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Although religion is not on the state schools’ agenda it is nonetheless a part of many students lives. For those students who have more of a religious background and faith, sometimes it may be hard to cope with religion and College. Luckily, there are usually religious based groups or clubs on campus available for students to join. This is a good place to meet fellow students who share the same faith and beliefs.
When you go to college, for many young people, it is their first time away from the family home and so it can be a bit of a shock for anyone. It is even more of a shock if you come from a religious background and hold a strong religious belief yourself. Many students appear to run a bit wild during their first taste of being away from home and this is quite disturbing if you have firm ideas regarding what is, and what is not acceptable behavior.
The first thing you should know is that almost everyone feels unsure of themselves when they start college – it is just that people have different ways of dealing with their insecurity. If you are religious then it is highly likely that you will spend time in prayer and reading your bible (or other sacred text if you are not a Christian) in order to deal with the situation.
Sometimes religious students can feel quite isolated, especially if you have no inclination to keep partying and indulging in heavy petting or pre-marital intercourse. If you also steer clear of alcohol and smoking then it is often the case that you become the butt of fellow students’ jokes and pranks. Rather than helping you to loosen up, this behavior is more likely to make you go further into yourself and this can make college life very difficult.
If you do have a strong religious belief and want to stick by the teachings of your faith while you are at college then it is a good idea to find out what sort of support would be available while you are there. Most colleges for example, have access to a chaplaincy service or local ministers and imams and it is a good idea to make sure that you have the details in case you want to access these services.
Ministers, whatever their persuasion know how difficult it can be when you first get to college; they also know that it is not easy for a religious person to find their niche in the new set up. It is good to be able to go to someone and know that they will understand how your are feeling – they are probably used to dealing with students who feel just the way you do and will be able to pray with you and advise you on how best to deal with both other students and your own feelings. Once you know that help is at hand it is often more easier to find your own way through things and enjoy the rest of your time at college.
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