Home Away from Home: My First Semester at Covenant
When I set foot on Covenant’s campus this August as a freshman, hours away from home, I was faced with a daunting unknown. Even only a couple months in, however, I have witnessed the blessing of being grafted into this wonderful community.
Forming God-Centered Friendships
One thing I wasn’t expecting coming into Covenant was how fast I would form friendships. I remember playing a game with other people in my building on one of my first nights here and thinking, “How am I gonna get to know all of these people?” And now, I look around and think, “Oh, I know these people and their names and who they are!”
Being away from friends at home is hard, but God is giving me peace and contentment here at Covenant because of the joy I have in this community. If I didn't have that, I think I would feel a lot more homesick than I do. In my friendships, I have poured into others, and they have poured into me. I have such a great support group here!
Supported by Hall Community
All my life, I feel like I've had a close friend group around me. Coming to college, I was wondering if I was going to feel the same way. But I feel like the bonds I have with the girls in my hall are even stronger than I’ve experienced before. Greeting people in the morning when everyone is half-awake and having friends you can visit next door or across the hall is a blessing. The upperclassmen kind of adopted the freshmen, which means so much to me because I did not grow up with many older role models in my life. Having those people who can speak into your life and have been through what you're going through has been so heartwarming.
Unexpected Love for Chapel
I didn't really know how I was gonna feel about chapel coming in. I thought having chapel three times a week would be overwhelming, but when I got here, I realized I look forward to chapel. It's such a good grounding moment within the day. When I go to chapel, my eyes are turned back to God. It helps me not be stressed out or get caught up in little things. Sitting in the chapel and singing with the whole campus is really sweet. It's almost like a taste of what eternity will be like.
College can be scary, but having a strong and supportive community around you truly makes it feel like a home away from home. Rather than dreading the unknown, I wake up every morning proud to call myself a Covenant Scot.