Christian college kicked my ass. There is no doubt about that. The person I was in the beginning of the year and the person that I am today are two completely different people. Going to a Christian school was one of the hardest things I have ever done. If I could go back in time, I would do it all over again.

I knew going in that I was not going to have the typical “college experience,” but I was never quite prepared for what I actually faced. It was a dry campus, boys and girls couldn’t be in the same room with the door closed, and we had to go to chapel three times a week – no exceptions. All students had to sign a contract at the beginning of the year, promising to abstain from things like underage drinking, premarital sex, and even divorce. I am a very liberal girl with very liberal ideals – for the first few months, I felt like I was in prison. I remember crying on the phone with my boyfriend, saying that I was “treated like a child” with all of these regulations. I told my dad that I made the biggest mistake in choosing this school. I begged him to take me back home.

In October, I went to a party that was off campus. I guess word about it got around and went all the way to my RA. I really didn’t think it was a big deal. When my RA approached me about it, I was defensive and stand-offish. I told her that all of the campus rules were ridiculous. I told her that I hated the school. But the fact of the matter is, I broke that contract agreement. I needed to be an adult and own up to it.

I got on academic and student-life probation until May. I needed to go to counseling, I needed to do community service, and I needed to check in with my RA every so often and tell her about my progress. Looking back, that was the greatest thing that has happened to me in a long time. My punishments weren’t really punishments at all – they were tools to help me grow. Even when I got defensive and aggressive and bratty, I was greeted with love and support from my community at school. That is what the “college experience” should be all about. My school wasn’t fighting against me…they were rooting for me. Over time, I realized that it didn’t matter whether or not I agreed with their rules – the rules are set there to encourage us to work together in a safe environment. I learned to embrace them. I wasn’t being treated like a child… I was made to act like an adult.

Sometimes, we are going to be in positions where we may not feel comfortable. That is where we will grow the most. I was pushed to my max and showed just how much farther I could go.

Christian college kicked my ass. There is no doubt about that. And I will always be grateful.