What do you think?
Rate this book
How I Stayed Catholic at Harvard: 40 Tips for Faithful College Students
A Harvard graduate, Rhodes Scholar, and devout Catholic tells you everything you need to know about keeping your faith at a modern university. Drawing on her recent experience, Aurora Griffin shares forty practical tips relating to academics, community, prayer, and service that helped her stay Catholic in college. She reminds us that keeping the faith is a conscious decision, reinforced by commitment to daily practices. Aurora’s story illustrates that when you decide your faith matters to you, no one can take it away, even in the most secular environments and under strong peer pressure. Throughout the book, she shows how being Catholic in college did not prevent her from having a full “college experience,” but actually enabled her to make the most of her time at Harvard. Aurora encourages students who are about to begin this formative journey, or those now in college, that the most valuable parts of college life -- lasting friendships, intellectual growth, and cherished memories -- are experienced in a more meaningful way when lived in and through the Catholic faith.
171 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2016
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 30, 2017
Ms. Griffin is right - the book is really not about staying Catholic at any university, but about deepening the Faith while at any university. When I picked up the book, I expected it to be a lot about casual sex, binge drinking, and other usual suspects. These topics are covered, near the end of the book and receive about the same coverage as any other topic in the book.
I was surprised at the huge amount of Catholic know-how and resources that were packed in this tiny book. The reading list in most chapters is not exhaustive, but it is impressive in both breadth and depth and provides for a well-rounded approach to the Faith. Pros and cons of each resource are briefly laid out and discussed. Ms. Griffin is specific and to the point. Harvard and Oxford clearly trained her well. I would recommend this not only for any Catholic at a university, but for any Catholic interested in additional resources to deepen his or her Faith. Great book!
I was surprised at the huge amount of Catholic know-how and resources that were packed in this tiny book. The reading list in most chapters is not exhaustive, but it is impressive in both breadth and depth and provides for a well-rounded approach to the Faith. Pros and cons of each resource are briefly laid out and discussed. Ms. Griffin is specific and to the point. Harvard and Oxford clearly trained her well. I would recommend this not only for any Catholic at a university, but for any Catholic interested in additional resources to deepen his or her Faith. Great book!
October 16, 2023
Excellent book! I wish that I had a guide like this when I was navigating college life! Griffin's writing is clear and easy to read, her advice sound without being preachy. I was even more impressed when I learned that she was the student who had stopped the black mass from being carried out at Harvard back in 2014! (I had read about it without remembering her name). In short, she's amazing.
Highly recommend to college students, especially those going to secular institutions. The cool thing about this book, too, is that the advice is sound, whether you're Catholic or not. Obviously, there are some tips that are mostly just for the Catholics (go to mass, go on retreats, etc.), but some of the tips for making friends and dating make sense no matter who you are.
Highly recommend to college students, especially those going to secular institutions. The cool thing about this book, too, is that the advice is sound, whether you're Catholic or not. Obviously, there are some tips that are mostly just for the Catholics (go to mass, go on retreats, etc.), but some of the tips for making friends and dating make sense no matter who you are.
January 13, 2024
A super comprehensive book with lots of practical tips, some extremely easy and others more challenging. It's a quick read with easy-to-understand language that I think is perfect for any upcoming college student. I was reluctant to read it at first but I'm now so grateful it was gifted to me as I know it has helped shape my college experience for the better.
Read
May 29, 2023Good. I wish I had it a bit earlier when I was in college though.
Except for some very college-specific chapters, the tips in the book are applicable to all lay people - students or not.
Except for some very college-specific chapters, the tips in the book are applicable to all lay people - students or not.
June 16, 2018
Highly recommend for any high schoolers or college students, Aurora Griffin understands the challenges facing young Catholics and how they can grow deeply in their faith in Jesus during their college years. I have given it to all my younger cousins entering college!
January 15, 2018
This book deserves 8 stars.
I am completely speechless.
I am completely speechless.
April 25, 2022
I’ve been wanting to read this book for a little while, told about it from some catholic friends. However, after reading the book, its not what I thought it was. Anyway, I liked the main focus of the book – helping college students keep their faith, while at university. Nevertheless, this book is a little late for me, having finished university almost 20 years ago, where it would have been really helpful for me back then, when attending a secular university close to my home.
