Many people would argue that the main reason for going to college is to become more qualified for a future occupation. While this is one of the main reasons, I think an equally important one is this: learning how to interact with and relate to all different types of people.
This is an invaluable skill to learn not only for a future job but also for any endeavor you undertake during the rest of your life. The best part about going away to school is that it provides the perfect environment to meet people.
The majority of students at college, especially freshmen, are interested in making new friends and acquaintances. Friends are important not only for having someone to spend time with but also to provide emotional support, help with homework, provide accountability, advise and encourage us to grow in our relationship with God.
Genesis 2:18 (NIV) says, “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.'” God intended people to live in community with one another and to support each other. We were not made to go through life alone.
I easily met more people in my first two months of college than I had in my 19 years prior to leaving — literally. Going away to college is one of the best ways to challenge yourself to meet new people and forge solid friendships.
Although freshmen are not going to be the most well-known students on campus, it is not difficult to meet people and establish a good corps of friends for yourself.
It is important to reach out to others and not be shy around those you do not know. Do not be afraid to introduce yourself to someone you have not met yet. Who knows? You may have more in common with some people than you think.
Also, take advantage of your opportunities and put yourself out there as often as possible. During fall orientation at Biola University, the events included a beach day, a visit to the local water park and an academic commencement dinner. I went to all of these, and they ended up being the very places where I met some of my best friends.
Even if you meet some friends you really click with from the beginning, try to avoid settling into a regular group of friends. While these groups provide the security that most students seek, it is important to continue meeting and interacting with new and different people. In a future job, it is essential that you are able to relate to very diverse groups of people, and preparation starts now.
The best piece of advice I could give to incoming freshmen would be to hang out with a bunch of different friends on a daily basis. By being with different people — both guys and girls — you put yourself in the best position to meet the people they know, and they become your friends as well.
If I could stress one more thing, it would be to remember names. This will make an immediate impression on others; by calling them by name, you are telling them that they are important to you.
Finally, if you love others, they will love you. Friends seek to bless one another and put each other first. John 13:34-35 (NIV) says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Spencer Lee, ’10 alumnus, was the former Sports Editor of The Feather.
For more college advice from previous students, read the Oct. 7, 2010 column, Former editor allays college fears.
