Dear College Freshman

Dear College Freshman, 
As you begin your college years, I am sure there is no shortage of people giving you advice on what to do at college. Parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors, pesky youth pastors, and many others are more than happy to share their thoughts on the way you should live during your years away at college.
If you are a follower of Christ, I am sure you have already received advice about going to church, getting involved in a Christian organization on campus such as a BSM, and the importance of maintaining a consistent quiet time of prayer and bible reading. These things are important. I can't stress enough how important these thing are, but I think there is something that might have an even greater impact on your relationship with Christ than even these things.
I believe your overall perspective on your college years is the most important factor in determining how much you will grow in your walk with Christ while away at school. Too many college freshmen have set the bar too low, deciding that avoiding certain behaviors common in college is enough. Your goal in college, however, should not be to simply avoid doing bad things. Your goal should be to actively represent Christ in all that you do.
Most likely you will be stepping foot on a college campus that, to put it mildly, will not be a godly environment. In this kind of setting it is easy to develop a defensive mindset of just avoiding all the bad stuff that everyone else is doing. There are two problems with this approach. One, being a follower of Jesus is about a whole lot more than just avoiding bad things. And two, this is the quickest way to get bored with following Jesus. Who wants to live a life that is only about not doing certain things, especially when those things seem fun and everyone else is doing them?
The reality is, if you are follower of Jesus, you are not going to college to simply get an education or for a positive social experience. You are going to college to be an ambassador of the Sovereign King of the Universe in enemy territory. What could possibly be more thrilling and exciting than that?  
With that in mind, please don't approach your time in college with a defensive mindset. Instead view it for what it really is, an unparalleled opportunity to grow closer to the Lord and to serve Him in unique ways you most likely won't have post-college. There will be many advantages to you serving the Lord in college you won't have later in life. For starters, while you will undoubtedly be busy in college, you will not have the major commitments such as career, marriage, kids, mortgage, etc. that can often limit how much time and energy adults can give to the Kingdom. This gives you opportunities, that most other adults won't have, to go on short term missions trips, volunteer in the local church, or serve at Christian camps during the summer.
Another advantage you will have in college is the ability to connect and build relationships with lots of different kinds of people. As you get older your social circle has a tendency to become smaller and more homogeneous. At college, however, you will meet people of many different backgrounds from both a cultural and religious stand point. This isn't something to be feared. It is something to be celebrated. This might be the most effective opportunity you ever have to share the Gospel and the love of Christ with the people in your life. Please do not waste that opportunity.
For these reasons, I think it's quite possible that the believer Satan fears most is the college age follower of Jesus who lives sold out for God's Kingdom and glory. That might be hard to believe, but Satan does fear what God can accomplish through you while at college. Keeping this in mind will be vital for your spiritual growth in college because it will provide greater motivation to pray, read the bible, go to church, etc. than if you are just approaching college as a time to avoid sin.
So college freshmen, don’t just avoid the party scene or hookup culture.  Actually go do something. Volunteer in your local church. Go on that mission trip. Become a mentor to someone younger than you in the faith. And share the Gospel with your fellow students as much as possible.
Your service to God doesn’t begin after college when you get into the "real world." God wants to use you right now, right where you are at. Take a good look around when you step on campus your first day because what you are looking at is your mission field for the next four years.
The fields are white for harvest. There's work to be done. So get to it, young Christian.  
Sincerely,
One of those pesky youth pastors