How to Thrive at College: Finding Your Path at CSU

Preface

Introduction

Mission, Vision, and Core Values of

Charleston Southern University

The History of CSU 

CSU : Then and Now

Key Reflections: If our purpose is to glorify God by

showing who He is to those around us, it is imperative that

we understand clearly how God wants us to accomplish

that purpose. How does CSU’s mission of integrating faith

in learning, leading and serving demonstrate a desire to

serve God’s purpose for this university?

Chapter 1: Touching All the Bases

CSU Faith Integration (The Greatest

Comm andment)

Key Reflections: Successful students are involved,

interactive, resourceful, and reflective. How can these

same abilities apply to the way you demonstrate God’s

love when interacting with your professors? Your peers?

Which of the four characteristics of successful students

do you need to work on most right now? How do you

plan to improve in this area?

Chapter 2: Deep Learning

CSU Faith Integration (Love, Obedience,

and Worship, Getting to Know Him)

Key Reflections: Deep learning goes beyond surface level

memorization. It’s connecting new ideas to ideas

that have already been learned. How do think your

current personal worldview could impact the time you

invest in showing your love for the people and things in

your life? In your schoolwork, what practices can you

incorporate to ensure you are focusing on deep learning

instead of memorization?

Chapter 3: Test-Taking Skills

and Strategies

CSU Faith Integration (Love Declared,

As Y ou Love Yourself)

Key Reflections: Effective performance on college

exams requires spending time applying effective

strategies in advance of the test, during the test, and

after test results are returned. How can the time you

spend engaging with God’s Word impact the way you

see God working in your life? How might you adjust

some of your test-taking strategies based on the

information discussed in Chapter 3?

Chapter 4: Three Key Academic Success

and Lifelong Learning Skills

CSU Faith Integration (The New

Comm andment, Love One Another,

As I H ave Loved You) 152

Key Reflections: Research skills enable you to locate,

evaluate, and integrate information, while writing

and speaking skills enable you to comprehend,

communicate, and demonstrate your mastery of

that information to others. Higher-level thinking

involves reflecting on knowledge acquired and

taking it to a higher level—by performing additional

mental action on it—such as evaluating its validity,

integrating it with other ideas, or applying it to solve

problems.

In what ways do you think the life of Christ is a good

standard to use for learning how to love God and follow

his commandment to love others? Which skill (research,

writing, or speaking) do you need to improve the most?

What are you going to do to start working on improving

this skill now? Which form of higher-level thinking have

you used in your studies the most so far this term?

Which form of higher-level thinking do you need to

practice more?

Chapter 5: Diversity

CSU Faith Integration (Love and

Forgiveness, It’s Your Attitude, Effective

Speaking)

Key Reflections: Intellectual ability is only one form of

human intelligence. Social and emotional intelligence

are equally, if not more, important for living a successful,

healthy, and happy life. Diversity refers to the variety

of groups that comprise the human species. Humans

differ from one another in multiple ways, including

physical features, religious beliefs, mental and physical

abilities, national origins, social backgrounds, gender,

and other ways.

Key Reflections: God’s justice is rooted in His love; God’s

forgiveness toward us is based on Christ accepting the

judgment for our unloving actions. How do you think

stereotypes and prejudices affect our willingness to

forgive wrongs done to us by others? What “Strategies

for Overcoming Stereotypes and Prejudices” will you put

into practice? How will this help you grow as a student

and individual?

Chapter 6: Health and Wellness

CSU Faith Integration (Truth and Grace,

Love in Action)

Key Reflections: Our physical wellness is largely a

reflection of the way we eat, our level of physical

activity, the nature of the relationships we keep,

and the ways in which we spend our time. Which

dimension of wellness do you need to work on the

most? What can you do to improve in that dimension

of wellness? How do you think the way in which

you (personally) live your life is a reflection of your

relationship with God?

Chapter 7: Time Management

CSU Faith Integration (In Times of Loss,

At A ll Times)

Key Reflections: Effective goal-setting gets you going,

but effective time management gets things done. The

enemy of effective time management is procrastination.

There are multiple effective strategies for beating

the procrastination habit. How do you plan to ensure

that your time-spending habits are aligned with your

educational goals and priorities?

Key Reflections: “By this we know love, because He

laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down

our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s

goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his

heart from him, how does the love of God abide in

him?” 1 John 3:16–17

We should have our ears open to hearing when those

around us are in need. Using the talents and blessings

God has given you, what are some ways that you could

fit some time into your schedule to meet the needs of

others?

Chapter 8: Educational Planning

and Academic Decision-Making

CSU Faith Integration (Putting Love Into

Practice, How to Love God)

Key Reflections: Studies show that the vast majority

of students entering college are uncertain about their

academic specialization. Most students do not reach a

final decision about their major before starting college.

Your college experience opens career doors for you, but

it’s your attitude, initiative, and effort that enable you

to step through those doors and into a successful career.

Of the four awareness steps for career planning, at

which step are you currently?

Key Reflection: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,

peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with

its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also

walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5: 19–25

God has equipped each of us with special skills, talents,

and yearnings. What do you think are your unique skills

and talents? How could you use these to show God’s

love to others?

Chapter 9: Goal Setting and Motivation

CSU Faith Integration (Your Decision)

Key Reflections: Set SMART goals that are challenging

and realistic. Use effective strategies to maintain

motivation. Possess: an Internal Locus of Control, Self-

Efficacy, Grit, and a Growth Mindset. Goal-setting is

the key that gets us going and motivation is the fuel

that keeps us going until we cross the finish line.

Specifically, how can you display patience and

perseverance to ensure you can accomplish your

goals? What goals are you willing to set to show God’s

love to others?