The Music Major | Letter to My Freshman Self
Dear Freshman Julia,
So, you picked Maranatha Baptist University…great choice! I know you don’t own a coat or winter boots since you grew up in the Philippines, so you should probably get on that. I can’t lie, college is going to be hard. Do us a favor and get a planner, then stick to it! It might seem scary to get involved in a lot of things, but these are opportunities that will shape you and prepare you for life and ministry after college.
Join a choir – you’ll experience such wonderful times of worship through music and fellowship with believers in the choir and in other churches.
Jump into society – as you progress further in your major, it gets more difficult to reach out to people outside your major and build relationships with them. Society is full of opportunities to create life-long friendships with girls from all programs and years.
Spend a summer at camp – I know, I know – you need to work to make money for college. But if you can swing it, a summer working at camp will change your life. College can become a time when you focus on yourself. You’re working for YOUR degree, spending time with YOUR friends, preparing for YOUR future. Camp is a great time to get your focus on others and invest in the lives of kids. Whether or not you’re a counseling major, camp will give you such a burden for others and the skills to biblically help people.
Invest in relationships with your teachers – your music professors will pour themselves into you and give you all their knowledge to prepare you to teach music. They love God and they love music – that’s what you want to pass on to your students!
Walk around with your eyes open – some of the people that have encouraged you the most recognized when you were struggling and gave you a hug or prayed with you. Be that kind of person for those around you.
This is such an exciting time of life, and you’ll change a lot during these years – make sure you change to become more and more like Christ. You probably won’t believe that graduation will ever come until you’re walking across the stage – but you can make it. By the time you finish you’ll have countless memories and friendships…oh, and a degree too.
-Senior Julia
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Julia Bachorik graduated in May 2021 with a BA in Music: Piano Pedagogy.