Growing up in a Christian school, you’re outlook on the world becomes very narrow. You are surrounded by people with the same beliefs, and people with the same views. You are immersed into a group of people that shape and mold you into the person that your parents are (basically) paying for you to become. I grew up in private school, and this in no way is meant to bash that. While I cannot be more thankful to have received an amazing education and grow with Christian peers and mentors for so many years, I can’t deny the fact that I was in a bubble. Bubbles aren’t bad-bubbles bring sanity and a sense of home, they bring forth a feeling of support and love from every angle. You become comfortable in your bubble, and that’s okay too. In your bubble, as you grow up, you begin asking your own questions and learning about faith on your own. You start to figure out what you believe in and what you don’t and you have to decide if this “faith” thing is for you.

And every year at school I watched more and more students step forward and profess their faith openly and with love.

It was amazing thing to watch so many students decide that they didn’t want their faith to be just a religion or bible class, they wanted to live it out. They decided, that as a grown up, as someone who is capable to make decisions on their own, they wanted this faith.

So when Senior year rolls around and applying to colleges begin, Christian students are exposed to many Christian colleges that the school brings in to speak or to go tour. We have this choice to keep living in our bubble, or break free.

But wait, the college counselor and the bible teacher always tell us about how big universities and schools that aren’t affiliated with a religion will challenge my faith every day. That I won’t be able to find Christian friends and that my professors will bash on Jesus every day. Students begin to wonder, is my faith strong enough to withhold that? They begin to hear this so often that they think there is no way they can venture into the real world and that instead their safe zone of a Christian school with people they know share the same beliefs and morals is the best option for them.

I’m here to tell you it is okay to leave that bubble.

Here’s the thing: even in your private-Christian school bubble you are challenged every day. Will you cheat on your test, will you start gossiping at lunch about the girl who got fat over the summer? Or will you lie to administration when you get caught doing something you shouldn’t do? These are all challenges of your faith, right there in your Christian bubble. You are challenged every day no matter where you are.

Yes, there are probably more challenges when you leave, but at the same time the real world is coming sooner rather than later and sometimes it is okay to be challenged. Argue about your faith, stand up to someone who believes in something different and teach someone about Jesus. Being a Christian means living out your faith not sitting back and putting it in cruise control. So, take a chance and go to the school that you want to.

When I left for college I openly admitted I was scared I wouldn’t be able to find friends with the same beliefs and morals as myself. What if everyone wants to drink and I never have anyone who is willing to pray with me? There are Christians everywhere and if you yourself act like one, you will attract others.

I can openly and honestly say that I have met such amazing Christians and such amazing friends at my 30,000 student university. I have friends who invite me to church every Sunday, and I can’t even count the number of times someone has texted in a group message or by word of mouth has openly asked for prayer.

Join clubs, join a sorority, meet the girls in your hallway-just start talking to people and I promise not everyone is out to get you.

I have never personally had any professor bash my religion, but I have friends who have. I’ve had professors who are not Christian and speak about evolution and things like that, but never bash on Jesus himself. I can imagine that being difficult but at the same time why does it matter? Does that change your opinion on something? It shouldn’t. If your faith is strong — it is strong enough to not break over a science teacher talking about how Adam and Eve didn’t exist. Hearing things that go against something you believe in should make you angry, and should make you want to love on your great and heavenly Father more and more. Be challenged-it’s okay. It helps you grow and learn about your faith and your beliefs.

Don’t hide your faith but be excited about it and I promise other people will be too.

Go into college with an open mind and hold your faith close, Christians are not far and few between-they are in more places than one. You will find mentors and friends, peers, and classmates that share your same religion sometimes you just have to find them. If you don’t believe me, try it out yourself and leave the bubble and keep your faith. Take a chance and you’ll find that there is a whole new life outside the bubble and that it’s not a bad thing at all. Go to church in your college town and who knows who you might see? (Maybe you’ll notice your football coach even shares the same God- Nick Saban, I’m looking at you.)

If you know what you believe in and really actually believe it- no one can take that away from you.

Remember that you are challenged every single day no matter where you are. Follow your heart and try something new, who knows maybe you'll never even have the opportunity to defend your faith, but if you have to, that is okay too-show them what all those years of bible class have taught you.

My Christian high school lied to me when they told me I would be challenged every day in college and that I would have to defend my religion every day. They lied to me when they told me staying in the bubble would be better, and they lied to me when they said I would lose sight of Jesus if I wasn’t constantly surrounded by it. Here’s to going to my big university and not losing sight of what I believe in.