By Keshuana Jones BS
So you’ve finally been able to get the ball rolling on the first semester of the school year. Midterms are coming…homework is piling up… While it’s so easy to get caught up in the stress that all this can bring, it is important to remember that building a solid community around you can take you a long way. Here are a few tips to consider when building your community.
- Know Your Identity
Although college is a place and time for you to grow and mature into an adult, while you’re going through the motions don’t lose who you really are. It’s so easy to get caught up in temptation, following self-destructing trends, even hanging around negative influences. Things are more likely to successfully fall into place when you have a good understanding of who you are, whose you are, and what works best for you.
- Join Clubs and Organizations
College campuses have so many clubs and organizations that there’s something for almost everybody. Often times these organizations are similar to support groups that help you address and cope with many situations that college students may encounter. Take some time to check out what’s happening around your campus and see if there’s anything you’d like to join.
- Finding a Mentor
A mentor can be someone that can help guide you through certain situations in life or help you with life itself. Many colleges offer mentoring programs that can assist with almost any college issue. Having someone to positively guide you and help you along the way is always a good decision.
While going through the process of building your community, always remember who you are, whose you are, and where you’ve come from. Losing yourself is only the start to self-destruction and it’s so easy to do when you’re not in your right mindset. So if you find yourself being homesick, feeling lonely, and/or falling into a depression, be sure to get out there and start building your community. These are just a few situations that college students face on a regular basis and don’t know how to overcome them. Stay true to yourself and remember you are royalty- a child of the King and Most High God!