Hi friends! It has been a while since I last made a blog post because life has been so HECTIC but also so much fun. Here’s a quick update of what has happened since my last post:
-I graduated from college!! (Magna Cum Laude hehe.) Graduation felt so unreal. It was truly amazing to finally graduate and be done with undergrad. It feels like all my hard work has paid off. These 4 years of college flew by and it makes me feel so proud of myself to accomplish this. I thank God for being with me through it all.
-I went to Walt Disney World to celebrate! I had so much fun at Disney. Disney is quite literally the most magical place on earth. It truly takes me back to my childhood when I was obsessed with Disney and Disney Channel (I may or may not still be). I feel so blessed to have such wonderful parents who always bring me joy in so many ways.
Now, for this blog post, I wanted to talk about 6 things that I learned in college. I feel that these 6 things may be helpful for future or current college students. I want to share my experiences, the ways I have grown over these past 4 years, and advice on how to make college as fun as it can be.
#1 College is NOT the best 4 years of your life.
If college was the best 4 years of my life, then I truly have not lived haha. (I’m mostly joking.) Now, college was fun! It had its ups and downs but I just want to let you know that it is okay to not have enjoyed college as much as you thought you would. I went into college thinking it would be the most fun, always exciting, and the best thing ever, at least that’s how they portrayed it in movies. Looking back, I think that college is more about growth, learning who you are as you become an adult, and also learning how to be on your own. Just those things alone are tough, then you add on classwork and student organizations, it can get pretty stressful. College was a good 4 years and I am so grateful that I got to experience it. Now if college was the best 4 years of your life I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I just know for a fact that it was not mine lol.
#2 There’s so much growth that happens.
This kind of goes along with my last point, but I have truly changed since my freshman year. I have become more outgoing, my relationship with God has grown tremendously, and I learned that I can be alone and not feel lonely. College showed me who I am as a person. I learned that I can stand my ground and not give into peer-pressure. I learned that I don’t need validation from the people around me to live and enjoy life. I learned that I love reading, watching movies, and having alone time. I learned that I prefer having a few close friends rather than a group of surface level friendships who don’t even know me at all. Most of all, my faith in God has grown and I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
#3 Community is so important. Don’t isolate yourself.
As an introvert, I tend to want to spend time alone most of the time. During freshman year, I found myself feeling shy and afraid to meet new people and join organizations. After a while, I realized that even though I enjoy my alone time, I desire community, a Christian community specifically. College will be lonely at times. It’s different than high school in the way that you most likely won’t have the same classes as your friends. As much as you may think you’re okay alone, you need people. Even the Bible says, “And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him,” (Genesis 2:18 NKJV.) That’s why it is so important to join student organizations where you can build friendships by seeing the same people every week at the meetings. I joined InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and made close friendships that have similar mindsets as I do. It was also a place where you could be vulnerable and open about your struggles and get prayed for. I am so grateful for InterVarsity. I truly believe this group played a huge role in my growing a personal relationship with Christ. Having weekly Bible studies, events, and lunches that surround Christ was truly a blessing.
#4 Don’t do things you don’t want to do just because everyone else is doing it.
There can be a lot of peer pressure in college in many ways. At the end of the day, if you don’t want to do it, don’t. During my freshman year, I felt bad about not going to any parties because all of the people around me were going. I started to question myself thinking maybe I’m being too boring or lame. Quite frankly, I’m not even a party person, never have been, and in hindsight I am SO grateful I didn’t go because I never want to be the type of person who can’t stand firm on my personal choices. I’m not saying that parties are bad and that no one should go, I just knew that if I went I would not enjoy it in any way. True friends won’t be mad at you if you tell them you don’t want to do something that the group wants. They may even respect you more for standing your ground (what I’ve learned from personal experience.) Be who you are and don’t feel that you have to change to become more likable. I promise you will find people who love who you are naturally, even if it takes some time.
#5 YOU NEED GOD
I literally would not have made it through college without God. He helped me with the homesickness I had during my freshman year by providing me with a great roommate (who I didn’t even know at all before college) and a Christian community to rely on. He helped me with the anxiety that I struggled with when the pandemic first started. Anxiety came up in 2020 that I never even realized I had. I struggled with insomnia because life suddenly became so uncertain and I found myself struggling with symptoms of anxiety ALL day long. I prayed that He would give me peace and He did. He was with me all throughout my senior year which was honestly my hardest year of school I have ever had. I took 6 classes spring semester, which felt like an overload. I truly had to rely on Him to get me through this year. I literally prayed before every test and every study session so that I could grasp the material in my Media Law and Ethics class. I ended up finishing this semester with all A’s and I know that it was all Him. I am not sharing this to brag on myself, I’m saying this to brag on my Savior because He is the one who made this possible and I will forever be grateful. College is hard and having someone you can rely on and someone who you know and trust is ALWAYS with you makes ALL the difference, I promise.
#6 Senior year is so bittersweet. Embrace every day!
This is for all my upcoming seniors! Please make sure you make the most of your senior year. Spend time with the friends you love who you may not see anymore post-grad. It has only been 1 month but I already miss my Phi Lamb sisters and my InterVarsity friends like crazy. To go from seeing them every week to not seeing them at all is a huge jump. Spend time exploring things on campus that you may not have noticed. I sat outside more than ever this semester because our campus is truly beautiful. Just embrace this season of excitement, new beginnings, uncertainty, and enjoy it before everyone goes their separate ways and embark on this journey called life.
I am so grateful that I had a great 4 years of college and that I was able to learn and grow so much. I thank my parents, friends, and family for always being there to give advice and just be the listening ear that I needed. I thank God for being my peace, my hope, and for carrying me through it all.
I thank you for reading.
Kindly,
Kayla.
Kindly, Kayla 
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