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Christian College farther away vs. Secular


Catiejoy
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We live approx. thirty miles from Lafayette where Purdue is - we have always talked since homeschooling of not doing dorm life and having him commute- option one

In Northern Indiana, there is a Christian college that has an ROTC agreement with Notre Dame ( and a five year program - Math/Pysics)

Concern one- the professor told my ds that it takes awhile for homeschooler to acclimate to taking tests, etc. . . . For some reason I began to question is his presupposing homeschoolers- will this school teach so differently from me ( by the way I give tests) - that my son will have difficulty learning

Concern two- we pulled my son from private school three years ago and he is basically "unsocialized" - he does not do activities outside of our home for the most part except youth group, small group - would the Christina college be a better choice since he will be forced to interact with others

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Wow that's a toughie. I'm a big believer in letting the student have a decent say in where they want to go and what they want to do as long as it's financially affordable. Does he feel like more of a fit at either place? I'm assuming he's already been accepted to both - or are you just starting to look for applications next year?

 

Forcing an option on a student - either option - often doesn't work out well. If he doesn't have an opinion either way - which school will provide the better education in your thoughts?

 

My boys have always been raised knowing they are going to college - as in, going away from home, and they look forward to it. I think it's a good step toward being an adult and independent living (assuming one finds the right fit, of course). However, if I had a student that really didn't feel comfortable with it, I don't know that my resolve would force it upon them assuming that good would come of it.

 

Lots of rambling and probably not much of an answer in it all - other than, does he care one way or another? If so, I'd lean that direction. At either place you are likely to have both pro and con homeschooling issues/people. That's life in the world around us.

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I agree with Creekland's post entirely.

 

A couple of other points....

 

~ Do you know for a FACT that Purdue will allow your son to commute? If not, CHECK. Many colleges are now REQUIRING *all* freshman to live on campus, even if you live close enough to ride your bike. (I have a friend in this *exact* scenario at another school)

 

~ Socialization can be an issue in a CC too. All kinds of kids go to CC for all kinds of reasons.

 

~ Can he handle being *away* from home for weeks at a time? I'm not familiar enough with Indiana to know if this will be necessary, but my dd will be only a 3.5 hour drive from home and she KNOWS she won't be coming home every weekend. So...even if he's in a SMALLER school and a CHRISTIAN school, if he DOESN'T plug in, will he be okay? Because otherwise, being a commuter on a large campus is VERY different to being a *resident* on a large campus. He's basically coming and going from class and the *center of his world* is STILL his home and his church. It will be otherwise if he's away.

 

Okay, now, just my personal *mom* thoughts...feel free to ignore. YOU know your son. Is he unsocialized because he hasn't had opportunities to be? Is he a pretty happy, strong kid? Or he is pretty quiet and withdrawn and wouldn't step out of his box even if he had the *chance*? How did he do in PCC? How does he do with the kids in the youth group? If he's a TOTAL LONER...well, I might have a red flag. But if he can find one or two people he clicks with pretty much anywhere he goes, he'll probably be fine either way. If the CC is a good fit and I could afford it financially, I might be tempted to give him a little nudge to GO...it might do him good kwim? If he stays home, he doesn't *have* to get out of his comfort zone. (And, maybe I've gotten the wrong impression of the situation, forgive me if I have!!)

 

~ Have you visited the CC? He may not like it at all, or he may be like my dd who within 30 min. of being there *knew* it was *her place*. :)

 

No answers...just things to think about...and prayers for wisdom for you all.

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According to Purdue's website in the housing FAQ's section:

 

"Do I have to live in the University Residences"

-"No one is required to live in Univ. housing at any time."

 

The commute (30 miles), does seem a bit far. If he had a club he wanted to join, he would have to drive back to campus (or just hang out until later). If he needed to use the library, he'd have to drive back to campus again. You and I both know how the winters are in Indiana. Is he very comfortable in driving in ice and snow? How early will he have to leave your house in the morning to get there on a normal day or on a day where the weather is bad? How much commuter parking does Purdue have-how easy will it be to find a spot to park in near his classes? How much is a parking pass? It seems like driving to and from campus would add stress to his college experience. If he isn't able to get all of his courses scheduled in a row, he could have lots of deadtime waiting around campus.

 

What exactly does your son want to study in college? That could help you and your son make the choice for which school to attend. If it is a program that the school is known for, go to that location.

 

As for the interaction with others, I have several friends that go to Purdue and they have lots of clubs and activities your son can join. I also know that they try to put students with similar majors in the same dormitory complex so that they can get to know their fellow students. If your son commutes, he will miss out on that, but I've known several commuters that have done just fine.

 

 

As for what the prof said about homeschoolers (I can't tell from your post if he is from Purdue or from the CC), don't worry about it. As long as your kid has taken a few tests in his life, he should be just fine. As for teaching style: Every professor I have had has taught differently. Some read through the powerpoints they created. Some lecture on the chalkboard, some have group discussion, some don't really teach much and expect us to figure it out from the book. If your son is good at adapting to situations, he should be fine.

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We live approx. thirty miles from Lafayette where Purdue is - we have always talked since homeschooling of not doing dorm life and having him commute- option one

In Northern Indiana, there is a Christian college that has an ROTC agreement with Notre Dame ( and a five year program - Math/Pysics)

Concern one- the professor told my ds that it takes awhile for homeschooler to acclimate to taking tests, etc. . . . For some reason I began to question is his presupposing homeschoolers- will this school teach so differently from me ( by the way I give tests) - that my son will have difficulty learning

Concern two- we pulled my son from private school three years ago and he is basically "unsocialized" - he does not do activities outside of our home for the most part except youth group, small group - would the Christina college be a better choice since he will be forced to interact with others

 

Your title and your question are two different things. Which are you asking?

 

Are you concerned about him going to a Christian college vs a Secular one, or are you concerned about him commuting vs staying at home?

 

 

a

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Guest Virginia Dawn

From experience:

 

Christian colleges don't necessarily mean your child will have less "worldly" influences, or opportunities.

 

If your child is a willing and ambitious learner, that probably will not change, and he will have no problem, even with tests. If your child prefers to get away with as little work as possible and/or does not like to ask questions to solve problems, that also probably will not change, and he might be better off close to home until he learns to be more independant.

 

I've parented both types. What I'm saying is: you know your child better than any professor.

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