Customer Reviews

Game Plan: Practical Wisdom for the College Experience

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The college years are not only the most formative time in many young people's lives, but much of what is shaping the worldview of all Americans is coming from our colleges and universities. A book like this is definitely necessary to prepare students for all that they will face in college. Choices, freedom, and limited accountability call for a high level of discernment that must be developed. College is often the place where faith either matures or weakens. For those who want to get the most out of their college years (or who are encouraging others heading into that time), this is a book worth reading!

During 2 decades of serving as a youth pastor in churches and in Young Life, I was always searching for resources that could help prepare college-bound kids who made commitments to the faith during the bubble of their high school years, commitments that would soon be challenged as they gained autonomy. Gibson and Thomas have crafted just such a tool, one that honestly addresses the key issues faced by new students, using language and imagery that is lively and relevant. I am going to use Game Plan as a basis for discussions with my oldest son as he prepares to head to college in a couple of years.

As a professional in the field of Student Development, I found that this book adequately addressed the questions and dilemmas that first-year and veteran students are facing when engaging the secular mindset of academia. This book is currently being considered for use in our introduction to college (freshman seminar) course.

As a youth pastor, it can be a challenge to see the young men and young ladies you invested so much time into step out into a new realm filled with so many opportunities for their Christian faith to grow, but yet so many possible hindrances to that growth. When I first received a copy of the Gameplan book, I wasn't exactly sure what to think only because I thought, how much could just one book really help prepare students for their college years. Well, after reading the book Gameplan, I was thoroughly impressed by the practical content it offers combined with the relevant messages of hope to not only make it through the college experiences students may encounter, but to see their faith in Christ go to a whole new level during these years. I also really enjoyed the style of writing Nic & Syler used to draw the reader in with many personal examples from their college years and helpful insight that any Christian could glean from, not just those going to college. After I read this book, I passed it on to a college junior who was battling many of the things written about in this book. He appreciated the book and shared the following with me: "Thank you for lending me this book! It helped me think through some things that I am going throught right now and it will definitely help kids who are about to go to collge as well. The headings they used made the book really easy to follow and quick to read. I kept finding myself agreeing with what they were saying out loud!" I would definitely recommend this book to any person going into college and I am personally giving this book to all my high school seniors before they enter into these years!

This is a unique book that addresses a monumental transition. The authors wrote this book for particular students that they cared deeply for, and it comes out in the text. They are passionate, pastoral and entertaining but also provide substitutive insights.

The authors alternate chapters so the book takes on an almost conversational tone. Far more than a simple, tired, how-to missive on how to `escape' college unscathed, the authors build a thorough but accessible practical theology of life and engaging the world. They seem too theological to be youth pastors but too practical to be theologians.

Gameplan includes the following chapters:

1. Surviving a Secular School
2. Interacting with the Opposite Sex
3. What is a Christian?
4. Dealing with Doubt
5. Interacting with Scripture
6. Interacting with the World
7. Editing Your Life (a very good chapter on time management)
8. Finding a Church Home
9. Your Faith and Your Major
10. Facing Temptation
11. Facing Pluralism and Relativism
12. Surviving a Christian School
13. Finding Balance
14. Finding the Will of God
15. Evangilism: Who are We
16. What you Should Know About Marriage

Most of the chapters are very good. The high points come back to back with chapter 11 taking the form of an homage to Lewis' Screwtape letters (updated for the e-mail generation) and a very good discussion of pluralism in chapter 12.

So if you are wondering what to get the graduating high school students in your life, consider passing over the Seuss and giving them a tool that will help them form a gameplan.

Upon readin gthis book, I ordered 10 directly form the auhtors and began to give them out to parents and students getting ready to enter the secular college. What a book! Must reading!