As we approach the end of the school year, students have a lot on their minds and a lot on their plates, from getting through the upcoming finals week and finishing any final projects to finding summer jobs or internships and so much more.
This is a very busy time of the year for students and it can be easy to get caught up in assignments, projects and applications, thus allowing God and faith to fall by the wayside.
This whole process can look even more frightening to graduating seniors, who are no longer looking for summer jobs, but rather career opportunities, long-term housing or preparing for grad school.
As someone who is part of the class of 2019 currently preparing for grad school, I understand the stress surrounding these circumstances. I also understand how easy it is to neglect your faith during this busy time.
Balancing school and faith alone can seem like a difficult task, so to add on the extra stressors that come with the end of the semester can seem almost impossible at times.
However, I have found that turning to God during these stressful moments has actually helped me get through them rather than adding additional anxieties.
For example, even just taking a few minutes each day to pray or read scripture can be both relaxing and beneficial to furthering growth in a relationship with God.
If you are someone who struggles with prayer or meditation, utilizing a devotional or journal for assistance can prove to be very helpful. This can even be accomplished during a study break and often helps me center myself and calm any nerves I may be currently experiencing.
One thing that works really well for me is listening to worship music. This is a very meditative and relaxing experience for me, personally, and helps me feel more connected to God. However, not everyone finds this to be beneficial to their own faith lives, and that’s perfectly OK.
In the end, it’s just about finding what works for you and utilizing that in your own personal faith journey. This can be anything from attending daily Mass to reading scripture to talking walks outdoors with intentional meditation – whatever is most beneficial to furthering growth in your own individual relationship with God.
Ultimately, it is important to remember that a relationship with God isn’t meant to be something that’s just there on the side, ready to be picked up whenever it’s most convenient for us.
A relationship with God is meant to be an ever-growing and always present aspect of our lives. That means that God should be part of our lives when it’s easy, and even when it’s not.
So, whether life seems simple and relaxed or you feel like you’re up to your neck in assignments and/or job applications, make time for your faith life.
And, as it turns out, this isn’t actually as difficult as it may seem during these more difficult and demanding times. In fact, making time for God may actually be what helps us get through these challenging experiences.

GRACE DENNIS
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