Dear incoming Christian freshmen,

These next four (or five) years of your life are going to be one wild and crazy ride. It all starts with moving out of your childhood home living with your parents to moving into a smelly dorm with some stranger that your school’s residence life paired you up with. You will be faced with trials and tribulations throughout these years in your classes, among your friends, with your faith and maybe even with your family. I have a few bits of advice for you that I wish I had as a freshman; it may just make this transition a tad bit easier for you all.

Find a church that you are comfortable with as soon as possible. When I was a freshman, I made the mistake of trying only one church and then giving up. I eventually fell out of the habit of going to church and I’m now trying to get back into it since I found a church that I truly love. The sooner you start going to one, then the more likely you are to continue going throughout your college years.

Find a campus ministry group that reflects your beliefs. Once you arrive on campus, there will be student organizations scattered all over the student center with tables explaining who they are and what they do. Depending on the school, there may even be a student organization fair. Go to these and check out every campus ministry or organization if that’s what you want to do! These can include the Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship, Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Wesley Foundation, Chi Alpha Campus Ministries and many more! It all depends on which organizations are on your campus! Go to them until you find one that you are most comfortable with or even go to as many as you want!

Let your faith be tested. In your college years, there will be many times that your faith will be tested. Let this happen. It’s a part of growing even stronger in your faith. The more that you are faced with in life, then the more you will trust in God to keep you strong and form you into an overcomer. Don’t turn away from Him in hard times, but instead turn towards Him, for He will guide you through it.

Don’t listen to the haters. You will have people come into your life and give you hate because you are a Christian. They may even judge and poke fun at your beliefs. Don’t listen to them. It’s your life to live and not theirs. If this is the way you choose to live, then continue doing so. Stay strong in your beliefs no matter who questions them. Surround yourself with others who will support you in what you believe, even if it differs from their own.

Most importantly, don’t forget to spend quiet time with God. Among all of your classes and social activities, you may stray from your personal devotionals and Bible studies. Don’t let this happen. Be sure to plan out a certain amount of time each day, so that you may complete these. Doing so can help alleviate your stress and grow your faith stronger each and every day. Don’t forget to pray, pray, pray.

Keep these in mind as you move in to your new living arrangements as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed freshmen, because I promise you that they will come in handy for these wonderful next few years.

"These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." — John 16:33

Sincerely,

A fellow Christian in college