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| A Christian in a Secular College:
Facing the Transition “Teach me , O Lord, the way of thy statues; and I will keep it to the end” (Psalm 119:33). New world, new life, and new scenery. You are about to embark on an adventurous journey, a life changing experience. Not puberty, but college! High school teachers who made sure you weren’t so much as one second past the bell have now become a distant memory. But wait a minute. You have been reared in Christ-centered schools all of your life. While your friends are continuing that route, you are choosing to continue higher learning at a secular institution. Just how am I going to fit in? Unfortunately, that nagging question continues to dominate your thoughts. Before your eyes, a colossal university confronts you. You are looking into an unfamiliar face─one that you’ve never been exposed to in all your life. Not only do you feel like a grasshopper among giants, but smoking on campus, an absence of dress code, and a different set of morals than the ones that were instilled in you since birth are sending you into a religious shock. Not a problem! You can celebrate your differences and be even more peculiar there than before. For Peter’s epistle even said we are a peculiar people. Let your godly enthusiasm fill the campus. You may need help keeping the proper spiritual perspective because this will be one of the most challenging and exhilarating times of your life. It may also be the first time your conscience peppers you with questions like, “You are an adult now, right? What choice are you going to make? Are you going to abuse the liberty of being away from your parents? What side of the campus are you going to stand on?” College life is synonymous with being in the wilderness, but for just four years (the children of Israel didn’t have it so easy). You may feel lost, vulnerable and intimidated, but this time holds great potential for you to encounter the only One in whom you’ll find a sanctuary that is filled with security and friendship. Don’t let the religious shock (meaning the lack of Christianity) overwhelm you. You will be tried and tested to see whether you will decide to hide or spread the Gospel. But after four years, your faith has the potential to be stronger than ever. Here are a few tips to take with you on your journey through college life.
· First day of class. Develop a professional comradeship with your professors and a friendship with your classmates. Develop a trust so they can count on you and you on them. Remember we have to serve others if we want to win souls.
· Study. Don’t be naïve and think all students in college are responsible and studious. Procrastination reigns undisputed champion here. It shows itself in those 2 a.m.’ers in the student library, sleep in their eyes, third cup of coffee in hand, eyeing the clock every five minutes, hopelessly resisting daylight. Please take the road less traveled! Give yourself an adequate amount of time to study in the daytime. Try to find a study partner (preferably not your best friend). Schedule breaks ten minutes after every hour of study. And it’s true that for every hour you spend in class, you will need to study two hours outside class. Being a slacker means you have further limited your ability to praise God with your talents.
· Develop a budget. Textbooks, school supplies and incidentals, and offering for church (don’t think you can sleep in on Sundays now) are priority essentials. Don’t just depend on your checkbook, because if you’re an avid spender, it will bounce, drop, and maybe even kick before you can say, “That will be all, thank you.” Credit cards are helpful in emergencies. Just don’t abuse that convenience by charging nonessentials and running up a huge debt that can literally take years to repay.
· Dear Mom and Dad. Don’t forget to write to the ones who sacrificed their second honeymoon to get you here. Even if is just “I love you” between studying biology and writing a 12-page synopsis (some synopsis!) on blah, blah, blah, keep the letters coming. Or the easier alternative─e-mail.
· Devotion. In college you become preoccupied with studies, research, etc., but do not let this keep you away from God. This is your time to escape from professors’ theories on how the world was formed.
· Get friendly. One of the greatest assets about college is meeting new people and professing your faith to all who are willing to hear the Gospel. And they are everywhere! Hungry souls are waiting to see Jesus in somebody through all the exhaust of society. You can stumble upon newfound friendship in classes, recreation centers and even the dorm laundry room.
You are most likely not the only Christian on the campus. Once you join the campus ministry, you will soon find out that there is a plethora of avid Christians who are waiting for new members to spread the Gospel on a secular campus. Starting college is akin to starting kindergarten, minus the naps, playtime and ABC’s for homework. But it will be a time to again exercise those wings that have not been flapped in 13 years. At five years old, you faced the world for the first time while your parents kissed you on the cheek and said, “Have a good day,” but now it will be, “Have a good year.”
ninetyandnine.com © 2002, Kaleena Thompson --------- Kaleena Thompson is ready to start another year of college. |
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