The end of my time at Corban is the first time I don’t know what I’m doing with my life. It’s always been centered on school. Soon, however, I will somehow finish my senior capstone and I will be walking across that stage in May, and I don’t know what’s coming. I’d love to say that I will be going on the Europe trip my roommates and I have been talking about since sophomore year before walking straight into my dream job. But in reality, it seems to be filled with questions the “real” adults ask me and I have no answer to. Yes, I know where I’d like to be, but I have no clue how to get there or if that’s where God is taking me. The struggle of senior year is being in step with Him as I take the first blind leap into my future.
Wrapping up my time at Corban is an odd concept to me. Since my first day as a freshman, I knew that it would eventually end. Still, it was 4 years out and I had plenty of time. Somehow, that year was long and filled with great experiences and friends. Sophomore year I got comfortable and invested in everything, but time passed so much more quickly. Suddenly, junior year was halfway over and I still hadn’t done three-fourths of the things I “needed to do” with my friends because classes took so much effort. I blinked and it was senior year. I have a research paper in almost every class, at least two hours of reading a night, and now I have to deal with the added struggle of living off campus and still wanting to be involved with the Fraagard community I love so much. It’s certainly a predicament balancing classwork and investing in relationships before graduation.
My advice for underclassmen: invest. Of course, build those essential friendships, join a club that challenges your perception of what you’re good at (I suggest Stinky Bagels Poetry Club), and have fun. But more than that, invest in your education.
You shouldn’t just be going to classes to get the grade. Learn material you will actually need in your future. Religious Movements is so helpful it should probably be a required course. Choose electives that will stretch your perceptions and challenge your comfort zones. Sure, Aerobic Kickboxing, Feminism in the Bible and Philosophy of the Fantastic might not seem like the most pertinent information to learn but they will each challenge you in their own way.
Invest in relationships with your professors. Discuss the theology behind “Twilight” with Stark, get relational advice from Marty, find out about embryo adoption from Professor Kelli Gassman and get into a debate with Allen Jones about female leadership in the Bible.
Go on dates. That doesn’t mean someone asking you out is a proposal or a guarantee of a relationship. It’s about getting to know people and encouraging an environment where sitting next to someone in chapel three days in a row doesn’t end in an Mrs. degree.
Invest in campus life. Sit with people you don’t know, go to the beach party and win the limbo competition, apply to be an RA or on SAB, help with the play, go to hall Bible study (or for the commuter ranks, which I have recently joined, get adopted by a hall).
Also get off campus, go to Aiberto’s, Marco’s and Ike box. Ride the carousel at Riverfront Park (it’s only $1.50). Basically, invest in challenging yourself and helping others to grow as well. It goes by quick.