Choosing to attend university is a life changing experience, you may have to move to a new location, make new friends, and adapt to a new lifestyle while concentrating on your studies. This completely new upheaval can have a huge impact on your faith, during college you often find yourself with little time for anything else but assignments and study, but there are ways to keep you focused and practice your religion.

• Seek Out New Friends

Although most universities are multicultural institutes it can be beneficial to befriend an individual with the same Christian beliefs as yourself, finding a group who practice your faith would be great but even one person would be extremely beneficial. When arriving on a new campus, there are various ways to find new friends with the same religious beliefs, some options include:

• Posting on college boards
• Sending out group emails to other new class members
• Visiting the student resource centre
• Searching on student boards and college forums
• Reading university notice boards
• Checking college directories

• Attend the Local Church

You will not be in college all year round so during semester breaks you can search for local Christian churches where you can attend to practice your faith. You can also make time during the weekends to be present during sermons to keep you connected to God. Attending a local place of worship allows you to integrate into your new community and keep your faith strong throughout your college years.

• Encountering New Beliefs

It is inevitable that while at university you will encounter various faiths and religions, some belief system may go against your morals and challenge your principles, be prepared to deal with this experience and stand up for what you believe in. You do not have to be confrontational, rather try to understand the other student’s beliefs and improve your knowledge of new religions.

• Use Additional Technologies

During those busy college periods such as exam times, it can be difficult to find time to practice your religion or even leave your dorm to attend your local church. One option is to use online websites and products to help you stay connected to God, if you are looking for Christian CD’s you can visit online stores and order them directly to your place of residence. Christian sites provide products such as:

• Gifts & Christian Supplements
• CD’s
• DVD’s
• Audio Books
• Books
• Guidance manuals

• Stay Connected

Everyone knows just how hectic your lifestyle can become during university, assignments start to build up and you rarely have any time for anything other than studying at the college library. But it is vital that you invest some time in people and do not break those bonds that you are so carefully established. Take some time to talk to God, and other friends and family, stay positive and hopeful, and keep practicing your religion especially during those challenging times.

Your college years can be both a challenging and rewarding time, it is important to keep your faith during this period and allow your religion to support you throughout this process.