If you are heading off to college this fall, you must accomplish these two tasks as soon as possible. Once completed, these tasks will provide a good deal of protection from the typical and sometimes overwhelming loneliness and sadness that occasionally arises during college life.
Your first step is to contact your Christian denomination’s religious student center near your campus as soon as possible. I spent hours playing card games with many of the guys and some of the girls in the student center in my college years. It became much of my college culture, and I still remember it with smiles. It was a safe place to go when I was happy or depressed and lonely.
Student religious centers provide a tremendous amount of social support as you adjust to school. Having friends with the same or similar religious background is super helpful. Social support is critical to good mental health.1 Campus religious student organizations are there to help you with that support.
If you are an international student or not a Christian, no problem. Show up anyway and just start interacting with everyone else. These student centers invite anyone who wants to be a part of their activities. Just remember, these are not party centers with beer and togas. At least I hope not.
Some religious student centers may be struggling and not be able to provide you with the support you need. That is all right. There are other religious campus organizations that have larger, better developed programs with a lot of student activities. Join one of these that is close to your denomination’s beliefs.
How can you tell whether a denominational student organization is close to your beliefs? Call your home pastor or priest for advice, or just attend the different Christian groups. Word of mouth from upper classmen can be helpful. Beware, some religious groups call themselves Christian when their core religious beliefs are not Christian at all. Ask a pastor to help you understand which organizations are Christian and which are not.
You may need to explore several religious student centers before you find one that fits best. In the dark ages when I went to college, I visited three centers before finding that my own denominational student center best fit me. That may not happen to you.
In my campus organization, freshmen from several different Christian denominations attended. They were attracted to the activities and fellowship there. I met my wife at this denominational center. Even though we didn’t really date until two years later, I got to know her as a friend during those early years. As a result, we knew each other well before we even started dating.
The second important task for you to accomplish is to find an positive, student supporting church to attend. If you have a history of attending church in high school, explore online for churches that represent your denomination. If there is more than one church from your denomination in the area, visit them all. Compare and contrast them for a spiritual and social best fit for you. Good Christianity involves church involvement.
Research has shown that attending church once a week protects one from much of the overwhelming depression and anxiety you will encounter. It will not keep you from experiencing it, but in many cases, it will help you face it with spiritual and social strength.
Your spirituality will be challenged at most colleges, and you may feel compelled to go into the closet about your faith. Finding a place that lets you feel free to talk about your faith, learn from it, and, more importantly, express it, is critical to a balanced life. A student center and church combination will provide for much of that balance. In addition, this kind of spiritual nutrition is important to a successful college life.
Start investigating student ministries and churches now. Most have websites and tell of their ministries and activities. Visit them soon after arriving on campus and start those relationships quickly and begin your involvement. Your mental and spiritual health with thank you.
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