I have grown up Catholic my whole life, I went to a Catholic high school, and I really do love my faith and beliefs. I am not afraid to defend my religious choices, and I love meeting other people who share my beliefs with me; however, that does not make being Catholic at a large university any easier.

I will admit that I failed miserably at continuing to attend weekly mass when I went to college. I felt too busy and stressed, and I decided to just not go, which was probably the worst mistake I could have made. Those stressful, anxiety-ridden times are the times that we need God and his word the most. I wish I had realized that at the time, but I didn't.

This year is all about getting back on track. I have decided to work every day to be a better practicing Catholic, and so far, it is going very well. I am a happier person, and I enjoy the little things in life more. It also helps me to defend my faith because you cannot preach what you do not practice. Catholicism is already such a hard topic for so many people to take in, so it does not help when the people they know to be Catholic are hypocritical.

When you go to college, you experience a whole new world of people who are all bound to think and act differently, especially when it comes to religion. Many people will be very forceful and sometimes angry towards you. That can be hard and discouraging, but you just have to remember that there are other people on campus who do either want to hear what you have to say or already know what you have to say to be true.

That is why I chose to join the pro-life group on my campus and to befriend people who would go to mass with me every week and remind me to be a better person every now and then. I know they share my beliefs on many topics, and I know I can turn to these people when I need to talk about my faith or beliefs or when I just need someone to pray with me or for me. You must seek the things you want in life, and I have decided I want a better relationship with God.

Being Catholic on a college campus is hard, but if it is something that is important to you, it is worth it to make it a priority. We cannot just turn to God in our times of need; we must converse with Him regularly. We must celebrate with Him as well. He wants to know us in both our darkest times and proudest moments, and college is full of both.