By ASHLEY VAN WAGONER
BYU represents unlimited opportunities and a wide-open future: the trick is taking advantage of your time here.
There are many things said former freshmen about their first year and what they learned. Students agreed on feelings of being overwhelmed, excited, scared and ready for the adventure.
One commonality which stood out to all was their experience with homework. Their advice? Do it. Not only do it, but pace yourself and avoid cramming for finals and save yourself a world of unnecessary stress.
Merilee Strong, a soon-to-be-sophomore from Richland, Wash., said she wished she would have found a better balance between friends and homework, but admitted it took time for her to find what was best for her.
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Strong said once she found her personal balance through trial and error, she was able to find greater peace.
Lauren Kimball, also a soon-to-be sophomore from Salt Lake City, said living with her best friends has been a distraction for her at times, especially as she overloaded herself right from the start; however, she said she gained greater insight having done it the hard way.
“I wish I would have known to just start off slow,” Kimball said. “I took too many hard classes right at the beginning which wasn’t smart. It’s hard to learn how to balance everything. One thing to remember is that one bad grade isn’t the end of the world.”
Kimball also encouraged her soon-to-be peers to remember to stay social.
“It’s good to be social,” Kimball said. “It is something you should focus on as well; it isn’t a waste of time.”
BYU dating, according to some students, has a history which creates big expectations for incoming freshmen. Logan Hill, a sophomore from Idaho Falls, Idaho, said he wouldn’t advise the guys to get serious with a girl before the mission.
“Pre-missionaries shouldn’t expect to have a lot of girls commit to write to them,” Hill said. “I wouldn’t try to get a steady girlfriend before you leave. First and foremost, you should keep a mission in the front of your mind.”
Hill also reminded freshmen to stick to the basics when it comes to their spiritual growth and to not let go of those things they’ve learned their whole lives.
“It’s kind of the Sunday School answers,” Hill said. “Make sure you’re going to church on Sundays, read your scriptures every day and don’t forget to pray. Make time to go to the temple, even to do baptisms. These are the things that really help.”
Courtney Severson, a junior from Bentonville, Ark., said to just be yourself, and don’t try to live up to anyone else’s expectations of how your dating life should be.
“Dating is an important part of your social life,” Severson said. “My dad told me as a freshman to not get married. Don’t expect to live up to any standard anyone else sets – just be yourself.”
Jeff Sayer, a BYU alumnus, said to keep your sights high and never settle for less when it comes to your relationships.
“Never sacrifice your standards,” Sayer said. “Even if it’s a little bit more lonely of a stance, wait for someone who matches your vision.”
In the mix of everything, sleep is always a critical component that often gets put on the back burner.
Severson encouraged freshmen to realize their limits, especially when it comes to sleep.
“Roomies keep you social, so set limits,” Severson said. “Know when to get sleep. I would stay up until 3 a.m., and it was really hard to wake up for my classes.”
In an effort to help incoming freshmen stay afloat and keep them progressing toward graduation, students are not left alone in their experience. Past freshmen said to recognize that other freshmen are just as new to the college scene as you – it’s impossible to know what to expect until you’ve truly experienced it.
Nathan Beck, a senior from River Side, Calif., said he didn’t know until later in his college career there was more available to him than he could even consume – things which would have greatly eased his efforts and made him more efficient and productive earlier on.
“I wish I’d have known the resources that BYU has,” Beck said. “For example, the computer labs – they are way more functional than I thought they would be. There is just a lot the university offers that I wish I would have taken advantage of. Research, and find out what you have right at your fingertips.”
Taking advantage of the moment requires knowing what is out there for you. Past students advised freshmen to step out of their social bubble and look around them.
Sayer said he came to BYU intimidated by the size of everything – a bigger school, more students and basically everything was bigger than he imagined it would be. According to Sayer, there is so much more out there for students to grasp hold of and run with – things that can change their lives forever – the trick is realizing it while you are still in the moment.
“I wish I would have realized that ‘big’ meant vast,” Sayer said. “It’s a vast opportunity to meet new people and make new friends, some of the finest and elect individuals. We need to pull out of our social circles. Instead of being intimidated, I wish I would have flipped my perspective and seen it as an opportunity to gain new knowledge and find life-long friends.”
