My daughter is a junior in high school, so we have recently begun the process of choosing a college. She has made a few visits already, and there are others planned.

There are many people who have “been there and done that,” and they are very helpful to her as she determines the ins and outs of planning and preparing for college. But there is a deafening silence when it comes to personal directional advice on just how she is to maneuver young adult life and decision-making once there.

Much like there is an inordinate amount of planning for a wedding but little planning for a marriage, I am finding that there is an inordinate amount of planning to go to college, but little planning for how to be a college student.

That is why I am excited to share with you a resource she and a few of her friends are utilizing in a small-group setting — College Ready. This resource was introduced just a few months ago, and it invites college-bound students to listen, discuss, and formulate a plan around the following areas:

  • Creating a vision for college
  • Empowering friendships
  • Excelling academically
  • Dating right
  • Having fun
  • Growing spiritually

There are six 30-minute teaching sessions on DVD, a leader’s guide, and student guides that allow the sessions to be effortlessly facilitated in a way that encourages discussion and vision casting. My daughter just went to her first College Ready small-group session over the weekend and said she was really challenged by the idea of thinking and planning out the best possible future for herself.

If you have or know of someone who has a soon-to-be college student, this might be the perfect graduation gift … maybe you could even open your home for a group of students and facilitate a group. What better way to invest in the lives of young people than to equip them with a vision and a plan for a successful college career!

If you want to learn more about College Ready, I invite you to visit their website at www.collegeready.com. If you are interested in sharing with others about College Ready on your own blog, then send an email to momlifetoday@familylife.com, put my name in the note, and I may have a special something for you to help get you started!