COLLEGE

What you have inherited from your fathers, earn over again for yourselves, or it will not be yours. 

Goethe.

Statistics and Stuff

Entering freshmen showed no distinct religious trends over the last decade, but follow-up surveys of seniors show substantial declines in religious belief and behavior during college. The number of students identifying themselves as Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish declined by about 20 percent each, while the "no preference" category increased by more than 50 percent. Declines in religious interest occur more often among men than women, and most often among the brighter students. Those who lived on campus showed greater declines than those living at home. And those who stay in college show greater declines than those who drop out. 

A. Astin, Psychology Today, quoted in His, Dec, 1977.

Among U.S. college students, the two leading causes of death are auto accidents and suicide, in that order. Dr. Vincent D' Andrea--a Stanford University psychiatrist who has organized suicide hotlines, peer counselors and dormitory advisers to prevent suicides--says 15 out of every 100,000 students do away with themselves each year. About one in 10 suicide attempts succeeds. Though 90% of all attempts are made by women aged 20- 30, those who succeed are usually men. 

Parade Magazine, October. 23, 1983.