How to Enjoy Being a Student

If you're like me, I'm sure there are some times when you absolutely hate being a student. I'm a junior in college this year and let me tell you -- it's been rough for the past 5 weeks. Honestly, I have to remind myself that I've been here for only 5 weeks. I've felt very overwhelmed, to the point where I've been frustrated at God for putting me back into this frustrating situation.

I ask myself what the good is. Am I really supposed to pursue my degree in biological research? Does God want me to be a career woman? Is there really a point to learning academics with such a liberal and anti-Catholic slant to them? I tell myself that if I was learning Catholic Theology I would be so much more content and would actually like studying the material. However I'm sure that's not necessarily always true for people in that situation.

And so, I need to convince myself that I am indeed here in this school, during this time, studying these subjects for a reason. God put me here because He has a plan for me here. 

I think it's so easy to become frustrated with our current state of life. I find myself saying that I could serve God and His Church so much better if I weren't a full-time student, or if I was a student at a Catholic college. But God wants me to serve Him here and now. So, in an effort to console other frustrated high school or college students, and to satiate myself, I've put together some pieces of advice for how to really embrace our current apostolate and vocation, and use our situation to serve God in the here and now. 

1. Pray! This is a given, but it's so necessary. Pray before your exams. Pray during your long study sessions. St. Joseph of Cupertino is a great heavenly friend to help for exams, but any of the saints can lend a hand when our brain is extra tired or we're sleep-deprived and still have more readings to complete.

2. Realize this is your current vocation. We tell ourselves that we'll serve God better in the future -- once we're married, or in our career, or professed to the religious life. But the foundation for that future is now. If we can't serve God during our school days how can we expect to serve Him later? If we cannot be disciplined in study, how can we expect to be disciplined in prayer while juggling a household and children? 

3. Become more independent in your faith. I don't go to a Catholic college, so this situation may be unique for me, but there aren't that many enthusiastic Catholics around. I have many Christian friends, but there's nothing better than solid Catholic companions to help us on our journeys. Since coming to college, I've taken initiative and have sought out my Catholic community. I don't get these friendships at school, so I've become more involved in my local parish. I use this outlet as my escape from studies. Honestly, I wish I had time to make daily Mass everyday during the week because it truly orients my day toward God. I would also go to the perpetual adoration chapel far too frequently if I allowed myself. There is a balance here -- as much as I would love to make constant trips over to church, it isn't on campus, and so it isn't practical during my busiest days. And that brings me to the next point

4. Know that God wants you to spend time dedicated to your studies. I get so frustrated at myself when I put off studying. I feel like prayer is more important, and I'm wasting my time learning certain subjects. While yes, God does come first in our lives, He wants us to succeed where we are. He wants us to educate ourselves. He will give us the resources to succeed. So, technically, He wants us to study. And we can turn our study time into a prayer, by offering God our concentration and those hours of reading or writing. This may be the hardest thing to actually apply, because I'm sure I'm not the only professional procrastinator around here. I find myself wasting so much time wishing I didn't have all the work, wishing I could study Theology or go to Mass. And I can't, so my alternative is to turn the work I do have into a prayer. 

So yes, attending college is tough, especially when it's not directly correlated to the Faith. But God will speak to us in whatever situation we happen to be, and He will lead us to our future vocation just as well as if we were working full-time or attending an awesome Catholic college and learning about Mary and the Eucharist all day. (I could never get tired of learning about that, that's for sure!) I'm sure there's something about your school that you love -- if it's your favorite subject or favorite professor...something that just makes you content, even amidst a hundred other things that don't make you content. Hold on to that, and know that God will give you opportunities to grow closer to Him, even in your busiest weeks. Especially in your busiest weeks.