Reflections on University — Roseline Yang, AFM Grad
I don’t think I’m alone when I say that university completely flew by. It feels like just yesterday that I was still in first year, trying to find my way around campus and get to my classes, struggling to wake up for 8:30s and looking for edible food at V1. They say that university is the best four years of your life. I don’t know if I completely agree, but there were definitely many happy memories and hard lessons learned during this time.
A personal highlight for me might sound a little cheesy, but I feel that university really helped me to find myself a bit more. This relates to all aspects of my life. It was at university that I found people I truly connected with and who accepted me for who I was. I was able to discover what I am passionate about (and also what I am not passionate about… I still can’t understand the Income Tax Act to save my life). I was able to travel more and gave myself permission to explore my hobbies. I grew in my relationship with God because He was no longer a fictional character in an old book, but a father, a guide, and a friend.
It was also during university that I hit the lowest that I’ve ever been. My closest friends would know that my growth was not without tears, pain and confusion. I doubted God many times, but there was a sense that He never left my side. I came to realize that it is not me who is faithful, but God who is always faithful. I may fail and grow weak, but God is so much stronger and bigger than my failures, and that gives me great comfort and hope.
I didn’t start consistently attending CCF until second year, but I wish I had started going earlier because the people and community there made me feel so loved. It was inspiring to see so many others going through the same phase of life as me strive to love God despite the busyness of school, exams and work. Their passion for their faith was contagious, and it made me want to strive to love Him more as well.
Finally, I would like to end with some advice that I would give to my younger self. If I could do it all over again, I would recommend living according to your values (which is easier said than done.) We are often heavily influenced by our peers, coworkers, and the expectations of others, but I found the most joy and peace in knowing who I was in Christ and God’s path for me. Your path might be different from the paths of other people, so don’t compare! There is just no comparison to be made — we are each made uniquely in God’s image, and He has a unique journey for each of us. Learn to embrace that journey with all of its ups and downs. Trust that God will not let you down (I promise, He won’t)!
Another word of advice would be to let your love for others be an outflow of God’s love for you. It can be easy to get burned out in serving or through the challenges of day-to-day life. But if you lean into God’s love for you and what He has done for you, you come to realize that love is abundant, not scarce, and that it can be found in many places and in the most unexpected of ways. For “[His] yoke is easy and [His] burden is light” (Matt 11:30).
Thank you UWCCF for an amazing 4+ years! I hope this helped someone somehow and gave you some things to ponder on. I will always look back on this time of my life with fond memories, and I can’t wait to see how God will reveal Himself to you during your time at university, just as He did for me.
