I finished my first semester of college at BYUI a couple weeks ago! Let me just tell you that it has been an amazing experience! I absolutely love the school and the friends that I’ve made this semester. I’m kind of in denial that my first semester is already over! Time has just flown by so quickly. It’s crazy how much I have learned in such a short amount of time. I have loved my time at BYUI thus far. One of the things that I have learned this semester is how to bundle myself up. I am very inexperienced when it comes to snow and cold weather. Before I went up to school, I had no idea that show actually falls in flakes(it does and they are amazing). The cold in Idaho is so different from the cold in California. In Idaho the temperature is lower but it isn’t as humid as it is on the coast. It’s freezing and it is going to get colder but it is also absolutely gorgeous. I know that it is going to be so much colder next semester but that just means that I’m going to have to bundle up more! I’ve already changed my major in my first semester. It isn’t rare that students take the introduction classes to their majors and find that their initial idea of what they wanted to study wasn’t for them. This semester, I was one of those people. I took the intro to web design class and I could tell that it wasn’t for me. I prayed about it and my mind immediately went to how much I loved my foundations writing and reasoning class. So now, my major is English with a minor in Communications. I’m pretty sure that English is what I want to study. Each time I was assigned to write a paper in my English class, I got excited. I really like incorporating what I love to do in my school work. I took an Interpersonal Theory and Communications class this semester as well and I loved it. My teacher was amazing and I learned so much in that class. It was a lot of participation and we did a lot of presentations. At first I thought that I had wanted to drop the class but after the first few weeks it had grown on me. I’m really grateful that I had the opportunity to take that class because it made me so much more comfortable speaking to groups of people without getting nervous. I liked the class so much that I made communications my minor! I’m taking a group dynamics class next semester with the same teacher and I’m pretty stoked about it!
I have always been known to get really stressed out whenever I have a lot on my plate. But this semester I was able to figure out how to make time to do everything that I needed to in a day. I learned how to study in a way that works best for me, which I had always struggled with in high school. I think that even though it was a lot of work, this semester has been so rewarding. If you were to have asked me three months ago how I was going to move to a whole different state, take care of myself, and go to school all at the same time I would have said that I had no idea. But now that I have finished a semester, I think I have become more confident in what I can do. I can say now that I am really grateful that I got to come home for Christmas. I stayed up at school for Thanksgiving and I was a little bummed that I didn’t get to come home and see the fam bam. But I had Soph up there with me so it wasn’t so bad. I was happy to come home this time but it was also a little weird. I guess that I had gotten so used to living in an apartment and going shopping for my own groceries and going to class that when I came home, everything was a tad bit unfamiliar. But I am happy that I came home. The last week or two of school, I was really missing the beach, the fam bam and my friends from home. But now that I’ve been here for about a week and a half, I’m counting down the days until the 2nd, which is when I’m going back to Rexburg. I want to say that am super grateful for all the people who have supported and encouraged me to try a semester up at BYUI. I can’t imagine how different it would have been had I chose not to go. If I had any advice to give you, it would be to try new things and to push yourself to do your absolute best!
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It turns out that Idaho has this thing called seasons (haha) and fall is gorgeous. When we first got to to BYUI it was sunny and warm and there were green leaves on the trees. But now those leaves are all sorts of red and yellow, it’s amazing. When I moved from San Clemente to Rexburg, the one thing I was not excited about was trading year-round sunny beach days for the cold weather. Everyone told me before I left that I was going to be so cold. While I don’t doubt that, I think they neglected to tell me how gorgeous the fall would be!
