Moving to University

Moving away from home is a scary thing, especially when you've lived with 9 people for almost all your life. Uni is so exciting, but at the same time, I don't think it's quite dawned on me what I am about to spend the next 3 or 4 years of my life doing. I've been at uni for 3 weeks and it just feels like a long holiday, but this is my life now. Attending lectures every day and putting effort into reading and other things I don't always enjoy. I am enjoying learning about animals again after being out of education for a year, but it's still scary and it's still uni.

The days before I left were very emotional and stressful, but I got through it and it was actually quite fun the day I moved in. I miss home a lot, that first day I moved, once my mum and dad left I almost burst into tears in the middle of the cafeteria. I managed to hold it in, but it dawned on me, that I am alone, I am without my family, without my comfort space, my safe place, my home. It still feels like that a lot of the time, but I have settled in better and feel more okay on my own now. I'm getting by and God provided the friends I needed straight away. He provided people who made me feel less alone and people with who I feel I can really be myself around and encourage me so much. I've known them for only three weeks, but I love them already. 

Like I said before, I am really enjoying university, but it is so tiring. I have never napped as much as I did in that first week and a half of uni. I was scrolling through a student Instagram page yesterday and I had never related to anything more. I always thought I would manage to skip those stereotypes of being a student, but I didn't, I fell right into those stereotypes of being a uni student. It actually makes me laugh a lot. All those things I thought I'd never relate to because I was going to keep good sleeping habits and do my homework and assignments in good time. I would read a lot and keep my room tidy, I would focus in class and engage, etc, etc. Don't get me wrong, I do focus in class and keep my room to a fairly tidy standard, but I am always tired, I am keeping terrible sleeping habits and I actually forgot to do some homework we got set last week. I even thought about skipping a class the other day because I was so tired, I didn't, but I have never actually thought about doing this, or at least never took this thought as seriously as I did the other day. 

I don't really know where I am going with this post, I just needed to do something that motivates me and wanted to write and tell you guys about how uni is going for me. For the most part, I am enjoying it,  I just need to start getting in the habit of using my time a bit more wisely and not staring at my phone endlessly with all my spare time. Some of the things I really need to start looking at and doing is 1. Buying some books, but man are academic books expensive!! 2. I need to look at booking some driving lessons. I need to really get back into that before I end up leaving it too long. 3. Organising and rewriting notes so that knowledge sticks now and I'm not trying to remember it all when it comes to the actual assignements and assessments. Theres a lot more I need to do, but these are the main ones. I'm convinced this week I will be productive, but probs come Tuesday, that won't be the case.

Let's talk about something really good that's happened  and that I praise God for every day. I already talked about the amazing friends he has given me, we clicked so easy and it was great. But, there is one particular friend I would like to talk about and praise God for. 

For most my life I have never really had Christian Friends my age. I have had Christian friends, but they were always part of a wider youth group, so they were never really 'my friends' if you know what I mean. So the only people I have ever been able to talk to about faith, or my personal faith has been my family, or extended family. Until now. 

Last Sunday, I got a text from a friends mum in Chester who said she had met this girl in church that morning that goes to Reaseheath and wanted to pass on my number to her. I, of course said that's fine. This girl got in contact with me, lets call her Tabbie. She mentioned she was living on campus and wanted to meet because she hasn't yet met anyone on campus who is a Christian, and neither had I. We met up the following Tuesday and we instantly had a connection, we had so much in common and got along. We fed the ducks for a little while, and then we decide to get out of the rain and go sit in one of the cafe's. We continue chatting and a little while later, this girl who had been sitting behind us (Calling her Mel) approaches us and just says something along the lines of "I didn't mean to easdrop, but you guys are the first Christians I've heard of here, I am a Christian too" We all just went "WOW, no way, this is crazy!" you know the usual. We invite her to sit down with us and we all get talking and getting to know each other and it was just so good. Mel eventually had to leave and get to her next lesson, but we exchanged numbers so we could keep in contact and meet again soon. Me and Tabbie were talking once she left and we realised that before Mel came and sat with us, we both had this sense Mel was listening to us, that 'ooh maybe the person behind us is interested in what we're talking about' sort of thing. And then Mel approached us and turns out she was in fact a Christian. It was a Holy Spirit moment. One of those moments you don't realise is the Holy Spirit until its over. It was such a quiet whisper of a thought, but I believe it was the Holy Spirit because both me and Tabbie believed Mel was listening behind us. It was so weird and amazing at the same time. 

Tabbie and I have hung out a couple times since then and each time it just feels amazing that I can mention Jesus or church to someone without getting weird looks or all sorts of questions. I don't mind that sometimes, but you have no idea how good it is to make a friend I can share biblical thoughts with and have interesting conversations about what we both believe and everything. We are also both on an animal course which means I finally have someone that shares my same thoughts on evolution (besides my family). After the first meeting on Tuesday, I went back to my room and just felt so much joy, I was just jumping and smiling about in my room. I am so thankful God has put both these beautiful, faith-filled woman in  my life.

Anyway, I'll end this talky post with a nice basic room tour.

BeeBee

xxx