Confessions of a First Year College Student

A year ago I was just starting senior year; the effects of severe senioritis began showing.  All of senior year, really, is prepping for college. It's taking the ACT that one last time before you have to apply for school. It's applying for scholarship after scholarship after scholarship, hoping to finance your education.  It's doing lots of really immature things that you're (supposedly) not going to be able to get away with once you get to college.  Well, I never really thought about how different/similar college would be from living at home.

Differences

-No curfew (although I haven't even stayed out past midnight yet)

-No car - it's really not bad, because BYU has soooo much on campus (grocery stores, theater, bookstore, etc), but if you want a bigger selection of products, pastimes or people, a car is something that you will miss a lot.

-So many more classes to choose from!! At my high school we mostly just had the pretty basic classes like math and english with few fun, interesting classes to choose from (except for Sports' Med ;) Some of my favorite classes here are Swahili, Air Pollution and Quality, Social Dance and Honors American Heritage, a government class based almost entirely on the Constitution. The variety and specificity of classes is something I already love, and definitely plan on taking advantage of during my next semesters.
-My main diet here is granola bars and chocolate soy milk. Everything else takes way too much effort to make and clean up, there's too much other stuff to do. Maybe once I get the hang of college I'll be able to explore my more domestic side and actually cook!

-The culture is soooo marriage minded that it can get really frustrating! I'm used to just having a bunch of friends who are boys, with no other intentions (as far as I know) but to be friends. Here, it's kind of like you can't be friends without being interested in each other, which is totally different than what my high school experience was like! That's going to take some getting used to for sure.

-Different people! I miss my best friends from back home sooooooooooooooooo much.  You know the cliche phrase "You never know a good thing 'til it's gone?" Well I've began to realize how true that statement is! I miss my friends and family a ton. Inside jokes, being able to finish each others' sentences, just hanging out, knowing what someone is thinking before they say it out loud, giving each other that look that communicates everything, knowing that someone is there for you no matter what...yeah, I miss it a lot.

-You have to study for college. As opposed to not having to even do homework at CFHS....

Similarities

-I still get back to my apartment by midnight...college is more exhausting than you would think, especially in a climate as hot and dry as Utah Valley and with as large of a campus to traverse.  

-I still slackline as much as possible!!! Other than studying and sleeping, it's the thing I've done the most! PS If you want to pick up boys at college ;) get a slackline!! They are so drawn to it and HAVE to try it to prove their manliness or something. Then they fail and convince themselves that they have to keep trying and maybe they'll get it the next time. Then they want to do it (and therefore hang out) again!

-I still hang out with lots of Mormons (surprising considering I'm at BYU, I know) and am really involved with church! I recently was called as Relief Society 1st Counselor. For those of you who don't know, the Relief Society of the LDS (Mormon) church is the largest (and I believe oldest) women's organization in the world. In each congregation of LDS members, there is a section of the Relief Society. First counselor is kind of like vice-president, if we were to compare the organization to a student council.  The president is my roommate, Lauren, and I'm so excited for this opportunity to serve my fellow students. I know I'll have a lot of fun and get to know a lot of people through this calling. 

-I love my roommates!! We all get along so well and are able to understand each others' sense of humor.  They text me all the time when they see a tall, attractive ginger! At home, I got along very well with my sister, Emily, who also happened to be my roommate! We had so many fun times, and even though we both (okay, usually me) got kind of outrageous on Sunday evenings, we didn't judge each other and had a lot of fun.  My little brother, Niels, and sister, Andrea, have also been roommates at times, and I got along pretty well with both of them (Andrea only more recently ;). I've been blessed to have awesome people to live with for the past 18 years and counting! 

I know that I am so blessed to be at such a great university! I have a beautiful, brand new apartment with awesome girls as roommates. My teachers are all passionate and knowledgeable about the subjects they teach, and I know will help me with anything I need in their classes.  I still have my wonderful friends and family supporting me, however far away they may be. I'm able to keep in touch with my loved ones because of modern technology. I know that Christ is there for me and that I will have so many opportunities to become closer to Him in the next year.  And last, but not least, the BYU Football team won their first game! ;) All in all, life is good, and I have much to be grateful for.