Make College Count: A Faithful Guide to Life and Learning

by Derek Melleby

There's more to college than classes, credits, and a nonstop social life. It's more than getting a degree to improve one's job prospects. College is a time where students develop into the adults they will be for the rest of their lives, a time to explore the big questions about life and human destiny, a time when they form their character and faith.
The perfect gift for high school graduation, "Make College Count" helps students make the most of their time in college. It encourages young people to ask important questions of themselves, such as Why are you going to college?
What kind of person do you want to be?
How do you want your life to influence others?
With whom will you surround yourself?
What do you believe?
and more

Genres: College, Nonfiction

120 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Derek Melleby is the director of the College Transition Initiative for the Center of Parent/Youth Understanding and an associate staff member of the Coalition for Christian Outreach.

Reviews

[Kenzie Stinnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book for anyone about to go to college!!

[Micaiah Keitel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Gives you a lot to think about college and faith. Will definitely re-read after my senior year! 🙂

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I work with college students, books like this one catch my eye. This book is geared towards students who are going to college, or who are already there. It is quite short, around 100 pages, which means if you give it to a student as a graduation gift, they might actually read it! Each chapter focuses on a question: what kind of person do you want to become? Why are you going to college? What do you believe? Who are you? With whom will you surround yourself? The end of each chapter has a few questions for discussion and there are a few books suggested at the end for further reading. If you know a Christian who is going to college or is in college, this would be a great book to give them.

[Danielle Ma]

quite sure this was the book mr kwon gave me after the grad ceremony. think I read it a month later but i'll just sum it up by saying it's rather um, simplistic reading. but I appreciate the thought! his letter to me was undeniably hilarious though... to think he bet I'd be late for my own graduation!

[Leslie Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been conducting college application workshops for 8 years. Many of my colleagues have recommended this book and I finally picked up a copy. It’s short, compact and to the point! A perfect read for a soon to be college student.

[Erik Bonkovsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic and balanced

[Kyle McManamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fine book to hand to a graduating high school senior to prep for college. It's short (perhaps too short for him/her to think it has much to say), but gets at some good, core content for the upcoming tour of undergraduate academia. Practitioners in college ministry (as I am) could peruse it to possibly recommend it to others, but they should read different things if looking for help in ministry.

[Jacquelyn Core · Rating 2 out of 5]

The underlying questions in the book are good ones, but in my opinion it is not the best book for students who are selecting a Christian College. Makes assumptions that Greek life, alcohol, and professors hostile to Christian faith will be on your campus. I think the book also subtly polarizes financial success and living for God.

[Reid Mccormick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going to college has become rite of passage in the United States; it is now the understood next step in education. The question is now “Which college are you going to?” and not “Do you want to go to college?”

It is very exciting to be in a society that highly values higher education, but are we valuing higher education for the right reasons? Is it about the development and learning? Or is it simply about getting a degree that will “guarantee” you a higher-paying, more stable career?

These are the questions Derek Melleby asks in his brief book. Each quick chapter proposes a life-defining question:

What kind of person do you want to become? Why are you going to college? What do you believe? Who are you? With whom will you surround yourself? How will you choose a major? How do you want your life to influence others?

Getting a college degree will bring you value in the job market? But more importantly, getting a college degree will give you an education and develop you into the human being God wants you to be.

A quote from Tom Brokaw, which is cited in the book, sums it all up perfectly. “You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as a ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of is as your ticket to change the world.”

This is an easy and simple read that I think any college student or soon to be college student would appreciate. My only wish is that the book was a tad bit longer and more in depth, but that’s probably because I’m a higher education professional and not a student.