FINAL YEAR CHRISTIAN STUDENTS AWARENESS AND PREPAREDNESS TO ADOPT BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES OF SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN EXILE IN THEIR ONE YEAR COMPULSORY NYSC PROHRAMME

Abstract

The study investigated the level of final year Christian students’ awareness and preparedness to adopt the Biblical model of a life of exile/living in exile. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. Multistage proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to draw a sample size of 340 final year Christian students in the tertiary institutions in Imo State. A validated researcher developed rating scale titled: Christian Students Awareness and Preparedness for Life Challenges In Exile Rating Scale (CAPLCERS) was used for data collection. The rating scale has two clusters A and B which have reliability of internal consistency established with Cronbach Alpha Statistics as 0.78 and 0.82 respectively. Mean and standard deviations were used to answer the research questions while z-test statistics was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 levels of significance. Findings showed that the extent to which final year Christian students are aware of the challenges of a life of exile during their one year compulsory NYSC programme is significantly below the expected average, while the extent to which they are prepared to adopt the Biblical model of surviving and thriving in exile is significantly above expected average level. Recommendations were made which include that: tertiary institution authorities should enlighten the final year students on some of the possible life challenges they may encounter during the one year compulsory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) programme; the Christian associations in the campuses should also help to groom their members on the Biblical models and principles that can help Christians survive and thrive in any exile-situation; and the Christian associations or organizations in the NYSC orientation camps should help Christian corp members to integrate and seek for the welfare of the states where they are posted and learn to love and contribute to the growth of people who may appear different in terms of belief and culture.