College

Transitioning to Spiritual Adulthood
This one is for the teens and twenties. It's hard to write, too. When you're young and healthy, you don't really think about dying. It just seems remote. But two days ago, our sons lost a friend they'd known for years from church and Christian activities. Wilson Brant was just 26 when a car accident…
The College Application Dance
We've homeschooled forever and ever, and since we've got four adult sons, we've talked with quite a few college administrators. One of the interesting questions we've discussed is, "Do you see any problems with incoming homeschoolers?" Surprisingly, we have never heard complaints about "socialization." Instead, college officials have told us that homeschooled kids seem to…
Surviving the Breaks with Your College Students
Friends often ask us something like this, "Why can't I get along with my adult kids when they come home from college? They are really great people, but it seems like when they are here on break they become rude, sassy, lazy boogers. Help!" We get it. Just a couple of months ago during the…
Q&A: “What Time Is Curfew at Your House?”
Several readers and audience members have asked us something like this: What time is curfew at your house? When do you require your kids to be home? Is it different for teens and twenties? It's not an uncommon question but our answer may be unexpected--because we don't have a formal curfew at our house.  …
When Boys Want to Be Scientists…
Most boys at some time or another think they want a career in science or technology. Sometimes that’s what God’s calling them to, but other times, it’s what they think that kind of career would bring. That’s the way we were. Hal majored in engineering and Melanie in the hard sciences, though it’s become clear…
Preparing for College
When we were thinking about high school and preparing for college with our first, we were worried about academics, but now that we’re graduating our third, we’ve realized there are other things, sometimes even more important, that you need to pay attention to along the way. Teach your young adults to be responsibly independent. It’s…
Making College Visits Count
“We're off to spend a week tramping from college to college,” Melanie was telling an old friend. “Why would you do that?" she said. "Seems like a big waste of time and money.” But then, Melanie remembered the college visit that changed her life. She and her mother were parked beside the bell tower at a university…