However, I still was able to maintain my faith, by using some of the things in this book. Nevertheless, not sure that if these things are here in Australia, as we don’t really have sororities and fraternities etc.
However, the main concern with this book, which may sound odd or peculiar to some people, is that I struggled as a student. I thank God, so many times for attending university, due to my struggle with dyslexia. Yet, the author here is very clever. Not, putting anything against her. However, she attended one of the best universities in the world, which meant she had no trouble writing essays, putting her thoughts down. This was not the case for me, I needed my faith, just to ask God, if I could past my exam, not failing another book report. This, is my problem, she has been so blessed by God, who gave her many chances to live a life, many of us, could only wish. And, its good to see that Jesus, is using her gifts to help out others. But this book back to me, some of that pain and tears I dealt with while at university, and there wasn’t much catholic support there. My friends at university, won’t catholic. Just a small chapel team, helping and praying for me. Some, family friends who guided me, and my beloved Fr Hugo, who is no longer here.
Yeah, I am waffling on. This book, does have a place in our Catholic Youth. But it was just a little late for me. So, to end this review, this book is so useful for deepening one's Faith, while at any university, any place that God sends you too. One just has to make the right choices, and let the Holy Spirit led you, so it might mean, not attending parities, walking to church like I did early in the morning. Absolutely, its putting God first in your life, as this is what both Aurora and I did, we put Jesus Christ first! It can been done!
However, I still was able to maintain my faith, by using some of the things in this book. Nevertheless, not sure that if these things are here in Australia, as we don’t really have sororities and fraternities etc.
However, the main concern with this book, which may sound odd or peculiar to some people, is that I struggled as a student. I thank God, so many times for attending university, due to my struggle with dyslexia. Yet, the author here is very clever. Not, putting anything against her. However, she attended one of the best universities in the world, which meant she had no trouble writing essays, putting her thoughts down. This was not the case for me, I needed my faith, just to ask God, if I could past my exam, not failing another book report. This, is my problem, she has been so blessed by God, who gave her many chances to live a life, many of us, could only wish. And, its good to see that Jesus, is using her gifts to help out others. But this book back to me, some of that pain and tears I dealt with while at university, and there wasn’t much catholic support there. My friends at university, won’t catholic. Just a small chapel team, helping and praying for me. Some, family friends who guided me, and my beloved Fr Hugo, who is no longer here.
Yeah, I am waffling on. This book, does have a place in our Catholic Youth. But it was just a little late for me. So, to end this review, this book is so useful for deepening one's Faith, while at any university, any place that God sends you too. One just has to make the right choices, and let the Holy Spirit led you, so it might mean, not attending parities, walking to church like I did early in the morning. Absolutely, its putting God first in your life, as this is what both Aurora and I did, we put Jesus Christ first! It can been done!
October 16, 2017
There are a few moments in this book that don't really translate to English readers - sororities and fraternities, the drinking age etc, but overall the tips offered are pretty useful, well founded in Church teaching and grounded by the authors own experience.
I do feel that many students would struggle to do all of these ( I know I would have), but its made clear that one can take the tips that work for you and develop your own strategy - guidelines rather than rules as they would say in Pirates of the Caribbean.
I do feel that many students would struggle to do all of these ( I know I would have), but its made clear that one can take the tips that work for you and develop your own strategy - guidelines rather than rules as they would say in Pirates of the Caribbean.
August 31, 2023
Elite schools offer unparalleled opportunities for learning and networking but they also present many dangers and potential vices. It's heartening to read about someone who did her best to stay on the straight and narrow throughout her four years. I hope more people can follow in her example. I appreciate how she got straight to the point, but I do wish she gave more examples from other people's experiences to drive the point home. 3 stars because it felt a bit like a collection of blog posts
January 9, 2022
Have the cake and eat it too: be pure, and at the same time have the ego-inflating diplomas. Some guy called Jesus once said something about being a servant of two masters. Griffin is so much smarter than that guy.
June 2, 2021
Looking forward to gifting this book to all my seniors from youth group.
December 11, 2022
Super practical advice for how to practice the Catholic faith well in college and beyond. I’ll definitely implement a couple of these practices into my life.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews