Interview with Eric Treuil

High School Senior and College Freshman;What They Need to Know To Attend College 

Excerpted from a two-part article in the Arkansas Baptist News  by Adam Venters, June 22 and 24, 2021

Exciting senior trips, inspiring graduation speeches, nostalgic summer vacations, bittersweet goodbyes in high school and so much more. Transitioning to college has all the feelings. In a few short weeks, recent high school graduates will transition to college as freshmen. As the anticipation mounts, how can a believer in Christ make this transition into college well? How can a student transition from high school to college and make informed decisions from the Bible? 

The book of Proverbs is helpful in any stage of life but is particularly helpful for the heart and mind of a young adult. There are so many truth nuggets that can be found in this book of wisdom.   

• There is more to our life than it being OUR life. 
• Righteousness is the best security; be satisfied by God. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.
• Doing good will always last. Make time for what lasts. 
• Be teachable. The best opinions are marinated in wisdom.  
• Do not let looks steal your heart. Let a person’s speech guide your perception of them.  
• Speak affirmations of truth to others. Do not let your speech be filled full of jokes and sarcasm. 
• Having a critical mind is a great thing. Having a critical soul can be detrimental. 
• Be discerning with what you say and how you say it. College is a great time to gain knowledge.
• Enjoy your study. Learn a lot about others. 
• Have life altering encounters with God.  
• Wealth can be seen in many different ways. Learn how to build the kind of wealth that would honor God. Choose to invest in God and build a life on Jesus.  
• Plan your calendar with the disciplines of God going first and fill in the rest of the ‘To-Do’s’ around Godly commitments. 
• Do not let hatred stay long enough that your life is dictated by it. 
• Be wise with social media.  
• Let God guide you to your major.
• Insecurity can lead to an inimical life. Be secure in Christ. 
• Be as diligent as you can in all the ways that you should be. Cultivate your growth in God and plant deeply where he shows you. Beware of shorts-cut or instant gratification.  
• Think of sharing Christ as planting a seed with what you say. You will not have fruit overnight, but fruit comes when we plant seeds.  

Walt Henrichsen, author of the classic Disciples Are Made Not Born, made this shocking statement: “If you are at college for any other reason than to be on mission for Jesus Christ, you are there for selfish, sinful reasons.” 

That is a bold statement. Did Walt, a former pastor and Navigator go too far in his challenge to students, or has he found an open nerve that desperately needed to be uncovered and dealt with?  

Adam believes, “God’s definition for college is a four-year (or more) window in a person’s life when God has maximum opportunity to build a foundation into a life lived for him.