Quiet

Perhaps the hardest thing to find in college. And yet, the most important.

I came into college not exactly knowing what I wanted to do and I have had to think about things I had never seriously thought about before. Things like, what it is I believed about God, life after death, my opinion on topics like abortion and gay marriage, and how I wanted to spend my life and my time. I have more freedom now to choose a major, pick clubs, apply to jobs and internships, go where I want when I want than I ever had before.

To be honest that was terrifying.

Because of that, instead of approaching situations calmly, I went blazing ahead without any real direction. God had a way of creeping back into my life and calming things down.

When I first came to college, I applied to and tried out for many groups and opportunities, many of which fell through. In a weird way, it was one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given. With my free time, I turned to opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise pursued. I joined a choir that sings at a mass in which there is a lot of emphasis on quiet reflection. I joined a prayer group, which has taught me to balance listening and talking. I began to go to weekly mass. And when I had a bad day, when I felt lost, or overwhelmed, or anxious for whatever reason, I would just sit in this chapel at my university that was open all of the time and pray.

This has made a tremendous difference in my life, and I’d encourage you to seek out ways in which you can find time for quiet. There’s a lot of pressure in college and frankly everyone will have a different opinion on how you should live your life. What is most important is that you listen to the advice of people you respect…then pray. When I was busy and crazed (a continual struggle for me) I was frustrated because I felt like God wasn’t making Himself clear. The truth was, God was there, I just wasn’t allowing Him to speak.

Even if it’s just taking a walk during the day–spend some time in quiet.

Yours truly,

GWA