How to deal with the fact that college is scary
There are times in our college lives where we get scared. Sometimes those moments can be blinding because they can really overwhelm us. That fear can direct our lives, giving them a control that they really shouldn’t have. There are so many fears that we experience:
- Failing an exam
- Not finding an internship
- Not being accepted
- Not making friends
- Never finding a passion
- Not getting a job offer
Part of the reason for this fear is that we have a limited view of Christ’s role in our lives. When we fully accept Christ, all of our college fears can dissolve away, but only when we have true faith. The Apostles were themselves young adults when they set out to walk with Jesus, and they too, got scared. The gospel gives us an example of a scary situation and how Christ teaches us how to mediate it.
Let’s take a look:
Mark 6:45-53
At that time, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw him, and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” And he entered the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.
Being in college is like being on a boat. We are on our own, navigating tumultuous waters of stress and examinations. The Apostles were fighting hard to get back to land and get back to Jesus. We spend our time battling against sin, stress and of course… fear. But the truth is revealed in this story in that Christ meets us exactly where we are.
Jesus didn’t command the boat to approach the shore, but in His awesome humility, He WALKED ON WATER to meet THEM. How many times do we let our insecurities manifest into our fears? The truth is that God will come to help us, and when we invite Him into the boat that is our life, He can calm the seas and winds of our stresses and fears. But, we have to try. We have to put in the work in our studies and perform acts of bravery, just as the Apostles were tirelessly working to get their boat back to shore.
The next time you’re feeling scared, know that God has your back. Pray to the Holy Spirit to help you! Don’t let your fears overcome you, because with God you can overcome anything!