I really wish someone had prepared me for what to expect upon attending a Christian college. If they had, I probably would have been a lot more relaxed about the whole first semester of my college experience. Regardless of whether you are Christian or not, the college experience can be both exciting and daunting. It might be your first step towards adult independence, or simply a stepping stone on the way to your career, but however you look at it college gets a lot more complicated when you throw in religion.

Here’s what to expect when you attend a Christian college, from someone who has been there.

1. Chapel

Chances are that if you attend a Christian college, you’re going to have to attend some form of mandatory chapel requirement. At my institution, this amounts to 20 required chapel hours per semester (with each one hour Monday, Wednesday, or Friday chapel counting as one credit, and special service projects offered during the semester courting as three credits) unless you have a job or special circumstance that warrants a chapel reduction.

While chapel is not church—nor is it advertised as such—it is religious or, at the very least, spiritual in nature. That means you can expect some sort of prayer, worship, or scripture to be delivered every chapel. However, Christian colleges understand that not all of their students are Christians, and they always ensure that invitations to join in prayer, worship, or listening to scripture are just that—invitations.

You will not be asked to believe in God, rather you will simply be asked to sit for about an hour and listen mindfully to the speaker. If you are expecting chapel to be a deeply enriching spiritual fuel-up every single time you go, let me just shatter your expectations right now, because it’s not. You will get out of chapel what you put into it; if you’re very mindful and involved it will be very enriching. However, if you just sit there for an hour twiddling your thumbs, it’s not going to be very enjoyable.

However you decide to approach chapel, the number one thing to remember is to be respectful, which means getting off your phone.

2. Prayer

The second given of attending a Christian college is prayer. Prayer in class, prayer before exams, prayer in chapel, prayer at club events, prayer before theater performances, basically just prayer all the time for everything ever. And you know what? It’s actually one of the best things about attending a Christian college.

Prayer as a concept, where people come together to ask for blessings and send love and positivity to one another, is a beautiful practice which finds its purest fulfillment at Christian colleges. Your professors will pray for you before you take exams, which-- even if you’re not a Christian-- can be the one minute of mindfulness you need before an exam to calm your nerves. Your friends will offer you prayers when you are struggling in your life, regardless of your religious affiliation.

Again, you won’t be asked to explicitly partake in prayer if you are not comfortable doing so, but you will definitely have the opportunity if you’re interested. Prayer on campus is just one of the wonderful ways in which the community feels connected because it’s nice to know that other people are keeping you in their thoughts.

3. Theological Debate

Yes, you have to take theology courses, and yes, you’ll have to learn a thing or two about the Bible. There are a lot of perspectives that you can approach this from: if you’re super into Christianity, it’s an awesome way to deepen your knowledge; if you’re not super into Christianity, but you like to learn, it can be a really eye-opening experience; and if you really don’t care about religion or Christianity at all (first of all maybe consider that a Christian college isn’t the right fit), you’ll grit your teeth and bear it just like all your other gen-eds.

However, out of these required theology courses will come some really awesome and really heated theological debate.

In laymen’s terms, Christians and Atheists alike are going to argue with each other in a scholarly setting.

Let’s be honest, that’s all debate really is anyways. You will find such a diversity of perspectives come out of these classes, not all of which you will agree with, but all of which you can learn from.

4. Religious Discussion

On top of in class theological debate, you’ll also find that people really like to discuss religion outside of class. Your friends will want to meet up and talk about faith, and the whole topic of religion and belief is kind of a go-to ice breaking topic across campus to begin with.

If you’re not a Christian this means that you can expect to hear, “Why did you decide to attend a Christian college if you’re not a Christian?” a lot. It is the burning question on campus for all non-Christians. Essentially what I’m saying is you’re going to need to think about a really good, concise answer, or else go crazy every time you get asked.

5. Student Code of Conduct

Looking forward to partying on campus? Not if you attend a Christian college.

Alcohol is usually forbidden, quiet hours start at 11pm and are strictly regulated, and you probably won’t find any co-ed dorms. You won’t be taking your partying off-campus either because, surprise, alcohol consumption is still likely prohibited and sexual activity is a no-no unless it's within the bounds of marriage.

On the plus side, this leads to a—mostly—focused student body that is concerned about self-growth, spiritual development, long time relationships and bonds, and education. However, the Student Code of Conduct is a really big deal, so if you’re planning to attend a Christian college you need to realize that you’re going to be held to some high standards, and if you get caught breaking them you can be sure that the consequences will be intense. So if you’re really looking to party—and by party I don’t mean have a sleepover movie night and go to bed early in order to get up for church on Sunday—you should really reconsider attending a Christian college.

If you think you can handle being submersed in a Christian community, surrounded by theological discussion and debate, and obligated to follow a somewhat strict Code of Conduct, then you’re ready to attend a Christian college.

If you think that attending a Christian college is going to be easy, because you’ve been a Christian, or because you think everyone on campus is going to be a prude, think again.