It was my first semester at BYU. I didn’t have the traditional freshman experience. Coming from BYU—Idaho, I found the BYU campus was daunting, and I was nervous about asking people for help. At BYU—Idaho, I knew the campus, I had a good group of friends, and I had a great GPA. But I felt that I needed to transfer to BYU Provo.
My first semester was nerve-racking. The classes at BYU were tough, and I went to my TAs a lot to get help on my homework. My roommates encouraged me to keep a positive attitude; but ultimately, I got my first “E” in calculus and struggled my way through Doctrine and Covenants. On top of that, a relationship I hoped to bud, didn’t. However, that’s not the end of the story.
Sometimes you need to be humbled before you can be shaped into what you need to be. That semester I learned that things would be okay at BYU. After retaking calculus and a summer of serious reflection, I was back and ready to take on BYU. I made friends in my classes, I attended more TA labs and reviews, and I structured things a little better between classes, church and time for myself. After four years of life learning at BYU, I finally graduated. Though it has not been an easy road, I’m happy I made it through.
Kevin Sonico
Sacramento, California