University Life

Going to college isn't always fun and games. College is hard. I transferred from Independence Community College to Southwest Baptist University. When I graduated high school and went to ICC I did not notice nor have any study habits change or quite frankly the classes were not as challenging as I anticipated. But when transferring from a “Community College” to a “University” it is a whole new world. This was like switching from elementary school to high school. The standards that a University Professor holds you to, verse a Community College teacher holds you to is a whole new world.

It’s my Junior year and I am just now developing study skills; that is not a good thing. The transition has been awkward and rough at times. Rough in instances like not being able to drive home after class and have a home cooked meal, instead you have to wait around for the cafe to open for not so filling or tasty food. For returning students, every new face to them is automatically a freshman. In my case, I am that new face on campus and I am a junior. Coming to a University as an “upperclassman” is not easy, everyone that is the same age as me already has a “friend group” made or has already been involved in organizations for 2 years already. When we talk about college it isn't all about the academics, it is about getting involved, making a new “normal," branching out of your comfort zone.

Taking Time for Granted

To some individuals, this is very hard. I personally did not think that I was going to struggle with homesickness. I had already been away from home for a whole summer and enjoyed the time away from home. But it is the times that I have been just sitting and doing homework, and noticing that I can’t hand my computer or notebook to my mom and ask her to help me on the homework I am struggling with, now it is a phone call, text or even email just to even communicate with my mom. In these times I really notice how much I took for granted living at home my first 2 years of college. Now that I am away I miss everything about being back home. One thing that I have come to a realization of is how much more I am going to treasure those trips home to see my people and be in my happy place. As an individual who's happiness comes from family and my people, it is very easy to just go about with the day and not even recognize how blessed you are with all of the support and love you are surrounded with. Taking this time for granted is an easy mistake, because like the saying “you never know what you had, until it's gone” not in the sense that it is gone, but in the aspect that you won't always have the most supportive and loving people that surround you on a daily basis, so when you are around that, enjoy the time, because it doesn't come often enough when in college and live hours away.

Trusting God

Throughout just the first half of the semester, I have been able to see God do work in my life. In the hard times, we often forget to just give it all to him. I have recently just come to the realization that I have been trying to take a lot of things upon myself and not trusting God with the situation. When I was finally able to realize the pain I was putting myself through because of not giving it all to Him, I have been able to have a lot more positive thoughts about being in college and having the outlook of I am doing this for the Glory of God rather than the glory for my own life. As a “Christian” college student leaving my “home church” was a number one concern, because let's be honest, you will never find a church like the church you have been raised in. It is not easy for me in the sense that I worked at my church 6 out of the 7 days of the week. Through all of the circumstances that I have encountered I just always try to remember that God puts us places that we are not always comfortable, in hope that we will use our abilities that he has blessed us with to do kingdom work for him.