I love exploring around here now that we have a car! I thought before I moved here that Idaho was really boring, but it’s not. We just have to make it fun by exploring new places. Like today, for example Sophie, Alex and I went to Idaho Falls and we went to a couple stores and adventures around some fun places. We went to these abandoned train tracks and wandered around. It was so cool! But we got there and we had to climb a fence to get up to the train tracks. At first I thought there was no way I could climb a freaking fence! But Soph and Alex were climbing it and I didn’t want to leave without even trying. So I started climbing and it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I totally surprised myself and it was so rad! I’ve had a lot of experiences here at BYUI so far that have shown me that I shouldn’t say or think I can’t do things unless I’ve tried them. My first week of class, I remember being so nervous that I wouldn’t be able to get everywhere on time because I had to walk everywhere. But I did the best I could and I showed my doubtful self that I could do it! Then about a week into school, my sister won a car! That never happens or has happened to anyone I know. I’m grateful that we didn’t have a car that first week because now I know that I can get around campus when I have to walk. But I’m also glad we have a car now! I’m know that Heavenly Father is watching out for me because whenever I have had a need, it has been filled whether it is by me doing something that I didn’t think I could do or by the help of other people. I’ve met so many new people and made some friends. Everyone is really nice here. I wasn’t excited about being in a young single adult ward for church. But I like it now. I loved going to church at home because I really like talking to moms (I know it’s random). I just think moms often have good advice and they’re more mature. But the shift from high school to college makes most people a lot more mature and fun to hang out with!
Oh my heavens! I love it here. There’s so much freedom and I’m learning so many things about myself. It’s a lot of work sometimes but I still love it! I’m so grateful to be here!
OH MY HEAVENS TO BETSY! I feel like it’s been forever since I left home. There has just been so much going on in the past week that I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I’ll start with the fact that I made it to Idaho and that I am really happy here. I was really nervous when I left home. Sophie and I drove up with our friend. We left at four in the morning and we got there around dinner time. It was a very long day of driving but we all made it in one piece.
We had had a couple days until classes started to get moved in which was really nice because it gave us time to set up our apartment. We went exploring and we got everything that we needed from the grocery store and target with sophie’s friends. Our family showed up the next day and we got all of our stuff together. Then we said bye to the fam bam, at that point I was determined not to be sad about it because good things were ahead. So we got to the apartment, went to Broulim's we pulled out some bedding and slept because we were so tired. The next day our parents came with all the rest of our stuff. We set up our room and got organized. Then a couple days later they left. I wasn’t that sad when they left, I think I was too excited to be sad and while I do miss them, I’m too happy here to be sad. We met our roommates and they’re all really nice. I love them. We all get along really well and they’re all so much fun. I also went to Get Connected where you basically take a tour around campus for two days. I really liked it and I met some more fun people there. I was super grateful for that because otherwise, I would not have known where anything was. But I have gotten lost a couple times so when I do I just pull out my google maps and that straightens me out most of the time. It sounds hilarious but I’m not joking. Haha. The first week of classes has been easy, I just don’t know where much is (but I have my google maps;). I am completely exhausted every night, which is good because I can fall right to sleep after I do my homework. But I’m happy! I love this place and I know that this is where I’m supposed to be. I know that where Heavenly Father guides us He provides a way for us to accomplish whatever is set in our path. I am grateful for my knowledge of the gospel and wouldn’t trade it for anything. I know that prayer and personal revelation is available to anyone if they ask for it in faith. I know that life is hard sometimes but if we look toward Heavenly Father for answers rather than looking towards the world we will be given those answers in the Lord’s time. When I was little I used to get really bad motion sickness. Whether I was in a car or in a boat you could probably find me in the corner not doing so great. I would try everything from looking at the horizon to not eating before. Then one day I was on a boat and someone told me not to look at the horizon but to find a constant inside the boat that moved with us. I spent the whole boat ride starting at the corner of a table. It wasn't picturesque but it kept me from getting sick. The past week has been crazy. I've been packing for school and trying to get everything together. Upon putting my stuff in suitcases I can't help but realize how everything is about to change for me. And while I know change is good and what I'm doing is right for me, I can't help but get a little nervous sometimes. I used to get super anxious about change. I get comfortable in my routines and when they change I'm not always a happy camper. But when this happens I have learned to count on the things that will never change. When I want to hold onto things that won’t be moving around when everything is changing, I often find it best to turn to the gospel and the truths that lie within its teachings. Just like in order to not get sick on a boat I have to focus on a constant steady object, we need to make the gospel our constant. Whenever I am worried about the future, I always go back to the very basics of what I believe. I know for sure that both my Savior and my Heavenly Father love me and want to help me. Another thing I do when I’m anxious and I need to refocus is I start singing primary songs in my head. It just takes me back to the basics and helps me focus on the core principles of the gospel. When I need to feel the spirit a lot of the time, I listen to primary music. I think it is very rare to find a constant when you look to the world for one. Information, technology and many other things are always changing. There are trends that come and go in very short times. Things that were once unacceptable are now the norm. With this worldly change comes confusion. That is why we have modern day prophets to help us know how to keep the commandments even when the world changes around us. I know that the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints is true. I know heavenly father loves us and that he has a plan for every single one of us. I'm grateful for the stability the gospel brings to my life. I am so grateful for the peace the gospel brings even when big changes are ahead. I love that the church is the same no matter where I go. I'm beyond grateful for the atonement and the sacrifice christ made for me. I know that no matter what happens I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and that will never change. And for that I am so grateful.
