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:
Time spent on God’s work is time well-spent (and never wasted)
God knows exactly how much Cumulative Aggregate Points (CAP), or the grades required for me to follow the career path that He has planned
FOR US TO PONDER:
• How can I create a meaningful University life for myself?
What are some ways I can have faith-related talks with those around me?
In times of uncertainty about our future, how can we draw strength to have faith in God's plan for us?
