It’s been (gulp) 13 years since I stepped foot onto campus in College Station. I had a wonderful experience that stretched me and molded me into the person I am today. With time comes reflection, though. So, I wanted to share with you some things I wish I had been told when I began my freshman year.
Meet everyone you can.
Meet people from different scholarly disciplines, different socio-ethnic backgrounds; meet professors, tutors, coaches, librarians. Meet people off-campus in the community. Get to know people around you. College is about learning information, but it’s also about gaining wisdom from people who have gone before you. Learn from books, but learn from the experiences of others as well!
Find community!
Meet everyone you can, yes, but be sure you have a close community of people that you can share life with. You must find people that are trustworthy to sharpen you and care for you. Maybe this is people of the same faith background or cultural background. It could be people who have the same ambitions as you. Whomever it may be, find people that will stick with you through the highs and lows of college. These will be a group of people that can support and sustain you throughout the highs and lows of life as well.
Be teachable.
This is a time where assumptions and foundational truths in your life are challenged. Some of your assumptions may need to be upended, and some may need the fortification that only comes through testing. Having a teachable spirit will benefit you in several ways. Teachability does not mean bowing down when someone disagrees with you. Rather, it indicates a humble curiosity that will push you to seek truth and wisdom. It is the foundation of a lifetime of learning that will keep you growing for many years to come.
Life for others.
The most enticing snare set to trap you is to live a life only for yourself. I want to challenge you to resist this option with all of your might. Your life will be so much more fulfilling if you would simply prioritize others over yourself. Serve your friends; they need you as much as you need them. Serve your professors; they are people, too. Teachability is humility, humility is service. Serve others and find your own life amplified! It will feel backward and difficult, but nothing worthwhile in life is easy.
Be present.
All of the previous suggestions only serve to help you implement this last piece of advice. Be present. George Washington wrote a letter to a young relative at the end of his life. What wisdom do you think the two-term president and former Commander in Chief of the Continental Army had to offer this young man? Washington warned him, “future years cannot compensate for lost days at this period of your life.”* Our first president wasn’t able to go to College. I would challenge you to be present in every class, responsibility, task, and encounter. Don’t let this time go by without your intention and purpose in all things!
*Ron Chernow, Washington, A life. p.12.
