Sevenoseven, our young adult community, gets a lot of recent college grads that come back home after being away for college. Many people have grandiose ideas about what post-college life will be like. Your dream job, your dream social life, your dream relationship, and your perfect marriage. Easy as passing a Western Civ test, right? That’s a big ol’ nope for ya, because life rarely works out that way.
God intended our lives to include struggle because he wants us to develop character, just like Christ. Here are some things that students will miss about college:
- You know how you are doing.
A, B, C, D, or F. It’s as easy as that. You get an A, you are doing well. You get an F, you are doing poorly. The rest of your life rarely provides such definitive assessment. Enjoy this, but remember that no matter your GPA or salary, through Christ you are accepted, loved, and cherished by God - You live in diverse community.
A college student has ethnically, culturally, politically, and religiously diverse roommates, dorm-mates, and classmates. When you get a job you will be surrounded by people who chose that profession, so the diversity often takes a hit. If you get married, then you will only have one roommate for the rest of your life. Take advantage of your community. Learn what other people think, especially those whom you do not agree. Learn the value system of people who don’t know Christ and begin thinking through how the Gospel changes how we live our lives. - You have a lot of free time. Seriously.
Though it may not feel that way during finals week, but you do have a lot of free time. Take advantage of the winter, spring, fall, and summer breaks. Go on missions trips. Go to Florida with friends. Serve in a local church’s youth or college ministry. Don’t waste that time.
You are going to miss a lot of things about college, but you need to remember this: you are out of college. Take the next season of life by the horns by asking this question every day: How can I make much of Jesus during this season of my life? It will go very fast.
