THE KIND OF STUDENT I WANTED TO BE

Before starting University, I attended a fellowship orientation where some church sisters shared their experiences as undergraduates. One story that particularly struck me was about a stellar student who tragically took his own life on campus, despite earning all A’s. This story reminded me of the hymn “People Need the Lord.” I began to question how I wanted to navigate my University journey.

Did I want to merely focus on my studies and grind away through these years? How did I want to look back on my four years of Uni? Recognising the darkness and fear that those without Christ may face, my primary goal was to lead people to Christ.

#1 MY EVANGELISTIC MISSION

Given the vast number of students, I wondered how I would find those whom God had chosen.

Hence, I prayed for God to place His chosen ones around me, just as how the disciples found success by casting their net on the right side of the boat. At the start of the semester, I made a point to befriend those who sat next to me in class.

By God’s grace, I was able to share my faith with a classmate who, despite identifying as a Christian, had never attended church or read the Bible. When Singapore went into lockdown, I spent every night reading the Bible with her over Zoom and brought her to our church.

#2 DEDICATING MORE TIME TO GOD

My second aim was to dedicate more time to God’s work during my time at University. Enduring the demanding educational system from the age of seven, I felt I had focused enough on my studies. As I just turned twenty, I felt like a flower in full bloom and did not want to waste this prime period without contributing to God’s kingdom. I desired to do more to glorify God during my University years. With more church responsibilities assigned to me, balancing them with academic demands proved to be challenging during crunch times.

While struggling with time management and academic pressures, I drew strength and comfort from two key reminders:

1. Time spent on God’s work is time well-spent (and never wasted)

2. God knows exactly how much Cumulative Aggregate Points (CAP), or the grades required for me to follow the career path that He has planned

GOING THROUGH WITH GOD’S HAND

With these perspectives, I was able to prioritize church work even amidst tight deadlines. Despite facing challenges with assignments and falling behind in my readings, I relied on God’s strength and miraculously submitted my work on time.

As I learned to entrust my studies to God’s hands, I saw an improvement in my academic performance. However, I began to feel pride and ambition creeping in, which led to a drop in my grades the following semester. This reminded me of Psalms 62:10, which advises against setting one’s heart on increasing “riches”—in this case, CAP. I believe that the grades I received were guided by God’s wisdom and grace, providing just enough to meet the academic prerequisites for my future career while keeping me humble.

This experience is akin to the Israelites’ battle at Jericho: surmounting a Herculean task with absolute faith rather than relying on one’s strength.

ON HINDSIGHT

Reflecting on my University experience, one major regret I had was avoiding challenging modules due to fear of difficult assessments. I later realised that reading easier modules did not yield the best results, but I performed better in more challenging modules as I relied entirely on God.

“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8)

WHAT MEANS MOST

Overall, what I’ve learned—and continue to learn—is that putting God first will align everything else. Ultimately, those who leave everything in God’s hands will see God’s hands in everything. Our goal is not just to finish University but to do so in a way that honours and pleases God. Hence, I encourage the freshmen and undergraduates to reflect on these questions: What do you want to get out of college? To whom do you want to devote the fleeting prime of your life?

May God guide each of us so that we may live for Christ during our time at University and beyond.

FOR US TO PONDER:

1. How can I create a meaningful University life for myself?

2. What are some ways I can have faith-related talks with those around me?

3. In times of uncertainty about our future, how can we draw strength to have faith in God's plan for us?