College is the first time mom and dad aren't dragging you to Mass. It is the first time a professor might tell you God is a fairy tale. It is the first time the party culture is in your face 24/7.
Here is how to survive (and thrive).
1. Find the Newman Center Day 1
The Newman Center is the Catholic hub on campus. Go there during Orientation Week. Why? You need friends who aren't trying to get you drunk. You need a place to study where there is a tabernacle. Tip: There is usually free food.
2. Sunday Mass is Non-Negotiable
Make a pact with yourself: "I will go to Mass every Sunday, no matter how hungover I am, no matter how much homework I have." If you skip once, it gets easier to skip twice. Then you stop going.
3. Find a Mentor
Find a FOCUS missionary or a chaplain. You need someone to talk to about actual life questions, not just "What's your major?"
4. Intellectually Engage
Read C.S. Lewis. Read Chesterton. Your faith is being challenged on an intellectual level; you need intellectual answers. Sunday School answers won't cut it anymore.
Be counter-cultural. Find the Newman Center at your university on the MyPrayerTower app.