A Time to Transition: Thoughts for College Girls

It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to an end.  The times of cooking out, going to the beach, and long sunsets are fast approaching their end. I must admit that I am ready for fall to arrive.

Fall represents a time of change and transition.    

It also means that school is starting back up.  Shopping carts are getting filled with the latest school supplies.  Does any one else get those Target commercials stuck in your head?!

A part of me misses school.  Of course, the adult part of me doesn’t miss having to do homework, but I miss the excitement of starting a new year and meeting new people.

Some of you may be getting ready to start college and that might even mean moving to a new place.  I remember being so excited to pack up and move to my college dorm.

My first thought was “Man this is going to be awesome!”

Followed by, “You mean to tell me this is how much room I have?”

And finally, “I have to share a bathroom with how many girls?”

It was all so exciting and nerve-wracking.

I want to be honest and admit to you that I did not transition well during my first year of college.

What I thought was supposed to be the best time of my life turned out to be unlike anything I had heard or seen on movies.  I expected easy classes, lots of new friends, and wanted so badly to love the new city I had moved to.  My friends were loving college life and doing all these great things and I…well…wanted to move back home.

So I isolated myself. 

I stayed in my dorm room, shut out from the outside world.  I found it too intimidating and it was out of my comfort zone.  Because it wasn’t what I had initially expected, I completely shut down.  My personal relationship with God began to suffer.  I felt so alone that I didn’t even want to let Him in.  Even though He was and always is already there.   

I was scared to transition. 

I was stuck between still being a teenager and being thrown into this now very grown up world of responsibilities that I had never had before.  It wasn’t what I expected.

But I am never one to give up.

I returned to school the next fall and vowed that I wouldn’t be the same girl I was the year before.  Over the summer I found myself having numerous conversations with God about the path that He wanted me to go down in my studies, the friends He wanted me to meet, and the experience He wanted me to have.

The fact is I needed His help to change…to transition again.

I felt such a sense of peace going into my sophomore year that I hadn’t felt in my freshman year. I made some great new friends (friends I still have to this day), got involved in campus organizations, and had a totally different experience.  I surrounded myself with people that valued the same things I did, including a more personal relationship with Christ.

 Today I want to challenge you

to not be afraid to transition or change.

It can be scary, but we are all in a state of transition within our lives.  Some of us are starting new careers, moving to new places, and changing in our relationships with others.

God and His love are always steadfast, never changing. 

We are the ones who need to transition into a closer walk with Him. 

That’s what I didn’t get my first year.  Maybe I was scared that He would reveal things to me about myself that I really needed to change.  But we shouldn’t be afraid of that.  After all, He knows us better than we know ourselves.  He has laid out the ultimate plan for our lives.

When the leaves change color this fall, let it remind you to not be afraid to transition or change.

Remember, He makes everything beautiful in its time.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men;
yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV

Tell Us What You Think!

How do you handle transition?

What advice would you give to a girl heading off to college?

Leave a comment below. We want to hear your thoughts!

4 thoughts on “A Time to Transition: Thoughts for College Girls”

  1. Amanda,

    So, *looks around furtively* how’d you know I needed this tonight? 😉

    I’m one who has never lived in a dorm and doesn’t plan to, but college can still be rough. I’m at a small private Christian uni right now and loving it but transition/change can still be nerve-wracking. 🙂 And, I love how you brought it all around to *we need to transition into Him.*

    That.
    Is.
    Beautiful.

    Love,
    Rachelle

  2. Just dropped my younger brother off at college tonight. The change going on in his life is huge and makes me reflect on areas were I need to change. Where is God calling me to next? Although unsure, I’ve discovered that change can bring some pretty awesome adventures!

    1. Heidi,

      I have to tell myself all the time that change isn’t always a bad thing. You’re exactly right, it can bring some amazing adventures and opportunities our way! I pray that you’ll continue to seek out God’s path for you. He has such an amazing and special plan for each of us…better than anything we could ever come up with! 🙂

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Question? 

We're here to help you!

CONTACT US

This is the one thing that will help you find what you need.

Drop us your name and email so that we can send you the Align Life Strategy workbook. 

Scroll to Top