Why I'm (Increasingly) Glad I Go to a Non-Christian College

When it came to picking a college, Montana State University was at the bottom of my list. Literally.

I was hoping for a small liberal arts college about the size of my 2,000 person high school. I wanted to be in a Christian school where the people around me had similar faith. I had plans to pursue a communications degree with a minor in business or nonprofit management. My professors were going to know my name. My classmates and I would pray before class. My new world was going to be one Jesus-fest, and I was excited.

Then I ended up here.

A friend of mine always tells me to "never say never" (yes, shout out to J. Beebs) because in her experience, God always laughs and has you do it. I distinctly remember watching friends head off to Montana and wondering, "Who in the world would go there?" I distinctly remember receiving my admission to MSU and being grateful I'd never actually have to go there. And I distinctly remember sitting in a bathtub in the Ramada Inn in Bozeman after interviewing for a scholarship, bawling my eyes out because I had heard God say yes when I desperately wanted a no. I debated for months after that day where I was going, but I think in my heart I knew where I needed to be.

Like my pompous little caption there? Joke's on me!
Luckily for me, however, God's plans are much better than mine. The longer I'm here the more happy I am, and for reasons you might not expect:

1) I get to be salt and light in a very intentional community. I don't know of any other time in life that people push getting to know your neighbors so much. Seriously. We even get prizes if we keep our doors open. What better place to live out your faith? There are so many people here that have different beliefs than I do. It's making me both think deeply about my own and reach out in ways that I definitely wouldn't have been able to if I went to a Christian school. I'm living in a mission field; I hope I'm being salt in some bland places and light in the dark.

2) Faith seems more deliberate. There's something to be said about choices--and there's something to be said about a college student who's actively participating in ministry in a culture that doesn't promote it. Curriculum doesn't dictate chapel attendance; parents aren't dragging you along to church. When I run into someone at IV or at church it feels real-because I know they're making that choice independently. I know faith for me has become even more intentional since being at MSU, because I have to be more intentional about pursuing it. And I like that.

3) We have plenty of resources. Much as I still love the idea of a small school, I do greatly appreciate the large-school facilities. I took a master class led by Condeleeza Rice. There's a bowling alley in the basement of the SUB. Unlike some of my friends, I'm not stuck eating in the same dining hall every single night. I probably won't run into that annoying kid from my sociology class every single day. Sometimes, it's nice to be in a bigger community.

4) I'm learning to live in the world. Earth is not a Christian bubble. As I start contemplating where God has called me to go in life, though, I think more and more about going to seminary and serving in a church. I know it would be really easy for me to get sucked into a little Christian pocket for the rest of my life--that's just the kind of person I am. So I very much appreciate this portion of my education. My eyes are being opened more and more to what the real world looks like and how God's calling us to work in it. It's helping me understand how others think and why they think that. It's helping me learn how to reach out to people who are very different than I. And it's helping me to see how to live on this planet, in our society and our culture, but still cling to my faith and live it out deliberately.

Please don't take this the wrong way: I still love Christian colleges. I'm very, very thankful for Christian colleges. I think they can help students intensely strengthen their faith and build community. I think they are a phenomenal place to find mentors and lifelong friends. I think God meets people there in big ways. I am so very thankful for my friends that are and were called to go to a Christian college, and I'm often jealous of the classes they take, the chapel sessions they attend, the professors they have, the concerts that come through, and many other aspects of their experience.

However, I no longer begrudge the fact that God called me here.

Yeah, some parts of this suck. I'm pretty sure my friends at Christian schools don't have to wake up to this note from their RAs on Saturday mornings:



And I'm also fairly certain that they don't have to deal with invites to events like these: 

Yeah. Think of how awkward it was for me to take that photo.
And there are parts of MSU that make me sad. It's cold. They don't have a Comm Arts department, so I'm a business major here. I feel shot down in class sometimes because of what I believe. My professors often don't know my name (shout out to you, Econ 251. My first name isn't "Miss"). But you know what? That's okay. I know I am right where I need to be.

On a side note, I love these two articles from Relevant Magazine about the reasons for Christian and Non-Christian college.
3 Reasons Christians Should Consider a Christian College
3 Reasons Christians Should Consider a Non-Christian College

Comments

  1. Timothy Kerttula (TJ)February 8, 2013 at 9:55 PM

    Thanks for sharing MacKenzie. I am also a student at MSU. We are so blessed here to have to opportunity to share the gospel with others. Christian colleges are great, but to tell you the truth since I have been at MSU I have grown way more in Christ then I would have at a Christian College. It is the hard questions that are asked about our faith that makes us dig into it and come to realize how amazingly true it is. Thanks again.-TJ

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