I am, in a way, part of this year’s freshman class at Taylor University. I spent my first month here learning what it means to be part of the Taylor community. Then students began arriving, campus sprang to life and my new list of firsts began.
My first Communication Department retreat. My first faculty-wide training sessions. My first meeting with The Echo staff. My first Community Plunge. My first Faculty Chapel. My first day of class.
I was up most of the night Aug. 31, thinking about lesson plans and figuring out which outfit I should wear the next day. I was especially looking forward to sporting the new purple tie my wife bought for me.
I had already figured out where my classrooms were and that my laptop worked in each one. I had not yet arranged my office the way I wanted, but Taylor’s IT department had made sure I at least had a wired internet connection.
I met the people in my department I will work with. I found the library and the registrar’s office and Odle and Euler.
That first day, my wife sent me out the door with a packed lunch. That first week, I came back with as much homework as my students.
As we finish our first full month of classes together, I have been thinking about ways we can all keep on track for the rest of the semester.
I’m not offering this list as someone who has mastered college life. I’m offering it as a fellow freshman of sorts — someone learning this place alongside you.
Pray: Starting college is the perfect time to make prayer a regular part of our lives, if it isn’t already. Begin the day with your mind and heart on Christ. Pray honestly and pray often, making room for the peace of God.
Love: God loves you so, so much. Honor the Lord by loving each person and caring for creation as Christ would. First, love God with all your heart, soul and mind. And then love your neighbors as yourself (that includes people who live in other residence halls).
Listen: While you are praying, listen to the Holy Spirit. While you are in class, listen to your professor and your classmates. We all need to be present and to truly open our ears to the world around us.
Do: Do your assignments and your job with pride and focus. And do some of the other amazing things that campus life offers. Volunteer, join a club, start your own group.
Try: Ecclesiastes 11 offers great advice about trying new things, specifically because you cannot know what God has planned for your future. Look for one new thing to try each week.
Work: We came to college to learn. Don’t cheat yourself out of that opportunity. Remember Proverbs 14:23 and put in the work, whether you are in the classroom, in the lab, on the field or in the community.
Play: Enjoy your time here at Taylor. Remember that Jesus' first public miracle took place at a wedding celebration. Spend time having fun and enjoying this community that God has brought you to. Let this be a season to laugh and make joyful noise.
Sleep: Your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit. Take care of that temple. Prioritize your health.Get some sleep, eat a proper meal, drink water and get out in the sun. Listen to what Jesus said in Mark 6:31: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Read: Read your syllabi before your assignments sneak up on you. Read your Bible before the day gets too loud. Read the flyers and posters in the halls to see what is happening on campus. And read The Echo — not because I am the adviser, but because student voices matter at Taylor.
Write: You will have plenty to write for your professors this year. Spend a few minutes writing something that has nothing to do with school. Write in a diary. Write a letter to your parents or best friend at home. Write a piece for The Echo or the Ilium. Your writing could become part ofTaylor University’s history.
Ask: Ask for help when you need it. God often meets us through other people: a professor, a roommate, a counselor, a pastor, a coach or a friend. The Lord hears us while we are still speaking, and prayer often gives us the courage to reach out.
Answer: Share your story. Share your testimony. Accept the invitation to a campus event. Heed the nudge from the Holy Spirit. It is easier to answer the call when you are listening for it.
I will be working through this list alongside you. Let’s hold each other up this semester as we learn Taylor together.
Disclosure: The author used BoodleBox as a feedback tool during the revision process.
