Are you there, God? It’s me, College.
College introduces us to a multitude of new challenges, experiences, and opportunities. For many of us, these four years serve as a crossroads between who we were and who we wish to become. For some, it is a time to stray from the values they were raised on, in order to expand their horizons. The question, then, becomes how to one maintain the delicate balance between our past values and our new curiosities and temptations. While this question is big enough to be a whole honors thesis, Her Campus only gives me so much time on my soapbox. Therefore, I’ll stick to the light stuff…like religion.
I was raised in a household and community that put little emphasis on religion. When I came to UVA I noticed a stark change in not only the number of people who did identify strongly with a certain faith, but more importantly the kind of people. In my two years here, I have had a tacit fascination for those able to stay true to their faith. Especially when immersed in an environment where time seems to move at quadruple speed and questionable temptations are all around us. How does one adhere to their faith in a college setting? To get to the bottom of this I decided to around. What I found both surprised and inspired me…
Her Campus: Would you consider yourself religious? If so, would you say you’re devout?
A*: Yes to both.
HC: Were you raised in the faith with which you identify, or did you convert?
A: I was raised Christian. It is a very big part of my family’s life. I would even venture to say it’s a very big part of the culture my family is from.
HC: Have you ever sought out different beliefs than your own? Why or why not?
A: No, I guess I’ve always been grounded in what I believe.
HC: Would you say you’re confident in your beliefs?
A: I’d say so. That’s not to say that there haven’t been times of discouragement and moments when you question it. Challenges to your beliefs are a natural part of faith.
HC: how has college life affected your faith?
A: It has definitely brought lots of challenges to my faith. However, in many ways it has helped deepen it, or at the very least, get a better understanding of it.
HC: Do you attend service more or less often than before?
A: I attend church less frequently when I’m at school, but I’m part of a bible study, so I try to balance my religion into my college life.
HC: Have your beliefs affected your social/dating relationships?
A: Not adversely, no.
HC: Have you studied other beliefs since being at UVA? If so, has that affected your own views?
A: Not in depth, no. What I have learned hasn’t affected my own views in a bad way. I think it is important to understand where other people are coming from, and in a way it helps you understand your own views better.
HC: Have your beliefs been challenged in your time at university?
A: Yes, all the time. The responses to those challenges have been both good and bad at times, and the challenges are honestly ongoing. But it’s inevitable, and necessary for growth in faith.
HC: Has your time at UVA opened you up to trying to religions in the future?
A: No.
HC: Would you be open to converting to other religions down the road? Say for personal growth or marriage purposes?
A: I don’t think so. My faith is too apart of who I am for me to feel the need to convert.
Before I came to UVA, I had a very narrow-minded view of religious people. My images of corny bible camps, televangelists, and overzealous individuals determined to convert the world could not have been further from the truth. I was inspired by A’s devotion and self-awareness. Listening to her responses made me want to aspire to achieve the sense of perceptiveness she had in my own life. Above all, she taught me that these are people with a profound and intimate relationship many seek but few can achieve. Faith is more than a weekly obligation. It is greater than the external chaos of college life. It is a way of life.
*(For privacy reasons, my interviewee requested to remain anonymous)