Entering college as a Christian can be hard. For most people, it usually means leaving behind your home church, your family, and sometimes even your close friends. When they say college is a whole different world from high school, they aren't lying. The idea that you now have pretty much total freedom with virtually no accountability can be terrifying. It can be so, so tempting to want to fall into the "party" lifestyle. Sometimes, it even seems like that's the only way to make any friends.

I am here to tell you that that could not be further from the truth.

I will admit, my first week in college was rough. I hardly ever left my room, I didn't talk to anyone in any of my classes, I ate lunch by myself every day. It felt like everyone around me already knew each other, and I was all alone. I started to feel like I needed to compromise who I was to get to know people.

Then, I started to do some research. I realized that there were tons of religious groups on campus, I just wasn't trying hard enough to become involved in them. I started forcing myself to go out to events for different campus groups anytime I saw a poster or post on social media.

As someone that isn't the best at making new friends, this terrified me. However, I quickly came to learn that everyone in these groups was so inviting, I really didn't have to do much at all other than show up. Almost instantly, I finally started to feel like I was where I belonged.

To survive on a college campus as a Christian, you have to be committed to your faith. If you're not standing on a solid foundation, I promise you that you will fall. You have to put yourself out there. You have to be willing to search for the people that share your beliefs, and you have to find people to hold you accountable when things get hard.

Please don't misunderstand me. Please don't think that I am telling you that to have friends that aren't Christians is bad; it absolutely isn't. College is all about meeting people that are different than you, and I'm a firm believer that an open mind is a happy mind. However, I am also a firm believer that staying true to your faith is important, and you simply cannot do that if you don't find those people that love and want to pursue Jesus just as much as you do.

So if you're struggling, I encourage you to start searching. Find the campus group that feels like home. Look for the people that exude God's light on your campus, and flock to them.

Find your tribe and own it. It might not always be easy. Sometimes, it might feel like everyone is against you. But I promise you, when you find those friends, it will be like nothing you've ever experienced. They will stick by you through anything as if they've known you for years.

Keep hoping. Keep searching. Stay faithful and prayerful and know that, so long as you are one of God's children, you are never alone.