I am a Christian. That is something I don’t hear too often on Columbia’s campus. So, you can imagine that when a conversation about religion comes up anywhere on campus–nothing good comes from it. I know for me, when I was an underclassmen it was pretty intimidating because I felt like I was the only Christian around and didn’t know what to say.
There ended up being some things that definitely helped me keep my faith during my time here at Columbia and made me more comfortable with my faith.
One of the main things I suggest a person of faith finds in college is community. I don’t know what I would have done without my school’s Intervarsity Chapter. I met some great people there and got the chance to meet other great people from different schools. After meeting all of these people (and of course realizing that God was with me), I felt less alone. You also learn great ways of keeping your faith in college.
Another thing I suggest is just being you. Don’t hide who you are. You will be surprised by how accepting some people are of your faith, especially your friends who may not know. I find it interesting when people who have known me for a while find out I am a Christian and I start freaking out because I think it’s the end of our friendship. Then I find out they totally don’t mind and go on with their day. Often, we do make a bigger deal out of things than what they really are.
I’ve learned from my three years here that the beauty of Columbia is the diversity. There are people here that are from different states, countries, ethnicities, cultures and religions. Realizing all of this, it helped me know that I can fit in on campus, and be myself, because we have the freedom to.