It’s no secret that being religious in our modern society can come with tons of misconceptions and terrible stereotypes, but being religious on a college campus is a whole different animal. While the world can be a scary place right now with the political turmoil going on and the abundant different opinions we all have in the US, it doesn’t have to be so scary.
Growing up in Allen, a suburb just outside of Dallas, I had no concept of those who were different from me. You went to church on Sunday, said your prayers, and read your bible and that’s just the way it was.
As I grew up, I noticed more and more not everyone shared the same values I did. In high school, it wasn’t much of an issue – my peers and I never really discussed spirituality. Then, I went to college.
In college, you’re no longer a kid. Yes, some people turn 18 years old in high school and technically are adults at that point, but in the eyes of society, college is when it becomes the real deal. With this new freedom comes the responsibility to take charge of your faith.
In Catholicism, a person’s Confirmation is when they take charge of their faith. Around the eighth grade, Catholic children go through the sacrament by picking a patron saint, brushing up on their knowledge of the denomination, and going through various learning opportunities such as camps and service work. At 13 years old, we choose to be responsible for our faith.
Unfortunately, most people aren’t mature enough to handle something like that so young. That’s where being Catholic in college has surprised me tremendously. It’s not as hard as you might think. Sure, there is temptation to party, gossip, or engage in sexual activity, but the beauty of college and being in a world full of adults is that when you say “hey, I don’t smoke” or “no thanks, I don’t drink”, there isn’t as much pressure to do it. If there is someone pressuring you, there’s also plenty of other people willing to befriend you who won’t pressure you.
Of course, Freshman and Sophomore year are harder as not everyone has matured to the point of accepting ‘no’ as a valid answer, but progress is made every year as the coming generations become more and more accepting.
I’ve had to deal with my fair share of being made fun of for praying before meals, getting dirty looks for giving up meat for lent, and argued with because I should “enjoy my college experience” instead of being “reserved”., But at the end of the day, my faith is deeply personal. No ‘true college experience’ is worth trading my faith, a lifelong commitment.
When you think of Catholics on college campuses, you may think of supremely boring people who hole up in their dorms, spend hours studying their bible, and don’t speak to anyone- but you would be surprised by how enjoyable life is for us. Some people smoke, some people don’t and it’s the same way with spirituality – some people believe in a God, and some don’t. The sooner we accept everyone for who they are, the easier it’ll be to express faith on campus.