Catholic Young Woman in College: Introduction

"All life lessons are not learned at college," she thought. "Life teaches them everywhere."

~From Anne of the Island~

Even so, college is a very huge and important part of many lives. It's that strange time that doesn't really have a place -- we're adults but not quite thrust into the real world just yet. It's a struggle and a blessing, a challenge and great fun. We make huge decisions, but don't need to do things like pay for electricity or a child.

You may know that I'm currently a sophomore in college and two of our other contributors are in college as well. Many of the older ladies have graduated from college. And we all have a different story. All our experiences were different, and thus, they can teach us different things. Unique.

Because college is such an important part of my life, and because I know we have readers who are near or at college-age, I thought it would be a good idea to run a series here on the blog, detailing some of our life-lessons and experiences of being a Catholic young woman in college. I think this compilation is lacking elsewhere in Catholic circles. What will follow in the near future is a series of posts by some of our contributors talking about particular aspects of college.

Our education is a great blessing and privilege, and something I'm learning to never take advantage of. I sometimes hate my school, my situation, my studies...but we all do. College isn't a fairy tale, it isn't "the best four years of your life." But it is a time of exploration, doubt, extreme excitement, the depths of despair, laughter, spiritual growth, a certainty about our place in this world. [Wow that got dramatic.]

And so I hope we can detail some of our experiences and struggles about living as a Catholic woman in college. Rather than being a how-to guide, we hope to share our stories. Our "college experiences" differ, and thus we have a unique story to share. I hope you'll enjoy this series as much as I did working on it.