Book Recommendation: “Thriving at College” by Alex Chediak

Thriving at College a new book from Alex Chediak and Tyndale House Publishers is sure to garner a lot of attention in the next few months. It comes chuck full of glowing recommendations and looks to be an incredibly helpful resource for those getting ready to go to college this Fall. With graduations around the corner, Westminster Bookstore has a special discount on this title now through Tuesday, April 12. You’ll want to check it out and perhaps pick up a copy (now for only $7.50 for the first copy, and $9.00 for additional copies).

Here is the book description and some of the recommendations it has earned.

Book Description:
Going to college can be exciting, anxiety inducing, and expensive! You want your child to get the most out of their college experience””what advice do you give? Thriving at College by Alex Chediak is the perfect gift for a college student or a soon-to-be college student.

Filled with wisdom and practical advice from a seasoned college professor and student mentor, Thriving at College covers the ten most common mistakes that college students make””and how to avoid them! Alex leaves no stone unturned””he discusses everything from choosing a major and discerning one’s vocation to balancing academics and fun, from cultivating relationships with peers and professors to helping students figure out what to do with their summers.

Most importantly, this book will help students not only keep their faith but build a vibrant faith and become the person God created them to be.

Praise for Thriving at College
“Most Christian young people go to college without specific goals and are unprepared for the challenges that await them. While some prosper spiritually, most get derailed, and an alarming number abandon their faith. Alex has written an insightful and useful book to help college-bound people know what to expect, how to prepare for it, and what to do to avoid the pitfalls.” ~ Randy Alcorn, best-selling author of Heaven and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministries

“Written by an ‘insider’–a former student, now a professor–this book addresses all the issues a student might face. It will be an excellent gift for all high school seniors.” ~ Jerry Bridges, best-selling author of The Pursuit of Holiness

“College represents one of the most strategic transitional moments in the lives of most young Christians. In this book, Alex provides good wisdom and sound, practical advice to young Christians seeking to navigate the world of higher education while simultaneously maturing into faithful Christians.” ~ R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“When Alex talks about thriving at college, he speaks from experience. He has spent a lot of time on campus: from undergrad to professor. Put all of that together, along with a wide knowledge of Scripture, and you have the ideal author of a really helpful book.” ~ Michael Horton, professor at Westminster Seminary California, author and co-host of The White Horse Inn radio show

“All the things I speak to college students about are here: maintaining your faith, developing nurturing friendships, having wisdom in relationships, becoming mature, finding balance, growing in spiritual maturity, seizing opportunities. A must-read for kids headed to college and those already there.” ~ Tedd Tripp, best-selling author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart

About Alex Chediak:
Alex Chediak is an author, speaker, and an associate professor of engineering and physics at California Baptist University. Alex has been involved in campus ministries and mentoring students for many years. He has published numerous articles in Boundless, an online magazine for young adult Christians, and he is the author of 5 Paths to the Love of Your Life and With One Voice. Alex has an MS and PhD in engineering from University of California–Berkeley. Originally from the Chicago area, Alex and his wife, Marni, and their three children now reside in Riverside, California. He maintains a blog at www.alexchediak.com.

I know Alex personally, and am positive this book will make an impact on a lot of Christian college students. I’ve reviewed his book With One Voice: Singleness, Dating & Marriage to the Glory of God which is one of the best resources on that topic I’ve ever read. You won’t be disappointed by Thriving at College.

Additional Extras:
Click here for a 50 page excerpt/sample from the book. Also, at this link, you can see Alex discussing the book in a short video interview.

Breaking News: The Bethlehem Institute to Become a College and Seminary

This is a surprising but encouraging development. For 10 years now, Bethlehem Baptist Church (pastored by John Piper) has offered one of the finest church-based Bible institutes around. The Bethlehem Institute teaches a variety of courses designed for everyone from the average Joe (or Jane) in the church pew to the pre-seminary young person preparing for full time ministry. They have had a wonderful apprenticeship program with intensive classes which is accepted as 1 or more years of seminary credits at several leading theological seminaries.

Recently, the institute partnered with Northwestern College to offer a freshman year of college at a discounted price, taught at Bethlehem Baptist by our TBI instructors. Now, however, God has blessed us significantly, to allow the institute to become a College and Seminary. The Desiring God blog recently highlighted the freshman year of college program and also mentioned the news of a 4 year program plus a seminary just yesterday, so this is still breaking news.

Last night the announcement was made that in next week’s Wednesday church service, Pastor John will explain the vision for the new College and Seminary. I’m really excited about this, as I have a few TBI classes under my belt, and am currently taking 1st year Hebrew through the institute. The quality of education is superb, and the commitment to a conservative approach to the Bible, as well as the priority of the local church, is singular.

With this announcement, when the details are fully released, I’m sure that the doors will open for even more poeple to come and study here. I would encourage anyone who is checking out seminary options to pay close attention to this option.