According to the Roman Catholic theology, there are seven sins that destroy the spiritual growth of any Christian. They include: lust, envy, sloth, gluttony, greed, wrath, and pride. Whichever way you look at them, college students are the most affected by those sins. Consider their age, for example. Youthful college and high school students are starting to explore their bodies, growing into the peak of their lustful selves. Yet the pressure of being around hundreds of other teenagers pushes them into the temptation of committing the 7 deadly sins. Let us look at how each of these sins are manifested in the lives of university students.
Sloth
Sloth is defined in the Roman Catholic traditions as an acedia, a Latin term that means “without care.” This type of sin is the most difficult to define among the 7 sins of university students. But we can describe it to mean “lack of any feeling about self or others,” a state of inertia, cessation of movement, apathy, or indifference to work. Sloth breeds laziness, idleness, and sluggishness. University students are known to commit the sin of sloth when they fail to attend classes, do their assignments on time, or do exams. Most college students are procrastinators; they wait until a few hours before deadline to do their homework. This leads to overnight studies and cramming, academic failure, stress, and even dropping out of school. The sin of sloth can be overcome by the virtue of diligence. University students should do their work diligently and draw up a schedule of activities to ensure that everything is done on time.
Greed
The second of the 7 sins of college students is greed. This form of sin refers to intense feelings of selfishness and the desire for wealth and power. In the Roman traditions, kings would fall from grace due to their greed for power and wealth. University students also commit the sin of greed when they desire money for luxury and partying. Life in university is quite challenging because most students don’t work. Most of the money they get from their parents and government funding go to tuition fees, accommodation and food. The desire for a better life in campus can cause students to steal from their friends, become aggressive, or pick on their parents and guardians. This sin can be addressed by developing the virtue of charity. When you have something to spare, kindly help your friend who has little to spend.
Pride
This type of sin refers to being overly satisfied with one’s own achievements or the achievements of close friends and relatives. Having deep pleasure for one’s achievements. It is good for students to be proud of their hard work, but when it comes to pride it becomes sinuous. Don’t be arrogant with your achievements, and don’t embarrass others for failing to achieve what you have achieved. University and college students have the habit of bragging about their scores, grades, and GPAs. Especially in the digital age, students post their As and certificates on WhatsApp status, facebook, and twitter with some captions that illustrate full-scale pride. The best virtue to overcome the sin of pride is humility. Be thankful of your achievements, and humble yourself before your classmates, teachers and friends. Be proud of yourself, yes; but make sure you don’t overdo it.
Envy
The sin of envy is common among university students who are not able to achieve that other students can achieve. The dictionary meaning of envy is resentfulness or feeling of discontent caused by other people’s possessions, qualities, achievements, and luck. Competition in university education is good for better performance, but overdoing it could breed the sin of envy. You have done everything right to get yourself into the university, but this is not the time or place to be envious of other people who can do better than you. Whether on co-curricular activities, academics, or finances, being envious will cause more trouble than blessings. The sin of envy can be overcome by developing the virtue of gratitude. Be thankful for whatever you have and focus on your career goals.
Gluttony
Some people can’t stop eating. Just kidding. Although the dictionary definition of gluttony refers to the habitual excess of eating, this type of sin goes beyond food. I can simply say don’t chew what you cannot swallow, you will be chocked. Well, university students have a wide range of options when it comes to dining. You can go to a school café, a nearby restaurant, or make your own food inside the hostel. No parent or teacher can guide you on what to eat or not. So you take in all sorts of junks and chops, and before you know it you have gained 10 or 15 pounds. Not good for your health. Not good for your pocket either. To overcome this sin, you need to adopt the virtue of temperance. Learn to balance between excesses and limitations. You should restrain or moderate your eating and drinking habits; do not over-indulge.
Lust
This is another sin of the body; it is caused by yielding to the desires of the body. Young people are mostly affected by their sexual appetites just as much as they are destroyed by their appetites for food. Lust is about having a strong sexual desire. Resist. In college there are many handsome men and beautiful ladies, and no one can prevent you from meeting them. As a girl, there is no pleasurable feeling that is stronger than the feeling of being noticed by boys. You feel like you own the college, and not even the faculty can quench your lust. You go on several dates with men who will use you and dump you. Men, you can find yourself in prison without anticipating. Your lust can lead you into a trap where you cannot save yourself despite all your efforts. Have fun, but learn to control your emotions. Use the virtue of chastity to keep you in the right state of emotion.
Wrath
The 7th sin of university students is wrath or anger. Another type of emotion that is common, but if it is not controlled it causes people to sin. College students interact with many other students, faculty members, and the school administration. Since we are all human beings, someone will say or do something that will annoy you. If you are quick to anger, you can easily punch someone on the face. If he had some underlying health issues, he could die, and you are in for much trouble. Learn patience. Tell yourself these words silently: “all is well.”
