Future Students

Things I Wish I’d Known as a Freshman: New Roommates

When I first came to Pensacola Christian College, I remember being worried about getting roommates. Would they be nice to me? Or would they use my toothbrush to clean the sink and practice their trombone every morning and hang their stinky shoes from my bedsprings to air out?

Well, I ended up with fantastic roommates! And I've begun to see a trick to always having good roommates that I'd like to share!

Mom always used to tell me this story as a kid. Maybe you’ve heard it before…

There once was a man who lived in a town, and everyone was mean and nasty to him. It wasn’t his fault. He had nothing to do with it. The entire world was out to make him miserable and ruin his life. So…he moved!
When he got to his new home, he asked a neighbor,
“What are the people like in this town?”
“Well, what were the folks like in your old town?”
“Oh, they were awful!”
“Well--" the neighbor said slowly, “they’re pretty awful here, too.”
Meanwhile, a different man from the same town moved into that neighborhood.
“What are the people here like?” he asked the neighbor.
Again, the neighbor wanted to know what the people were like in his old town.
“They were great! Kind and hospitable and easy to get along with.”
“That’s how they are here, too!” was the neighbor’s reply.

I never liked when Mom sat me down for that story.
“Moooommy, you aaaalways tell that story!”

“Now how could the same people be mean and nice, Anna Grace? Tell me what you think?”

“Uhhhh….I don’t know! Can we read something else?”

All right, I got it. As I grew up, I understood that the people in the towns never changed—what made the difference in the story was the attitude of the two men. Two men had two completely different experiences with the same people because they each deliberately had a different attitude toward the people.

Coming to college has helped me see the importance of my attitude even more! The Lord does not especially change our circumstances—He changes our hearts.

Just a thought as you prepare to come to college, to get new roommates, or to change classes. Wherever you are, keep your attitude toward life in check! You will find the good in each circumstance around you when you begin with the right heart on the inside.

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The thoughts and opinions expressed in Life in the Nest are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pensacola Christian College.

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Major: Performance Studies

Home town: “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ through...” Also, my dad is in the Air Force.

View all posts by Anna Grace

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