Fact is, I haven’t been able to give this blog the attention it deserves. At the same time I’ve got a pool of ideas building up inside me that I want to get out on paper…or pixels as it were.

So I’m going to be changing direction, refocusing on youth ministry in general and talking about youth games in particular.

I’m still interested in helping young people make the leap from high school into their professional lives and I’ll try and get as much of that into this blog as possible. But I want to get a new ball rolling.

So here’s to a new direction. Let the games begin.

Hooking up with a campus Christian fellowship or club will double or triple the value of your college experience. If you don’t believe it, check out this video from Campus Crusade’s Team Chile Summer Project group.

Adam Savage from Discovery Channel’s explosive show Mythbusters shares some important lessons that he’s learned from failure. In this hour-long segment, complete with audience Q & A at the end, Savage shares about business deals and relationships that “blew up” in his face, and how those experiences has shaped the course of his life.

Savage, who never went to college, is a good example of someone who has been able to leverage boundless passion and curiosity and the ability to teach himself complex concepts into a fulfilling and noteworthy career.

Nate and his group decided to raise money to buy dairy goats through World Vision. In countries like Haiti and Kenya goat milk is an important source of protein. Families can increase their income by breeding the goats and selling the offspring. Viewed this way, the $75 cost of a single goat is more like an investment in the future than a hand-out.

The Stanford Intervarsity chapter found a goat rancher willing to donate a few goats for a day. The students sold tickets to pet the goats or to be photographed with the animals. Altogether they raised enough to purchase 90 goats through the World Vision program. That’s something to bleat about!

More about Stanford Intervarsity

What’s a student to do? MSN Money lists some creative ways to cut costs and find money for college. (Yes, they are all legal.)

Don’t be afraid to turn to your Church family for help. About.com lists Top 6 Places Christian Teens Can Find Money for College. If you are an active member of a church you may be eligible for a church related scholarship. Also check the college of you choice to see what’s on their list of church related scholarships.

Finally, don’t forget to pray about your decision. Just because things may not work out the way you’d like doesn’t mean that they won’t work out for the best.

Tina Seelig’s book What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20: A Crash Course on Making Your Place in the World will open your eyes about what the world has in store when you leave college…and what you can do about it. Which is why this book is important to read…or at the very least skim through…before you leave college. That’s when you still have the best chance of leveraging the time you spend in college.

Seelig starts the book with a fascinating exercise she gives her students: how much money can you make in five days if you start with five dollars? Successful students didn’t focus on the seed money (or lack of it.) They came up with creative ways to start with nothing - ideas such as booking reservations at fancy restaurants and then selling their spots to people who were waiting in line.

To sum up Seelig’s advice “never miss an opportunity to be fabulous.” And for students preparing for college, that time is now.

(Read Guy Kawasaki’s interview with Tina Seelig here.)

Talk to your youth pastor about going on a summer mission project. If your church doesn’t have a mission project in the works, see what projects may be available with and organization such as Student Venture.

Whatever you do, make the most of this coming summer. You’re almost out of high school…so make this one count!

Along with FastWeb’s tips, here are some things you can do if your acceptance letter is an invitation to be put on the wait list:

1. Pray. Yes, this is the standard Sunday School answer but it is one of the most important things you can do. How can God turn your disappointment into something powerful? You might find that your second or third choice school is where God wants you to be, or that there are opportunities closer to home. Read Genesis 37-50 to understand how God can use a wait-list for good.

2. Improve Your Odds. Approximately one out of three students who are wait-listed eventually get into the school of their choice, according to a 2007 study. Keep in touch with the school’s admissions office, particularly if you have further academic or personal accomplishments. Expressing your interest (without whining or begging) could improve your odds.

3. Brush Up Your Interview Skills. According to Andrew Flagel, Dean of Admissions and Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Development,George Mason University “Some schools offer waitlist interview opportunities - you should TAKE THEM. No one is opposed to a little in-person begging and groveling, given the opportunity.” Try using these job interview tips to ace your waitlist interview.

4. Keep a Sense of Perspective. College applications are rising, partly because students are sending out applications to more schools than ever. This might improve your odds of getting into the school of your choice as others drop off. It’s also a good idea to keep in mind that a change, or delay, in your plans isn’t the end of the world. It might even open up some opportunities.

5. Talk to Your Pastor. When is the last time you had a heart-to-heart talk with your pastor? The truth is that your pastor knows a lot about the education process and may have some great ideas about how you can turn your time of waiting into an exciting time of preparation. It wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.

Photo credit: The Lizard Queen

Interested in a school that’s not on this list? Leave us a note in the comments and we’ll add it! Here’s a list of schools that students have told us they want to know more about (note, some of these links go to general club and organization pages):

California
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo | Clubs at Cal Poly SLO
California Lutheran University | Clubs and organizations
Stanford | Religious life at Stanford
University of California, Berkeley | Student religious organizations
University of California, Davis | Christian organizations
University of California, Los Angeles | Christian student groups
University of California, San Diego | Spiritual student organizations
University of California, Santa Barbara | Campus Christian organizations
University of California, Santa Cruz | Student organizations

Indiana
University of Evansville | Religious life
University of Notre Dame | Religious clubs

Texas
Rice University | Rice registered clubs

It’s not just bank managers who are checking up on people using Facebook. College admissions officers are using social media to do background checks on applicants. It turns out that “what happens in Facebook stays in Facebook”…forever.

While there are ways to clean up your online profile, it’s a good idea to start thinking about your social networking behavior the same way you think about your resume. Maybe don’t post things that you wouldn’t want everyone to see.

Here are five ways that your life on Facebook could get you in trouble after you leave High School -

1. Diary of a Party Animal - that picture of you pretending to chug a beer? It might not be as funny as you think. One or two crazy pictures won’t get you busted, but a consistent storyline of your party life can give you a bad reputation online and off.

2. Bad-mouthing - is your second period teacher really the Devil in a blue dress? Perhaps she is, but you don’t have to say it online. Bad-mouthing teachers online can get you in trouble when you’re thinking about higher education. There’s a time and a place for honesty and to exercise your First Amendment rights. Just remember that you don’t want to build a reputation as a complainer, a whiner or a hater.

3. Faking It ’til You’re Making It - If social networking sites can make you look bad, can they make you look good? Sure. In theory you could fake your Facebook profile to support a padded resume or exaggerated college application. Just remember, if you get caught lying it will be worse than if you had told the truth. People who review resumes and admissions applications can easily tell the difference between an honest record of community service and a quick MySpace fakery.

4. Time Suck - Are you spending more time online than you are on your homework? Stop it right now. Good grades, participation in clubs and activities and a healthy social life will give you a better return on your investment than sending people Facebook flair.

5. Not doing it at all - If you have access to the internet (and would you be reading this if you didn’t?) then you have an amazing tool for research, communication and networking at your disposal. Budget your time appropriately and you’ll find that Facebook, MySpace and other social media tools can be a powerful way to keep in touch with friends and associates.