Biola University First Year Student Journals

Adjusting to College Life

November 11, 2005 | 3 comments

Wow! I can’t believe it is already the beginning of November. A lot of life has been lived since my last journal entry - my floor retreat, reconciliation chapels, a concert at the Eddy, National Day of Prayer, Torrey Conference, Women’s volleyball games, men’s soccer games, GYRAD, Midnight Madness, and of course, school.

The Torrey Conference was a wonderful time of multiple chapels and workshops led by special speakers. It allowed me to refocus my life on the things that are important, particularly listening and recognizing God’s voice in the middle of a busy, stressful world. There were five speakers this year: Dr. David Talley, Todd Proctor, Rev. Bryan Loritts, Francis Chan, and The Acts of Renewal. The messages of racial reconciliation, sin, and the passivity of the church were awesome! I walked away feeling spiritually “refreshed” and ready to put words into actions.

My GYRAD (Get Your Roommate A Date) was an awesome event. My floor decided to go to Hollywood and dress as famous couples, such as J-Lo and Marc Anthony, Gabrielle Union and Jamie Fox, and the Zorro couple. While walking down Hollywood Boulevard, we had a picture scavenger hunt with the most random clues. After an hour or so, we all drove to Westwood and ate pizza and ice cream with cookies. It was an absolute blast! The most memorable thing about the GYRAD was seeing everyone dressed up as their characters and getting to spend a night out in Hollywood with my entire floor and friends.

Midnight Madness was also a great experience. It was the perfect way to kick off the basketball season! There was a lot of camaraderie and Biola spirit- screaming and fun music that pumped up the atmosphere of the Biola gym. My floor wore all red, and some people painted their faces. There were tug-of-war competitions, an i-Pod and money prizes, video clips of President Cook’s abduction with a drama, and a choreographed hip-hop dance as the finale (that was my favorite part). It was a great time for bonding with other students.

In the middle of all this fun, though, there was also an element of stress. October must have been the most stressful month of the school year so far! With all the midterms that seemed to keep crashing in, wave after wave, I felt like I was going to drown in homework. Fortunately, it didn’t last long. One of the things I learned during those late nights studying for exams was that God is always in control. It didn’t matter how much I tried to perfect an assignment and get good grades with my own strength- God knew the ultimate outcome.

At times, when I felt completely overwhelmed, I would spend some time in retrospect, listening to what God might have me hear. He showed me what it means to trust Him. He revealed to me that every time I started freaking out about an exam or my grades, I was not trusting Him to see me through, nor was I trusting that He had it all under control. I was reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” This has been a very important lesson for me, since it also applies to what major and career I will pursue. I have to trust God that everything will fall into place if I keep Him first in my life and let Him “steer”.

Journal Entries

• The Ultimate Experience
• Adjusting to College Life
• Thanksgiving Break
• New Year, 2nd Semester Butterflies
• Will You Be My Valentine?
• Lessons Learned and Truths Taught
• Content

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