Colleges in the United States have a reputation for being extremely liberal, hippie, and scientific places. Regardless of how accurate that image is, students being religious in higher education might surprise a few people. From my personal experience, college students are not necessarily anti-religion; they simply donât have time to think about it much.
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   Contrary to many of my peers, I found myself becoming more religious as I went through high school and the first two years of college. Iâm not going to go into detail about why I believe what I believe, but I wanted to share how my faith impacts my life at school.
   For starters, I clear my schedule Sunday morning to ensure that I can get to church. I walk into town, rain or shine, and enjoy services with people that live in Gettysburg. Not only do I find this relaxing, but I find it refreshing to be around people that are older than me. While at school, I am surrounded by people my age almost all of the time. Having the opportunity to talk to, listen to, and work with adults is a welcomed change.Â
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   I have also made many friends through church and religious groups on campus. These people are wonderful, but I never would have known them had I not met them through my religion. Having religious friends inspires me to practice my faith daily: praying before meals, reading the Bible, and trying to act in a kind manner towards everyone. To someone that doesnât take religion very seriously, it might seem like my whole life revolves around it, but the fact is that most of these things are tools to help me relax and wind down.Â
   I genuinely enjoy attending church and praying keeps me grateful and hopeful when I might otherwise be stressed and overwhelmed. Because I love my faith, taking time out of my day for it doesnât seem like a big deal.Â
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   A lot of people have strong reactions when they hear about my interest in working in a ministry after school. Many are surprised, some are shocked, and even a few question how I, a woman, could possibly think about becoming a preacher. People donât necessarily think college students, particularly women, have an interest in the church. In fact, I have had a professor go on in his class about how my generation is the least religious of all previous ones. Maybe thatâs true, but for me, religion is a critical aspect of my life in the best way.Â
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