Reading for Success in College

How can students prepare themselves for success in college & university English classes? Surprisingly, a study has found “virtual unanimity” among English professors at top US schools regarding the importance of studying the Bible. “The survey reveals that English professors surveyed at leading universities — including Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Stanford — agreed that “regardless of a person’s faith, an educated person needs to know about the Bible.”” (CollegeNews)

Although the study was released in 2006, its results are still relevant today. Ulrich Knoefplmacher, professor of ancient and modern literature at Princeton University, notes that  “Not to have a knowledge of the Bible is almost crippling in students’ ability to be sophisticated readers.”

The results of this survey align well with the results of the first survey conducted, which found that “98% of leading high school English teachers surveyed said that Bible knowledge gives a distinct academic advantage.” This isn’t particularly surprising, given that the Bible has traditionally been such a pervasive influence on world literature and culture. Having background knowledge in the Bible seems to give a distinct advantage to students in their studies in college and university.

Thankfully there are plenty of free resources available to help students (and others) become a little more biblically literate. One option is a resource on our own site, called “A Guided Tour: Reading through the Bible” which serves as an introduction to learning about the Bible.

Another option is to visit an ALPHA program in your area, which teaches some of the essentials about the Bible and the Christian faith. You can find a program nearby in the USA or in Canada, or visit the ALPHA website for other countries.

If you’d prefer to have a personal recommendation or have specific questions you can always contact us and we’ll try to point you in the right direction.

Tags: Bible, college, darren hewer, Men, reading, Students, study skills, success, university, Women, World

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