Five Things I Wished I'd Known in College

The Long Title: Five Things I Wished I'd Known as a Christian Girl in College

May of this year marked two complete years since graduating from North Carolina State University, and there have been many ups and downs along the way. Even with all of this, God has continually been faithful to me, provide for me, and give me peace beyond measure, and I'm thankful daily for His continued mercies.

Looking back on my time in college, there were so many things as a Christian female that I had to learn on the fly. My freshman year was so frustrating because it was hard to gauge who I could trust, who were true friends, and how I could fit in to everything that was going on around me. Stressful? Yes! There are some things that you don't know when you enter college that I believe that every Christian female should know. Here's what they are:

1. It's hard being a Christian in college - Yeah, you may or may not have heard this one before, but it's so true. As I talked about briefly it in my last post, it can be really easy to get caught up in the wrong things when you're a freshman in college. There's sororities, parties, all-nighters for studying, and just trying to maintain a social life that's lurking in the background. All of these things can be forms of temptation, but you have to chose to fight them.

2. As a Christian young woman, be careful of the male company that you keep - Going along the lines of being careful who to trust in school, as a Christian young woman living on a campus away from your parents and direct supervision, you may become friends with males through various groups, organizations and church activities. Be careful who you associate with, right now I'm specifically talking about males, but the same thing applies with females you befriend. They could become a true, honest friend like my friend Keisha, but they could also become harmful to you if you're not careful and aren't viewing them with a biblical discerning spirit. Guard your heart above all else.

3. Don't make any hasty decisions that may have lifetime consequences - Everyone tells you going into college that college is about getting an education and having fun along the way, but because you're an "adult" at this point, you will be faced to make some heavy decisions. Don't allow your permanent decisions to be based on temporary emotions, because in the long run, you're the one that's going to get hurt. God's timing is perfect, and if He's telling you now "no" or "wait" to a choice, then listen to Him. He knows the beginning from the end, and I'm quite, very certain that He'll guide you to the right decision. 

4. Making friends is hard work. - At NC State, there's about 38-40,00 students on campus, not including those who are distant learners or online students. Even surrounded by this huge sum of people, it's hard to weed out those who you can become friends with. Start with joining organizations or groups that interest you, such as a campus church, a sporting group, or music/dance company. Find who you can connect well with in these settings, and see how they might correlate to a friendship.

5. Finally, never forget how you came to be. - You're not in college by chance. Your major, discipline, even college choice wasn't some random act that happened to fall into your lap overnight. God has chosen and allowed you to go to college for a reason and purpose, even if you're like me now and not quite sure of what that might be yet. In time, God will show you his purpose for why you may be going through what you are now. Trust his timing.

Whether you're currently in college or about to go to college this fall, I think these are some good tips to keep in mind in order to have your spiritual, emotional and and physical life in balance. As Proverbs 3:5&6 states, trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understand - acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will direct your paths. Things may seem fuzzy for you now, but God's sovereign over all and He knows that which is good, pleasant and perfect for us and our lives.

SDG