Jason Harshbarger

An interesting thing happened halfway through my first semester in college: my roommate became nocturnal. As I was getting up to go to class in the morning, he was going to bed. As I settled in for an evening of homework, he was just waking up. Weird, I thought.

The next year, after I had transferred to a different university, an interesting change began to occur in my new roommate: he became nocturnal. Same routine as before, only different person and different location.

Did I bring this out in people? Do they try to avoid me this desperately? Well, as I have gotten to know many college students, I have regained my lost self-esteem through finding that many college students struggle with this: staying up until ridiculous hours at night, sleeping through classes and arising just in time for supper. Does this describe you?

If so, here are a few suggestions to avoid my roommates’ fate (both of my roommates later dropped out of school).

First, be disciplined with your time. It wasn’t too long ago when you were in high school and your day was planned out: school, then practice, then dinner, then homework and then bed. Now, however, you may have a day that is entirely up to you to plan, but you usually find yourself doing little. Discipline yourself to get up at a semi-regular time, force yourself to go to class, even get a job or play intramural sports, so that your life is not comprised by “free time.”

Second, find someone you can respect and confide in to talk with. Many college students are freaked out at trying to figure out what to do for the rest of their life, so what do they do? NOTHING. If this happens, you will withdraw, get depressed and become nocturnal. Find someone you respect, be real with them and listen to their advice.

Finally, I would encourage you to seek God’s will for your life. God says in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV), “For I know the plans I have for you ? plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Let Jesus reveal His will for your life through His words to you, the Bible. Read Psalm 37:4 and Philippians 4:4-8.