It is hard to imagine that the day you start college is here. If you are like me, you probably have a lot of goals you wish to accomplish. Perhaps you want to be a good student, do all your assignments on time, get an early start on papers, and do some extra studying for all your classes. Apart from this, you also want to have fun and make new friends. Wow! It sounds overwhelming already. Don’t worry, if you know what expect in your college years, you are going to be prepared to weather any storms that might come your way.
Expect to be Surprised. College years will reveal things about you that you did not know about. This is because good and bad habits will come to light. Since you are pretty much on your own in college, you are going to find yourself guided by whatever you value. Some students have started college successfully; however, when they begin to realize that they can do whatever they want, they end up playing video games the entire day and hanging out with friends. Other students respond the opposite way, they become responsible and get in the zone of academic work. So, don’t be surprised if you are pushed to define yourself early in your college experience and be ready to make all adjustments necessary to achieve your goals.
Expect to be Tired. This is mostly for the two weeks before midterms and final exams. I see it all the time, students begin to look stressed and start doing the caffeine thing full force. Yes, it is normal that you are going to be tired, in fact, college would not be college if you did not have to pull all-nighters and such. However, don’t let this go on for too long. Take a break, rest, and recharge. Once your brain is fried with tiredness, the level of productivity goes down, so much so that it will take you even three times as long to do a task you could do in a snap. So, if tired, relax! You will see that weekend will come around and all the due dates that seemed to be coming at you like a gigantic wave are no longer coming your way.
Expect to be challenged. Conversations about deep things in life are also a part of the college experience. Soon you will find yourself talking to friends about the meaning of life, love, and friends. It is true that during your college years you are defining who you are as a young adult. With this in mind, expect to be challenged in your faith and spiritual walk. Find a Christian group in your university that will help you and guide you through this discovery process.
I have met tons of students who have found meaning and purpose in life during their college years. I am one of them. I discovered that I needed God in my life and that I needed to be challenged in my faith.
I want to invite you to join the Baptist Student Ministry at UTPA. We have been part of this university since 1960. Since we started, the BSM has seen thousands of students find purpose in life and discover a life of service to God who loves them and cares for them.
