God's Way or No Way

by Amanda Suryan

How to stand strong in a sea of academic humanism.

"So what are you going to do when you graduate?" This question is one I heard repeatedly while in high school, and I typically answered with, "I don’t know." The truth was I never thought about it much because I was scared. I had been homeschooled since fifth grade and had never attended public school. The thought of going away to college far from home, getting a degree, and finding a career did not exactly appeal to me. I liked living at home and enjoyed helping around the house, baking, and running errands with my mom and sisters. Did I really have to leave all that just because modern society expected it of me? I was unsure if the Bible actually spoke to this issue of what to do about college. Eventually, over several years, God helped me find the answer to this question.

Face to Face with My Worldview

When I was sixteen, I attended a Christian worldview conference. During that life-changing week, God used one of the speakers in particular, Doug Phillips, to teach me many things. First was that a majority of Christians today think like humanists without even knowing it, and at the time, I realized that included me. Another lesson I learned was how to apply the Bible to every area of life, and yet another was that as a daughter under my father’s authority, I had a specific role to fulfill outlined for me in the Scriptures. At the time, these were new concepts to me. I had become a Christian when I was young, but still felt somewhat uncertain about the exact system of doctrine that the Bible taught. Now I soaked up this knowledge because I knew it was true. After that week, I went home and started studying–books, articles, and the Bible–to strengthen my faith. As time went on though, I still had to make a decision about college. I had not yet figured out what God wanted me to do.

College Crossroads

During my senior year, I was accepted to three private schools, all far away. As my graduation date crept closer, and after listening to my mom, I finally decided to enroll at a local community college so I could live at home. It was during my first year there that I learned the horrors of public schools. With my biblical worldview and doctrine intact, I was appalled at my new teachers’ and classmates’ beliefs and actions. Christianity was bashed while Marxist and liberal views were proclaimed and worshiped. Sadly, I suffered through two years at that school to earn an AA degree. At that time, I knew of no other way.

Good Books and a Flash of Revelation

I still wanted to receive a BA in English, so next I transferred to a local university. After two quarters there, I reached my limit of secular teaching. Around that time, I was blessed to be able to read Accelerated Distance Learning by Brad Voeller, So Much More by Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin, and College without Compromise by Scott and Kris Wightman. Through those books, I learned how God wanted me to live and exactly what He wanted me to do about college. I came to understand that as a girl, I needed to spend more time learning how to be a keeper-at-home. Attending classes at college five days a week hindered my ability to be a help to my family and fulfill my duties as a daughter and sister. Yet I did not want to abandon my education. When I discovered an alternative to college for earning a degree in a way that would be pleasing to God, I was thrilled.

CollegePlus! Is the Best Option

I enrolled with CollegePlus! in February 2006 and finished my degree in June 2007. I could not have been more happy with my experience. My coach helped me set up a study schedule that worked for me so that I had time for studying at an accelerated pace and time for spending with my family each day. My heart felt such a sense of peace because I knew that it was God's will for me. It has been a long journey, and if there is one thing I am thankful for, it is the Lord's patience with me. My hope is that others can learn from my story and not make the same mistakes. Public school is not the only answer to the question of what to do about college. There are other, God-honoring ways to earn a degree, like enrolling with CollegePlus! My only wish is that I learned about it sooner. God has truly blessed me for doing things His way, and my prayer is that He will continue to use this program for His glory.

Amanda Suryan currently resides in California.

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