to get involved with other Catholics on campus. If you’re an introvert like me, keep it more personal. Just make sure that you don’t get ensnared by the toxic hedonistic environment that is a college campus.

There will be many challenges to your faith. Most of them won’t be directed specifically at you, but will dangerously present. I wouldn’t advise confronting them unless you’re certain you can handle them - and even then, sometimes it’s simply not worth it.

But if go to Mass and pray regularly, you’ll do just fine. I think the most important thing is that you’re worried that you’ll lose your faith. That means you already value it, and that puts you in a far better position than most young Catholics starting college, who lose their faith largely because it wasn’t very strong in the first place.
 
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