As students look back to their freshman year, they remember their biggest fears as well as offer advice to incoming freshmen on how to overcome their fears.
Alex Nightingale Australia Junior, “Coming to BYU was my first time ever in the United States. I had no idea what to expect. The only way I got over it was by making friend super quick, and all of us just figured it out together.”
Alison Mercer,
West Hills, Calif.,
Junior,“My biggest fear was being able to manage my classes and stay ahead. It was easy to get over that fear; I just went to class. I put the effort in and was successful.”
Amanda Poppe, Cannon Falls, Minn.Senior “I was terrified of getting swallowed up in a massive wave of students around me. My high school had a total of 400 students, so this was a legitimate fear. I ended up doing a study abroad my sophomore year which pushed me out of my comfort zone and expand my circle of friends.”
Cassie Hooper,
Springville,
Freshman,“Fail! I was definitely afraid of failing midterms and finals. The idea of taking five major tests in one week was unfathomable to me. I just realized that finals are a part of life, and I dealt with it.”
Christie Shill,
Plano, Texas,
Junior,“I was worried about being able to find my classes and getting lost. To get over that I relied on campus maps, and when that failed, I just asked people for help. Everyone here is really nice and willing to help.”
Dallas Beck,
Council Bluffs, Iowa,
Senior,
“Everyone here was so good at everything, and it was intimidating. It really taught me a lot about my own identity and who I am.”
Dallas Etzel, Chicago, Ill., Junior, “I was deathly afraid of failing classes. That’s it. I never got over it, but I started caring less and trying harder.”
Grant Fuller, Logan, Freshman, “I was nervous about finding the perfect balance between academics, work and the social. I just had to teach myself to budget my time well and prioritize.”
Hayley Rozsa,
Los Angeles, Calif.,
Sophomore,“I was afraid of not making any friends. I took every opportunity to put myself out there in social situations. Sometimes school became a second priority because having those social relationships was important to me.”
Jason Lefrandt,
Aiea, Hawaii,
Junior,“I was afraid of flunking out. However, I just learned how to take tests and how to test well.”
Kaci Nielson,
Salt Lake City,
Senior,“I was worried about finding my place and learning to fit in and do well and have fun. I got over it by praying really hard and remaining optimistic.”
Matt Hiatt,
Clemmons, N.C.,
Grad student,“I was afraid of the unexpected. I guess you could say I still am, but I just learned to relax and roll with it.”
Marc Jay,
Rockland, Calif.,
Senior,“BYU is such a big community, and I was worried about getting lost. I enrolled in freshman academy. Because of that I made friends easier. Some of the people I met through freshman academy are still some of my closest friends.”
Mia Wai,
Honolulu, Hawaii,
Senior,“I was afraid of having home so far away. It wasn’t just a quick drive home, and that made me nervous. To get over that fear I just made a bunch of friends.”
Nate Munk,
Seattle, Wash.,
Sophomore,“I wasn’t really scared. I came with my best friend, so we just handled it.”
Nicole London,
Sandy,
Senior,“I was afraid of running into someone I knew at the top of that terrible hill and not having enough breath to say hi. It would be embarrassing. It still is a legitimate fear of mine.”
Rachel Kullick,
Saratoga, Calif.,
Junior,“This sounds terrible, but I was afraid that I would get stuck in a group of friends that I wouldn’t be able to branch out from. Instead of getting stuck, I made sure that I was constantly meeting new people and always talking to strangers and making new friends. The Wilk is a great place to do that.”
Steven Bready,
Sandy,
Junior,“I was worried about getting to know all new people on my own. I was lucky and had an awesome ward that made it easy to make friends fast.”