Life Lessons from Campus Post Graduation

Every fall thousands of alumni flock back to their college campuses to celebrate Homecoming. Amid the pep band playing the fight song and old friends laughing over favorite memories, I realized Homecoming, for me, is a little different. After graduation, I spent several years as an academic advisor to student-athletes at my alma mater, Western Kentucky University. It’s given me a unique perspective on college life, well, post college. So here are a few things I learned about finding deeper meaning while you’re still on campus.

• The more things change, the more they stay the same. Buildings are renovated, and tuition is raised, but the heart of a college campus is unchanging. Every August parents say tearful goodbyes to their freshmen after carting pint-sized refrigerators up nine flights of stairs. Majors change, and eventually, tassels turn. Make the most of the short time you have.
• The people you meet will shape what college is to you. You sit beside the same people in class for an entire semester and live next to the same people in the dorm for a year. Be intentional about getting to know them, and introduce them to Christ if they don’t know Him. Your best memories will come from your relationships. Take time to invest in others.
• Eating in the cafeteria eventually becomes a novelty—even though I thought I’d never want to eat pizza and cereal in the same meal again!
• GPAs are not the ultimate standard by which we’re judged. Attitude and a willingness to learn go far in helping you find a job post-graduation.
• Finding a community of other believers is crucial. Campus ministries offer a place of fellowship and encouragement to help you grow in your relationship with Christ, but connecting to a local church is also vital. Go one step further and find an older Christian there who’ll mentor you in things of faith and daily life.
• In the real world, every day is an 8 o’clock class. Enjoy sleeping in and making your own schedule while you can.
• College décor has an expiration date. The slip-covered sofa and beloved posters must eventually become property of Goodwill.
• Take advantages of the resources on campus. Learn to love the library. Know and utilize your advisor. Ask your professors questions. Run on the treadmills in the student activity center. (You’re paying for them anyway.)
• Breaks between classes make excellent time to spend with God. I had a nook in a corner of the library and a special bench where I often went to read or pray. Many journals are filled with my reflections from those moments alone with God.
• Spring breaks and summer vacations make perfect opportunities to go on mission for God. Never again will you have the same amount of free time to travel anywhere on the planet to share the Good News with the world.
• It’s never too early to begin living on a budget. Financial wisdom in college can lay the foundation for a lifetime of good stewardship. Likewise, irresponsibility can cause you to start life in the real world drowning in debt.
• Busyness does not equal godliness. Don’t over-commit! A wise college minister once said that activity is the enemy of intimacy. It’s possible to be in five different Bible studies and still not develop true friendships or have disciplined time in Scripture.
• Don’t be so quick to ditch that annoying roommate. Sure, there are days you consider laying a dividing line of tape down the middle of the room, but try to make the most of your time with that person. Practice patience, kindness, and love, realizing that no one is perfect.
• Use your interests as platforms to be a Christian light. My freshman year, I began to understand that I was on the track team for purposes much bigger than running laps. Through many miles, long bus rides, and nightly dinner conversations with my teammates, I was there to share the love of Jesus with many who did not believe. Find your sphere of influence and be faithful, knowing that whether you stay around campus or eventually leave, you’ll never have the same opportunity again!