What I Wish I Knew in College
What I Wish I Knew in College
By Jessica Hancock
“Investing in others is one of the best investments you can make for yourself.”
College was one of my favorite seasons in life thus far. The days of living in an ancient, dingy, mid 1900s house with four of my best friends eating tacos three times a week are memories that will always bring my heart a special kind of warmth. While I look back on my time in college as one of blessing, joy, and fond memories, I still vividly remember the discontent I often felt.
While college is such a fun time, no one can deny the stress, anxiety, and fear that can often come with the experience. A lot of my stress came from the lack of desire to actually do well in school. That was something that was never a huge priority for me. This lead to lots of late night, last minute submissions, speed walking to class, and LOTS of visits to advisors because I had NO idea hat I wanted to do with my life. I was just there for a good time right? Spoiler alert: you have to pick a degree and somewhat of a career path in college.
I became obsessed with this idea of choosing a job because in my head that defined me. When family members and friends asked me, I wanted a concrete answer – I wanted a purpose! My job is my purpose!! Right? Well no (God has continued to lovingly remind me of this post grad).
Confusing advisement appointments and trying to choose a major and job that somehow encompassed all of my passions blinded me from the purpose and passion God already placed in front of me – investing in His people.
I was not involved in many activities in college besides YoungLife. YoungLife is an organization dedicated to building relationships with adolescents so that they come to know Jesus Christ. Young Life leaders do this by meeting kids in their local community, on their own turf, in their lunchrooms, and in their own life consistently which cultivates a life long mentorship with them.
I grew up around Young Life, and it felt so natural to sign up to be a leader as soon I as got to college. I was able to work along some of my best friends ministering to middle school students and looking back, it was the one of the best decisions I made in college.
It was one of the best decisions I made because for multiple hours a week I was not focused on myself and finding my “one true passion” or “the perfect job for me."
Instead, I was focused on my middle school friends, their issues, my peers within Young Life, and how they were growing spiritually.
The best investment I made in college was investing in others.
I can tell you some things I learned in class; I could not tell you my GPA, but I could tell you that taking my middle school friends out to ice cream and listening to their life stories shaped me more than finding the perfect job description did.
I learned to love, to listen, and communicate with all kinds of people while being involved with YoungLife. While graduating college meant so much to me, and I will always be proud of my degree, those experiences mean the most.
As I sit here, almost three years out of college, I still do not have my dream job that goes perfectly with my degree yet, and I may never that idea of “perfect.” What I do have, however, and what you have, is the daily opportunity to commune with those around us during our every day life, to impact others lives just by the way we live and asking questions about people's lives. I wish I would have seized that more in college instead of being stressed and overwhelmed more often than not.
"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." -John 15:13
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." -Philippians 2:3
My encouragement to all of you students out there is to stay diligent, work hard, get those good grades; however, do not become a slave to them! Don’t let stress and perfectionism define your college career. Remember to look up once and a while from the books and seize all the beautiful opportunities around you to invest in your community and your peers. It will contribute so much more to your happiness that a degree or GPA does not have the capacity to satisfy. I’m rooting for you.
Love always.
Jess
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