There are around 7.3 billion people in this planet. We interact with about 3 to 20 new people daily 365 days in a year. That’s around 80,000 people that we interact with every year. That is a whole lot of people. And every day we meet and interact with new people. We all see from different perspectives and even those can change. We make relationships with people all the time. We get hurt and we forgive. Our experiences in life are so crazy and diverse that no two people can come out of this life with all the same opinions. And while at times, that makes people argue and resent each other, it is also so amazing because it brings so many unique views to the table. All of my life, I’ve been convinced that Heavenly Father is an artist. He created us and shaped our lives. We meet people and have new experiences, everything and everyone adds something to the painting. Some people paint with colors that are a couple shades darker or lighter than others, the additions are all shaped differently. But everyone adds their part to your life. And it is hard because you don’t have control over what they choose to add. But you do get to choose how to work with it. You can either leave them as they are, you can try to cover them, or you can make the painting look better because of them. You can take that part of the painting and make it beautiful. When people are interacting with you and leaving their pieces, it is important to try to understand them. Because no two people are ever going to be exactly the same. Everyone has different perceptions. They have lived different lives, they have different views. A lot of the time their different views can help us realize things that we would have never thought of. Of course we are going to disagree with some people. But don’t tune out once you realize their views differ from yours. Don’t raise your voice and refuse to listen. A lot of issues can be resolved by just listening. Maybe you’ll learn something too. But listening isn’t synonymous with agreeing. I think we sometimes think that listening to someone means that they are going to do or think whatever we ask them to. Another thing I think we really need to be aware of is the use of technology. I think technology has been increasingly taking away from interaction. All the time I see people so engrossed in their phones that they forget to look up and acknowledge the people that are sitting right in front of them. While I do think technology is a blessing and can be used to enhance the quality of life, I also think that it can do quite the opposite and distract us from what we should be focusing on. It is up to us to recognize if and when we begin to value technology over human interaction.
Assumption and lack of communication is another thing to be aware of. I think we often forget that not everyone sees things the same way we do. People seem to assume that others will understand things even when they are left unexplained. Although it would be nice if everyone would automatically be able to see things how you do, that is not always the case. Sometimes we are going to have to be patient and explain our views in order for others to see what we see. Along with lack of communication, we often cut off others before they have gotten a chance to say what they want to convey to us. I think once we hear someone say something that we don’t agree with, we immediately put up a wall and stop listening. I struggle with this sometimes, but it’s important to hear the other person out and not interrupt them. It can be so frustrating when other people don't listen to you but it's even worse when they don't let you speak to begin with. When this happens, try to be patient but don't ever say anything when you get angry that you'll regret later. I think today we needlessly put ourselves into these roles and we don’t always act like ourselves. Life isn’t a play. We are not assigned to roles or labels. Authentic human interactions become impossible when you lose yourself in a role. It is important not to pretend to be something we aren’t. A lot of the time, it is hard to get to know new people because you don’t know their history, you don’t know what they do or like. Sometimes we don’t allow people to get to know us because we want to be seen a certain way. But I think that takes away the sincerity of a relationship because one person is solely themselves, but the other is not. A good relationship shouldn’t be based on how well people like us in a certain role, but should be solely based on how others appreciate and value you for who you are. In the end, it’s essential to remember that we are all children of our Heavenly Father and everyone has a purpose in this life. We are all loved by our Heavenly Father more than we know. He loves us even with our imperfections. And He wants us to love others unconditionally as He loves us. |
My name is Ellie. I am a sophomore at BYU Idaho. I am excited to live life and to share a small piece of it with you!
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