5 Ways to Thrive as a Christian Student
Back to school is just around the corner and while I am not headed back full-time, I did spend 5 full years on a post-secondary campus. Many people know the stats are high for Christian students losing their faith when they head to university but it doesn’t have to be you. I’m going to share with you my experience with how I set up guards to keep my faith on campus!
Stay Connected to Your Church
If you already have a church, find a way to get involved! Find a way to serve so you’re held accountable to attending. There are lots of opportunities if you look for them and it can be as simple as once a Month on Sunday mornings. It doesn’t need to take a lot of your time away from studying, but if you’re serving then you’re much more likely to feel a part of your church and stay. If you can, join your Young Adults or a community group! If you’re moving away then make finding a church the first thing on your to do list!
2. Get involved with Christian Community on Campus
This was one of the things that I did differently than a lot of my church peers. It isn’t a necessity (after all, it isn’t church and can’t replace it) but it was one of the biggest influences in my life at the time. I was able to find Christian friends on campus, meet up for lunch or studying with them and invite unbelieving classmates to attend fun events with me. Having a Christian community on campus taught me a lot and some of them are some of my greatest friends to this day. They helped encourage me in my walk with God and kept me accountable in my friendships with classmates. There are many Christian clubs on campuses and you can probably find at least one!
3. View your Campus as a Mission Field
Most people head to university to study, party or have a good time but it’s so much more than that! As a Christian, it is a unique mission field that will only be available to you for a few select years. Soooo many of your classmates will never have heard of Jesus never mind even knowing what He did for them. After finishing my degree, I look back and realize just how ready the harvest is on campus - people are still forming their beliefs and are open to learning. If you head into school with the mindset of it being a mission field, it will keep your focused on why you’re really there: to study for the glory of God and make Him known to those around you.
4. Say hi to someone in Class
I am saying this to you as an introvert - just say hi! Most of the time other people were also hoping to find a study buddy but not many have the courage to initiate. It is scary in the beginning and sometimes they’ll come back the next week sitting in a different place away from you (yikes) but other times you will make a friend! In most of my classes I was able to make at least one classmate friend and some of them I got to know well enough to study with and even invite to my Christian club events. Saying hi can be the start to better grades and evangelism opportunities!
5. Study with Classmates and Friends
You may be a lone study person but I always found that I retained more information when I studied with other people! This is why you reach out - you need people to study with! Whether it’s on campus or not, it is a great way to improve your grades. Not to mention, as a Christian, it is an easy way to build relationships with people who probably have very different personal interests than you! Some of my study buddies were people who smoked and partied on the weekends but because we had the same class, we were able to study together on campus in a neutral environment and I had an opportunity to love on them like Jesus.
I saw many Christians thrive in their faith without making any friends on campus or getting involved on campus because they were connected well into their church. For me, I was convicted to make new friends who were unbelievers because I had been keeping my light so close to home for so long. Christian campus community and living with the intentional mindset of having a temporary mission field are what God led me to do.
So whichever God leads you to do, follow the Spirit’s leading in your life and enjoy this season of life!