College life looks a little different for me than it does for some students. I am 53 years old, so I am not exactly living in a dorm, surviving on ramen, or calling home to ask how to do laundry.
But I am still a college student.
I still have assignments, deadlines, Community Learning Groups (CLGs), work responsibilities, family commitments, ministry, and those moments when I look at the syllabus and think, “Was that assignment always there?”
No matter our age or season of life, college can get busy quickly. That is why daily faith practices in college are so important. Whether you are 18, 28, 38, or 53, staying spiritually grounded often comes down to small, intentional choices that keep God at the center of everything else competing for our attention.
Start the Day with God
I would love to say that every morning begins with an uninterrupted hour of prayer, Scripture, and peaceful reflection.
It does not.
Some mornings are quieter than others, and then there are days when everything seems to be going wrong at a rapid rate.
On those chaotic mornings, I may only get a few minutes of quiet time with God, but I still do my best to start my day by thanking Him and asking the Holy Spirit to fill me and prepare me for whatever the day may bring. I have learned that giving God those first moments, however many I have, helps me approach everything else differently.
Keep Scripture Close
As a student at Manna University, I spend a lot of time reading Scripture for class. But there is a difference between reading the Bible because an assignment requires it and reading it because my soul needs it.
Sometimes I need to put down the textbook, stop thinking about what I need to write about the passage, and simply let God’s Word speak to me.
Keeping Scripture close throughout the day can be simple. Save a verse on your phone, write one in your planner, or choose a passage to return to during the week.
You do not need five commentaries, six highlighters, and a color-coded Bible study system every time you open Scripture.
Sometimes one verse is exactly what you need.
Pray in the Middle of Real Life
Prayer does not have to happen only during a designated devotional time.
Some of my prayers happen while driving. Some happen before I begin an assignment. Some happen when I am overwhelmed.
And occasionally they sound something like, “Lord, I have read these instructions three times. Please help me understand what this professor wants.”
Whether you are sitting at your kitchen table doing homework, heading to work, studying between responsibilities, or trying to finish an assignment after everyone else in the house has gone to bed, you can invite God into that moment.
Practice Gratitude
College tends to keep us focused on what comes next.
The next assignment.
The next exam.
The next trimester.
Graduation.
At 53, I have learned that constantly looking toward the next thing can cause us to miss what God is doing in the season we are currently living.
Gratitude brings us back to the present.
Maybe you are thankful for an encouraging professor, a classmate who helped you, a good grade, a family member who supports your education, or simply the fact that you submitted the assignment before 11:59 p.m.
That last one deserves celebration too.
Taking time to recognize God’s goodness helps us see that He is working even in the ordinary parts of college life.
Find Your People
We need friends who encourage us, people who pray for us, mentors who challenge us, and classmates who understand why we are stressed about an assignment no one else in our family wants to hear about anymore.
Christian community is an important part of spiritual growth. It also reminds me of Manna University’s theme this year: Together. We are stronger when we have people around us who encourage us, challenge us, pray with us, and help us keep going.
Invite God into Your Schoolwork
Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (ESV).
That includes papers, exams, Community Learning Groups, and all the reading that somehow seems to multiply when you are not looking.
When we begin to see our education as part of what God is doing in our lives, school becomes about more than earning a degree. We can ask God for wisdom, work with integrity, treat classmates with kindness, and approach our assignments as opportunities to grow.
Faithfulness in Every Season
One of the things I appreciate most about being a college student at this stage of my life is realizing that learning does not have an expiration date.
Neither does spiritual growth.
Whether you are beginning college right out of high school, returning after several years, balancing school with a career or family, or pursuing a degree at 53, like me, God can use this season to shape you.
And no matter how old we are when we walk into the classroom, or log into it, we can choose daily habits that help us become more like the person God is calling us to be.
Michelle Pottorff, Undergraduate Senior (Christian Leadership)