Maybe meeting new people makes you want to dance (like me), or maybe social situations fill you with dread and the desire to vomit (like my friend).
Whatever your personality, it will be okay. College is not easy, but oh so worth it. I have been blessed with some of the coolest pals who I can be my joyful, bubbly, empathetic self around; friends that hold me when I sob, cheer me on when I sing karaoke, or just chill in a neighboring hammock at the Riverwalk. At college, I have encountered adventure and community, joy and heartache, and the realization that following Jesus changes everything in the best possible way.
The summer before my freshman year, I prayed desperately for friends in college. I was so excited to leave my house and start a new stage of life and independence, but longed for deep friendships and true community. I never experienced Christian community at my church youth group or at my high school. I never realized following Jesus was an active choice—something that now changes my day to day. I never realized that He would work in my heart, breaking and shaping me to be more like Him.
And, wow, is God kind to us. If we ask Jesus to forgive our sins and we follow Him, God lives in us! We are to be known by how we love one another, and the BCM has been the start of a lot of deep friendships and love in my life. Following Jesus means loving people and putting others before myself.
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. // 1 John 4:11-12
One of my favorite things at the BCM is the Freshman Journey Groups, a bible study on Monday nights (with free dinner!) that was a source of joy and community, My small group leader invested in me deeply. She showed me how she prayed for the people in her life, how she read her Bible and journaled, and I began to learn to love genuinely and see those around me more like Jesus does with love and grace and a desire to know people more fully.
College is hard. But there are so many people here at UA that cannot wait to meet you (including me!) Find your people. Go to events, especially in the first weeks of school. Ask your roommates or the random people you meet on campus if they want to come with you.
Say yes to new things like study groups, camping trips, going to lunch with new people after church. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself and ask someone’s name, especially in classes. I met my best friends and current roommates my second night of college across the table at BCM Survival (now known as THRIVE), so you never know where you might meet your lifelong pals. Check out different churches and campus ministries to find what works best for you and where you can grow. I personally love the BCM. I hope you can love it too!
Katelyn Adams // @katreelyn
Junior // Secondary Education - History
Houston, TX