10 Resources I Wish I Had Before Starting College
In the next month or two, girls from all over the country will embark into new and unfamiliar territory: college. They have packed their favorite clothes, a brand new comforter, and the cutest little succulents you’ve ever seen. They’re ready for their new school and social life, but are they prepared for their spiritual life? Looking back, I wish I could’ve done 10,000 things different when it came to my walk with the Lord during my college years. However, I am very grateful for the men and women who poured into me, who studied Scripture alongside me, and pointed me to resources that equipped my spiritual journey.
Since I’ve entered into the publishing world, I have been blown away by the incredible resources that are available for your girls. I wanted to show you TEN resources that I wish I had in college. Some of these I have read and used personally, while the others come highly recommended. Take some time this weekend to go through this list with your girls and help them pick out a few resources they’d like to take with them!
1. A Different College Experience by Ben Trueblood and Brian Mills
For many, the college experience is defined by drinking, sex, impulsive decision-making, and a journey of self discovery. It’s packaged as a consequence-free zone to have the “best time of your life.” But the reality is that what happens in college doesn’t stay in college. There are real, lasting consequences to your decisions. You don’t have to have that kind of college experience. Fortunately, just as the gospel redeems all of life, the gospel redeems the college experience. It tells us there is another way. In this book, Ben Trueblood and Brian Mills provide a biblical and practical guide for how you can have a fun, joy-filled, and spiritually enriching college experience while avoiding the pitfalls that have captured so many before you.
2. CSB Study Bible for Women
Everybody should own a study Bible! You don’t have to use this particular study Bible, but this is a GREAT one for women who are looking to grow deeper through Scripture. Also, they come in SO many cute colors and patterns.As the most comprehensive study Bible ever prepared for women and by women, the CSB Study Bible for Women invites you to explore the riches of God’s Word. Follow God’s grand story across this Bible for women, guided by threads of specialized study that explain essential doctrines, answer hard questions, discuss biblical womanhood, and apply truth to our hearts and lives.
3. Defined by Priscilla Shirer
Every college girl will make a decision about who they are and who they want to be. I can’t recommend this resource enough for your girls! From the teaching videos to the personal study days, it is packed with truth from Scripture.
Join Priscilla for eight weeks and begin to understand what it means to be created in God’s image and recreated in Christ’s image as His masterpiece. You’ll spend your whole life either trying to be and become something you were never meant to be, or discovering who you are in Him and living up to that standard by the power of His Spirit within you.
4. Matchless by Angie Smith
If you’ve never heard Angie teach, you’re missing out. Looking for a Bible study to do on your own or with some friends? This is a great place to start! You can either choose the Teen Girls or the Women’s version based on your personal preference.Join Seamless author Angie Smith in this 8-session search for truth as she unfolds the story of our matchless Savior—His mission, miracles, and message. Whether you’ve walked with Him for years or are meeting Him for the first time, this study will deepen your understanding of Jesus through biblical, historical, and cultural insight and help you see Him less as an iconic figure and more as an intimate friend.
5. Foundations Bible Reading Plan and Devotional by Robbie & Kandi Gallaty
This is a game-changer for those who want a devotional and simple Bible reading plan! I LOVE IT.
Foundations is a 260-day Bible reading plan that helps you read the entire Bible or New Testament in a year. Just a chapter a day, five days a week. And the HEAR journaling method will help you read the Bible in a way that can change your life. No longer will you focus on checking off boxes on your daily reading schedule; instead, you’ll be reading in order to understand and respond to God’s Word.
6. Open Your Bible by She Reads Truth Bible Study Book
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I picked this up right when it came out and it transformed the way I approached and looked at God’s Word!Whether you already open your Bible every day, have never read it before, or struggle to keep up with studying Scripture, Open Your Bible, a 7-session study from the women behind She Reads Truth, will leave you with a greater appreciation for the Word of God, a deeper understanding of its authority, and a stronger desire to truly know the Bible inside and out. You will learn practical ways to read, study, and apply Scripture with confidence. Using Scripture itself, powerful storytelling, and real-life examples, Open Your Bible will quench a thirst you might not even know you have—one that can only be satisfied by God’s Word.
7. He Numbered the Pores on My Face by Scarlet Hiltibidal
This book should be on every girl’s packing list. Just saying. He Numbered the Pores on My Face is for teens who long for beauty, love, and rest. Any labels you long for today might as well be “looks good in butterfly clips” if you are not rooted in who Jesus says you are, because any self-centered identity is going to leave you in the same place: unfulfilled and unhappy. Girls will relate to Scarlet’s stories as she discusses hottie lists, eating disorders, and haphazard beauty in a way that is both humorous and thought provoking. Through it all, she describes how she found peace by learning to see life not through a mirror but through a Savior who shapes who we were, who we are, and who we will be.
8. Afraid of All The Things by Scarlet Hiltibidal
Can you tell we love Scarlet? As a naturally anxious person, I give this book a 10/10 for the girls who wrestle with anxiety and fear. Life changed for Scarlet when she learned to hold the gospel up to her fears. She realized that though she can’t fix herself or protect herself, Jesus walked into this broken, sad, scary place to rescue, love, and cast out her—and your—fear. Seeing life in light of the cross will help you avoid fear, overcome fear when you can’t avoid it, and live beyond fear when you don’t overcome it. You don’t have to be afraid of all the things.
9. Journal
Can you ever have enough journals in college? I think not. And Lifeway has some of the cutest and easiest to use. Take some time to find one that is just right for your girl.
10. Journaling Pen Set
I love that this pen set was made specifically for Bible journaling and note-taking! Your girls may have their own favorite set of pens and highlighters! If not, check out this fun set!
If you are still looking for more ideas, feel free to reach out to me at girls.ministry@lifeway.com. Please know I am praying for you and your girls as they begin one of the most exciting chapters of their lives!
Amanda Mejias serves as the Lifeway Girls Brand Specialist, which is just a super fun way of saying that she serves parents and leaders of teen girls. After serving on church staff for many years, she is passionate about building relationships and creating resources that equip the local church. Amanda has been married to her wonderful husband, Brandon, for almost five years, and they have a daughter named Blakely. When she is not chasing her toddler around, Amanda is always down to hear a good joke, meet for coffee, and talk about her golden retriever.