Forever Notre Dame

Getting ready to graduate can be stressful – it’s a big transition from college to the “real world”, figuring out jobs, grad school, where we’re living and who we’re living with all while finishing classes – it can be a lot. Without a doubt, Notre Dame has prepared us well for the real world – we’ve seen thousands of people go before and be successful, and so while we may be sad that our time at Our Lady’s University is coming to a close, there is nothing to fear. As we work to ensure that our plans for next year are lined up, we also need to remember to work on our faith as we enter into new stages of our lives.

After talking to graduates from the Class of 2013, here are some tips on engaging in your faith post-college as well as some general tips:

• Find something regular you’re interested in – whether it be a Bible Study, Young Adult Volleyball or a service group – and try to go every time they meet. Seeing people consistently really helps build friendships and it’s a great way to find a community after college!
  
•  Don’t underestimate how important relationships are. Don’t be afraid to pass up a higher salary or a better opportunity in order to live closer to family or friends. And remember that money is merely a means to an end and never an end in itself.
• Living a good faith life is all about will. If you want to live a good moral and faith filled life you have to act like you want to. It takes far more time and effort to attend mass, pray or discuss morality/theology in the real world and to keep a good faith life requires putting in extra effort. You have to make a habit of wanting a good faith life and moral compass.
•  Don’t worry about having a long term plan. Most people still have no idea what they want to do with their life even after college. If you ever feel frustrated or overwhelmed, it’s okay to vent to God about it – He’s always listening!
• Go Parish shopping! Different parishes have different styles and different cultures. It’s okay if you don’t feel at home in the first parish you go to; it doesn’t mean you’re a bad Catholic, try a different one!
• Go to mass every Sunday even if you’re tired, hung over, or don’t feel like you’re getting anything out of it. Mass will help create the cornerstone for your faith.
• Once you do find a parish you like, remember to register! This generally involves just stopping by the parish house and filling out your address but it’s a good way to be more connected to the community and know when different events are going on.

 The Notre Dame Alumni Association also has some great tools available for us to use. You can sign up for the daily email here which sends the Gospel reading, a Reflection, Prayer and Saint of the day to your email Monday – Friday at 5am EST. To find times for Mass, Reconciliation and Adoration in parishes around you, check out masstimes.org. Make sure to connect with your local Alumni Club for help finding a parish. Also check out faith.nd.edu for other events and activities to get involved with and stay connected to the ND community.