INSTIGATING LOGIC
A different kind of college
By JARED PUTNAM Union Sentinel Editor

Now is the time of year when a lot of important decisions are being made, as young men and women across the country prepare to leave the comforts of high school and home to pursue a college education.

Many students and parents alike have already spent hours upon hours ensuring that high school transcripts and SAT scores have been sent out to prospective schools.

Some students already know where they would like to go and may already be playing the waiting game, anticipating acceptance letters that make all the hard work worth it. Still, others remain right in the middle of the process, weighing all the pros and cons as they try to decide which school would be the best fit for them as they continue their education.

It wasn't so long ago that I was in the same position, and it wasn't an easy choice for me either. Costs, curriculum, and location are just a few of the many factors that went into my own decision. Inn the end I chose Toccoa Falls College, and there's no doubt in my mind that I made the right choice.

To be perfectly honest, I have more good things to say about Toccoa Falls College than space permits me to write.

TFC is a Christian college with an enrollment of less than 1,000 students, located just outside of Toccoa, Ga. The school also has a small sister site in Epworth, Ga., which serves the Fannin County area. The TFC campus itself is very scenic, sporting a 186 foot waterfall for which both the school and town are named.

The most appropriate way I can describe TFC is that it is like a family. The vast majority of professors there are not only first rate teachers, they are first rate people. Many often pass up better financial opportunities at other institutions in order to teach there. They truly have a heart for the students and feel that God has given them an opportunity to make an impact in the lives of many young adults.

The students themselves are as diverse as you can imagine, ranging from locals who have a five minute commute to others who have grown up half way around the world in a foreign country.

In my time there I was fortunate enough to meet many terrific people and develop friendships that will last a lifetime. Thanks to the modern day conveniences of email, instant messenger, and free mobile to mobile, I stay in frequent contact with some them without it hurting my pocketbook, even though they are scattered up and down the east coast.

While many of TFC's majors are geared toward areas such as missions, pastoral training, and other evangelical work, the school also offer four-year degrees in areas such as Biology, Communication, and multiple Education fields.

I graduated with a Bachelors in Counseling Psychology. Needless to say, I'm not working in my field of study, but I don't regret getting the degree at all. In a world that is increasingly hard to simply live in, I knew that degree would be a benefit to me in both my personal life and my career, regardless of whether or not I went on to actually work in the field. In any case, both the counseling program and the rest of the experience I was given at TFC certainly did help prepare me for "the real world."

Besides, it seems that in today's world, you don't always have to have a degree in the field that you wish to go into. Probably half the people I know are not working in the field that they majored in. One of my friends majored in English and is now a state park ranger. I never miss an opportunity to tease him about how useful the works of Shakespeare must be when he is transplanting endangered sunflowers across the park.

So even if TFC does not have a specific major that someone is looking for, it can serve as a place to complete courses or even earn an Associates Degree before moving on to complete a four year program.

With all that said, Toccoa Falls College is not for everyone. For a student looking for the stereotypical college experience, TFC would not be a good fit. You won't run across a keg party or fraternity hazings. TFC is what it is, an institution that exists first and foremost to offer students the chance to pursue their education while furthering their knowledge of, and relationship with Jesus Christ.

As with any school, the best thing to do is visit the campus. The college will be holding a campus preview beginning Thursday, March 29, and concluding Saturday, March 31. Prospective students have until March 24 to register. Even though that is only a couple of weeks away, I would encourage anyone who knows a high school senior, or even a junior or sophomore who is searching for the right school, to consider Toccoa Falls College.

College can play a big role in shaping who a person becomes, making the choice of school one of the most important ones a person can make.

For more information, log on to the Toccoa Falls College website at www.tfc.edu