Preparing for University — things to discuss with your young people
So the moment has arrived when you must release your carefully nurtured young people out into the wilds of university life… How can you help them get the best from their student experience?
For many, coming to university is a time when their faith flourishes — but equally for others it’s a time when they can disengage. The most important thing that new students can do is link up with other Christians — both in their uni and in a local church. Connecting with the Christian Union or other Christian groups is a great start, and they don’t even have to wait till they arrive — almost all student Christian organisations will have a Facebook page or group where they can start to make new friends before they even get to uni.
They can also get started in advance looking for a local church to join — many student-friendly churches register with Fusion’s Student Link Up (https://www.fusionmovement.org/studentlinkup), so a quick search could suggest some likely places. Fusion also have some great resources (https://www.fusionmovement.org/resources) that you might find helpful.
And do encourage them to make contact with the chaplaincy — well, I would say that, wouldn’t I?! Here at Keele the chaplaincy team work pretty closely with the student Christian groups — but that isn’t always the case. There’s rarely any animosity, it’s more that chaplaincy is sometimes simply not on their radar. But seeking out the chaplains is a good way to get connected in and find support — particularly (but by no means exclusively) if CU is not quite their scene. And we usually offer free tea!
Most Christian Unions tend to be at the Evangelical end of the spectrum, and affiliate to UCCF (https://www.uccf.org.uk/) — if your young people are not coming from that perspective there may be a Student Christian Movement (http://www.movement.org.uk/) group they can join — there are very few Anglican Societies these days but Anglo-Catholic students may find more kindred spirits in the Catholic society.
Make sure your young people know that there’s always someone who can help, and how to find it: if they are a bit anxious about student life, in addition to the chaplains you can point them towards their uni’s Student Support department. They offer help with anything from studies, housing or finance, to problems such as bullying or harassment. Students with disabilities, for example if they are dyslexic or on the autistic spectrum, or those with mental health issues, can particularly benefit — and it’s surprising how often they don’t know how much help is available.
Last but by no means least — if you haven’t already, do think about how your church can keep supporting the students who are studying away from your church. They may find it strange to come back to church in vacations and realise they’re now no longer part of the youth group which used to be the main place they belonged. So consider what you might do to help them still feel connected and valued — perhaps have a commissioning service sending them out when they leave, and make sure you include them when they’re back.
Most of all, encourage them to relax, be themselves, and dive right in — they’ll shine!
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Revd. Stephanie Couvela is a Chaplain at Keele University and has been an ordained minister since the last century. She’s previously worked as chaplain to a retreat and conference centre as well as in churches in leafy Surrey and a slightly dodgy bit of North London, and dimly remembers a life before that working in radio and TV. She loves Jesus, her guitar and binge watching Netflix — usually in that order.
Photo by Faustin Tuyambaze on Unsplash
