Guide to Going to a Secular College From a College Student, Part 1

There are a lot of college guides online for the Catholic parent and prospective student. Yes, this is another one, though I'll be providing very different advice for picking a school for your child. One difference is that I'm an actual university student and have been one for several years. The perspective I'll offer is not one from the faculty of a university but from the perspective of a student who's trying to navigate the minefield of a secular university in a very, very secular city. I'll do this in several parts, with plans to address basic things to look for at a university, as well as what the duties of the parents are in this process.

In choosing or helping your child choose a college, perhaps the most important criteria is the culture of the college itself. The prevailing religion at the vast majority of universities (both secular and Catholic) is one of fervent hedonism. A culture of moral relativism, sexual license, and intolerance of traditional values wrapped in the guise of tolerance are among the ruling values at nearly any university in the US today. As an example, my university touts itself as offering a 'progressive liberal arts education,' which should be a red flag on several fronts for any parent trying to get a quality education for the $40,000 they'll spend over 5 years (or debt they'll accumulate). My university, which will remain unnamed for now, promotes moral relativism, sexual license, and intolerance of traditional values in the classroom as part of the regular educational experience.

Here's one such example. A friend I met through our Newman Center, Cirra, had anti-Christian propaganda taught as formal doctrine in the classroom. She had this experience in three courses she had during college, one in her Freshman year called 'Work of Art,' which used different mediums of art to build discussion. Some topics were pop culture, social justice, sustainability, and of course, politics. “The very first week of that class was spent discussing the use of art to “shock,” and specifically asked the question “can art still shock?” what with the in-your-face and over-the-top movies, commercials, radio songs and advertising we’re all exposed to on a daily basis. Had we seen it all? Have we become desensitized even to the most offensive and sexual imagery?” Cue the anti-Christian shock message. “One of the first art pieces that our professor had us discuss was a photograph titled “P*** Christ” by Andres Serrano which depicts a plastic crucifix submerged in Serrano’s own urine. As a young Catholic and recent convert, the picture did shock me. But what shocked me more and made it hard to move on was the conversation about the piece that followed in my class. It was very anti-Christian and many students mocked Christianity while my professor sat back and not only allowed this hateful speech but also encouraged it. I walked out of the class early shaking and in angry tears. I couldn’t believe what had just taken place and I was seriously considering transferring out of PSU or just dropping college altogether if this is what I had to look forward to.”

This is fairly typical of the attitudes of students and faculty at many secular universities. One estimate that the missionaries at our Newman Center cite is that there is an 80% chance that your child will lose their faith within the first year of beginning university studies. The culprit is the culture, which is intolerant to the Church. Obviously this isn't that surprising, as Our Lord warned us that the world would hate us for following him. As parents or prospective students you need to do the research on the culture at any college before attending. Look for colleges that foster actual diversity of thought or are firmly rooted in Christian values.