We won't learn much from our surroundings unless we carve out time to reflect. College is an incredibly busy time, and we often go a hundred miles per hour from the moment we wake up till the time we go to sleep.

One of the most important principles I've learned is the absolute necessity of finding regular time to think about what happened each day. Some of us can't do that in our dorm room or apartment because there's always something going on, people stopping by and music blaring. We have to get away and find a quiet place to reflect.

From my first weeks at Biola as a freshman, I became known as "The Vampire" because I walked around campus late at night when everybody else was asleep. The only people I saw were campus security. This was the time I set aside to process all I had done and seen that day.

I don't know what my life would have been like without that time, but I can assure you that those walks gave me far more insight about me, my friends, God and God's purposes for my life than anything else in my day did.

Sure, all the other experiences and interactions were important, but those walks enabled me to process things so I understood them more clearly and more deeply. I don't know what kind of time will help you process your day most effectively, but figure it out and do it. Maybe it's early in the morning (I understand that some people actually prefer early morning), or maybe it's at the library between classes. It doesn't matter when, where or how. It only matters that you take regular time to consider the events of the day so you can observe the causes and effects.

It helped me to experiment with what method worked best. Not everyone reflects in the same way. I had to play with different techniques (prayer walks or runs, journaling, hiking, getting out into nature) before becoming "The Vampire." Taking time to reflect helps us better understand ourselves, better relate to God, and better connect with those around us going through similar emotional, spiritual, and intellectual transitions freshmen face.