How do I stay strong when I go off to college in the fall?

As you know, when you arrive at college, no one will be there to choose your friends or tell you when to be home on Friday night. Therefore, it is an opportunity to greatly advance in purity or to fall away. The decision is in your hands. Therefore, have confidence. To help you stay strong, here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Find good friends. This is perhaps the best strategy to stay strong in college. People who live pure lives typically surround themselves with others who live the same lifestyle. You may think, "That's nice, but I don't think my campus will be teeming with abstinent students." While that may be true, it shouldn't stop you from finding friends who will help you become more fully yourself. You may have to do some searching. Get involved in activities and student organizations that will have like-minded students. Many campuses, such as Harvard and Princeton, have student-run chastity clubs you can join. If yours does not have one, do not be afraid to start it. Finding such friends is not always an easy task, but it is always worth the effort.

Finding good friends also means sometimes turning down the opportunity to hang out with those who will wear down your morals. When you arrive on campus, you will certainly receive invitations to attend parties during pledge week, where fraternities and sororities recruit members. Most of these gatherings are like high school parties, with the difference being that parents never break it up to send everyone home. As a result, it's not the best place to be if you're hoping to maintain your purity. You would be wise to skip such parties. Respectfully declining the opportunity to attend a certain party will not mean the end of your college social life. In fact, it may open the door to finding better friends.

If you have friends who waver between what kind of lifestyle they want to lead, come up with ideas of fun things you can do on weekends that won't involve them making harmful decisions. Keep them busy with good things, and they'll see what most college students realize in the silence of their hearts: hookups and hangovers aren't as much fun as advertised.

2. Stand up: Don't be afraid to stand up for your beliefs in the classroom and out of it. You will be tested in many new ways, but such trials can serve to strengthen you. You may need to learn how to intellectually defend your morals and your lifestyle as never before. Spend time browsing through the Q and A section of this site, to learn how to answer tough questions about purity.

3. Read good books: Bring good books to college. For starters, check out the resources in our store here.

4. Don't date right away: Resist the temptation to jump into a romantic relationship immediately. It's exciting to meet so many new faces when you get to college, but take some time to get settled in. Get to know others as friends long before you consider dating him or her.