#48: Various Types of Colleges and Universities: Which is Right For You?

This edition of the College Faith podcast welcomes Dr. Robbie Castleman, emeritus professor of Biblical Studies at John Brown University. She has studied, ministered to students, and taught at a number of very different types of schools. As a result, she is a helpful guide to understanding the similarities and differences between different types of colleges and universities.

In this podcast we discuss:

• The fundamental importance of considering who will be your professors
• The importance of the core curriculum in finding what you are most interested in majoring in
• When it might be best to transfer to another university to finish your degree
• Why you should look for schools that encourage professors to “push” you
• What to look for in professors beyond their understanding of the subject matter
• How to do research on professors to find the best ones
• Other very important but non-academic considerations when choosing a college
• Surprising insights into financial aid, including at private, faith-based institutions, and how to access these funds (illustrated by her personal success in financing almost all her education)
• Differences she noticed when attending a public university for her masters degree
• The benefits she sees of studying at an explicitly Christian school (her answer may surprise you–often the opposite of what we hear!)
• The unique challenges of various types of colleges and universities
• The necessity of finding good fellowship with other believers while a student
• How she dealt with isolation and loneliness at one college she attended

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Words of Wisdom from a Christian Professor at a Public University — Ken Elzinga on College Faith
• The Every Campus Coalition — a College Faith Interview
• How Christian Study Centers Minister to Students — a College Faith Interview
• How The Navigators Minister to Students — a College Faith Interview
• How CRU Minister to Students — a College Faith Interview
• How InterVarsity/USA Minister to Students — a College Faith Interview
• Robbie Castleman, True Love in a World of False Hope: Sex, Romance, & Real People
• Robbie Castleman, New Testament Essentials: Father, Son, Spirit and Kingdom
• (Various authors), Rest of Essentials book set
• Robbie Castleman, Interpreting the God-Breathed Word: How to Read and Study the Bible