A dear friend of mine graduated from high school last year. As part of her graduation, I wrote this letter, and I had it on my mind to share it with other graduates. Future Ticia 2026 who is rescheduling this post has since shared variations on this with several kids. I think this is going in my Homeschool How To as a final thing, send them out into the world.
Y’all ready for a crazy thought? My daughter graduates in less than a month from college, so reading this as I think about that is a super weird thought. Super weird.
Dear Graduate,
I’ve been thinking about what to write to you as you head off to college.
I have watched you grow from a young, excitable, immature girl into a beautiful young woman of God. I can’t wait to see what God does in and through you.
As you head off to college, here’s my advice to you.
Find a good church
Look for a church that challenges you to dig deeper into the Word. Disagree with the pastor sometimes, but be able to defend why.
Get involved. As you’ve already learned, you will never grow so close to God as when you are serving Him. He will challenge you in all new ways, and you will find new depths to your faith.
Find great friends
Just as with your church, find friends who love you too much to leave you where you are.
Find friends who go to a different church. Make good friends with a Catholic, or a Baptist. Ask them why they believe that, go to their church. Invite them to yours, talk about how they’re different.
Stay up until 2 AM discussing missions in Africa and the situation in Iraq.
Read great books
Haunt the library for hours, find out what others read and try those books.
Read classics. Don’t be guilty of chronological snobbery. Amazing books were written hundreds of years ago and they are being written today.
But remember: Read many great books, but LIVE IN ONE!
Figure out who you are and who you want to be
Part of college is figuring out who you will be, and that may change from right now to when you graduate. It will change after you graduate, but knowing this will help keep your core.
Figure out who you want to marry
Not the actual person (though that may happen), but what type of person.
What character traits do you want? Make friends with boys and look at the traits they have. Are they involved at church or do they treat it like a social club?
What personality do you want in your husband? Serious? Take charge of laid back? Always ready to laugh?
What interest should he have? A reader? A sports fanatic or movie fan? Ideally, you share interests with your husband, but you need to think about what if you don’t.
I am so excited for the journey you’re starting on. Enjoy every minute of it.
originally scheduled May 29, 2015
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