Spiritual Values In Collegians A Ucla Study ...

Spiritual Values in Collegians A UCLA study found college juniors are more likely to be engaged in a spiritual quest compared to when they first entered college as freshmen. The study showed 41.2% of freshmen in ’04 reported they considered developing a meaningful philosophy of life “very important” or “essential.” 3 years later in ’07, 55.4% agreed. 48.7% of freshmen in ’04 said “attaining inner harmony” is “very important” or “essential.” This jumped to 62.6% by ’07. This suggests college is influencing students in positive ways that will better prepare them for leadership roles in our global society. The rise in spirituality also comes as more students feel depressed, overwhelmed by everything they have to do, and feel that their college life is filled with stress and anxiety. The study found growth over the 3 years in spiritual values, such as integrating spirituality into their lives and becoming more loving person.s Also, more juniors reported wanting to reduce pain and suffering in the world, being thankful for all that has happened to them, and higher levels of ecumenical worldview. As juniors they are more likely to agree that “non-religious people can lead lives that are just as moral as those of religious believers.” Despite the rise in spirituality, college students are not making it to religious services. While 38.6% attend services less frequently, only 7% increase their frequency after entering college. Attendance drops from 43.7% in high school to 25.4% in college, and the rate of non-attendance nearly doubles. (Christian Post 12/20/07)