What I Learned At College

One of the most amusing things I liked to do randomly these past years was to call up my dad and say something along the lines of, "Hey, I learned something today! I learned _____." To which he would respond somewhat sarcastically, "Well I certainly hope we're sending you to college to learn something!"

Now that I have actually graduated from college, I am finding myself reflecting on these past four years. I have grown and learned a lot. As I think about it, much of what I have learned is hard to pin point to specific things. I did not learn a trade. I did not learn calculus or how to build a house. I have learned to write well. I have learned to critically think and do research. I have learned to work with people. Much of what I have learned at college does not necessarily revolve around facts and figures. It is based upon the experiences I have had and the people I have met.

1. People are who they are for reasons.
Everyone has a story. Do not judge. One of the more profound concepts I learned when I was first came to college was in a Marriage and Family class I took. I remember distinctly thinking, "I am 18 years old and know more about families than at least 1/2 of the countries population." The cycles of families is something which impressed me greatly. If you are from a divorced family, the probability of you getting divorced goes up tremendously. You parent the way you were parented. It makes sense. It the same with addictive behavior and medical conditions. If your dad died of a heart attack the predisposition toward such a medical condition is likely in you. Breaking cycles of abuse and dysfunction has to be intentional. Healthy relationships have to be intentional to make them work. That having been said, people are the way they are for reasons. If a person is controlling, there is an underlying issue. If someone cannot communicate, there is a reason. If someone is a basket-case, there is a reason. Too often we take people at face value and say "that is just how they are." No! Oftentimes behavior is a cry for help and also a symptom of a deeper issue. We as Christians cannot be judging people but when faced with difficult people need to pray to God that we can see the heart of the matter and help people. The breakdown of the family is an epidemic in America and the greatest cause of violence and the vast majority of problems in America. Things like: the percentage of people in jail from single-parent families is staggering. (end of that soap box)

2. We are called to service
Some of my greatest experiences of college were in extracurricular activities. For several of my classes we were required to do community service hours. Also with the clubs I was in we were involved with service activities. I volunteered at a school. I volunteered at a day care. (And was asked if a 3 year old was my child.) We went to nursing homes. We went to missions. We went to government housing. I was able to be involved with a lot of outreaches and this stretched me and was the source of great joy. Eventually I joined the Bible Workers Club and was involved in a Bible study which I think ministered more to me than to the lady. They were all great experiences! There is certainly blessing in serving others. It opens our eyes to the needs around us. It will be my challenge to look for these opportunities wherever I am and find what God has in store for me to help others in specific ways.

3. We are called to study
I admit it, I loved school. I honestly can't think of a class which I particularly did not like at all. Certainly there were some that I preferred more than others but I learned every class and gained something which is useful to life. From Shakespeare to Greek to Biology, it's been a joy! God wants us to take advantage of the resources and opportunities we have. The more educated we are the more diverse people we are able to reach for Him. While certainly the Bible and inspired writings need to be the heart of everything we do, we need to be well-rounded people and be interested in the life around us. I don't ever want to stop learning about people and the world which God has created.

4. We are called to be responsible
One of the burdens of school has been group work. When looking at a syllabus for a class and discovering some group project I would inwardly groan. Inevitably someone in the group would not do their work and usually someone like myself would take it upon themselves to do their work. It was always such an ordeal. I was responsible in school. I wanted to do my best in whatever I had to do. I don't want to lose that. However, there are other areas of life which my responsibility lacks. I can be extremely lazy and unmotivated when I have no accountability. By God's grace, I will overcome these areas and learn to be responsible in all areas of life even when it seems no one is watching. Cause, after all, He is.

5. We need relationships
Some of the most profound insights to myself and people in general are the results of relationships: whether male/female or friends. We are all so different. Whether personality types or backgrounds. I admit, it can be a huge struggle to understand some people. But I think in doing so, we discover so much about God. We are made to be together to reveal Christ's character together.

I have certainly learned more than just these points. I could talk about social norms, neurons in the brain, Daniel 4, different religions, history of native americans, yadda yadda. But I think these 5 points transcend the specifics. God has been so good. I am so grateful.