For any incoming Freshmen out there, whether they will attend Byu or not, I am going to give some advice from what I learned during last year:
Have fun, but I hate to break it to you, it is college. It's a whole other world, and it demands a lot of responsibility. Remember the excitement you have now, and hold onto it to keep you motivated to work hard. Put forth your best effort, but don't be too hard on yourself as long as you do your absolute best and give it your all. You may have made A's in high school, and you most certainly still can make A's in college, but try your best and that's all you can do. Study, study, and study some more. Go to the available resources from your university, such as walk-in labs, emailing classmates, reserving study group rooms, and much more. Once you give it your all, you won't regret it.
Once you make mistakes, you can improve. Most importantly, be aggressive about how you can improve, because you can, and it's not the end of the world. Honestly, after trying my absolute hardest and studying a lot, I failed every single test except maybe one or two, which were for Book of Mormon and the Communication Disorders intro class. I'm not lying. I got fed up with it and met up with the head of the Physical Science department, trying to find out why I was failing after hours of studying, researching, going to the TA lab, and more. She agreed that we needed to find out what was the matter and"tested me out" by placing me in a separate room with just she and I. She gave me the same test I took in the testing center, and I answered out loud the answers I believed were correct while she held onto my original answer document from the testing center. After about an hour of observing me taking the test, she found out I had testing anxiety and my brain has a hard time organizing information I learn, and she was able to help me out. She was a genius, but it took courage to go and see her in the first place.
Which leads to the next point...especially at Byu :) There is some awesome faculty out there! They want to help in any way they can. They want you to succeed. They want you to give your all and are happy when you do well. When you are on campus or need help, go to your TAs. Go the labs. When I say labs, I don't just mean your required lab. Go to the lab where they have TAs and helpers there for you. They are there for a reason and can help you succeed.
Take breaks! A break can be anything from a water break, good lunch, a simple walk, a phone conversation to catch up on friends' lives, getting a Jamba Juice with a friend, or whatever you please. Walk around and notice the simple things you see. You may notice nature's gifts such as the color of the trees or a clear blue sky, the smell after a fresh rainstorm, or snow sparkling from sunlight. You may notice acts of kindness such as a cute gesture from a guy as he runs to the door to hold it open for a young lady, someone picking up books someone dropped, or just happy people in general. Be happy when others are happy, and think of the ways you have been blessed in your life, and look for ways in which you can help others. You will be in an atmosphere where a lot of people are in the same boat as you, and everyone faces some sort of battle in their lives.
Make friends wherever you go. Make friends at your apartment complex, in wards, on the shuttle, at the library, or wherever you may be. It's good to have close friendships, but also be sure to reach out to those who may not feel included, and don't do it as an "act of charity" or "being good," but because they may really need someone.
This note is especially for girls: Do. Not. Gossip. Or. Hurt. Others. Seriously, there were times where it would get out of hand in atmospheres I could not get myself out of. I learned my lesson when I heard all the negative talk about an individual to stick up for them. There were so many times where I didn't that I regret to this day. Each person is a son or daughter of God, and treat them like they are, no matter how different they may be from you or how they may affect your life. You may think you're funny by mimicking something they said or did, but you're not, and you're making yourself look more foolish by doing so. Taste your words before you spit them out and you may be surprised. I don't want to go into much more detail about this, but please think carefully before you say or do something.
Always, always, always take good care of your health. Just because I take care of myself mainly because I have Cystic Fibrosis doesn't mean you don't need to take care of yourself as well. I have seen students stay up late all the time to party or catch up after procrastinating, skipping meals or treating meals as "treats," or skipping out on exercising or just calling walking a workout. If you don't take care of your health, it will catch up on you and you won't be able to do as well in school. Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night, eat healthy food as meals (and don't skip out on meals or consider them as "treats"), and engage yourself in exercise that you enjoy regularly. There were those nights where I had no choice but to stay up late to finish a paper or when I really wanted to party, but be wise about your decisions because they will affect your performance a lot more than you think they would!
Keep your life in balance as well as you can. Every now and then, think of the different areas in your life, and if you can improve in any of them: mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. You may find it very difficult to balance everything, which is completely normal! Just try your best and remember that as you strive for balance, your life can run more smoothly.
Remember to have fun! Go with your friends to dances, activities, and go to games. Play games, watch movies, and just hang out when you all want to be lazy. Knock on doors and invite others to have fun as well. Share and laugh at Youtube videos, gather for breakfast on Saturday mornings, or try new recipes on Sunday nights. I would try to work hard on weekdays, and then reward myself by partying hard on Fridays and Saturdays as well as resting on Sundays.
Last but not least, remember who you are and who you have been. If you fall or make mistakes, you can get back up and try again. A major part of learning not only comes from textbooks, but realizing the mistakes we make and striving to improve each day, and pulling together that hope again whenever we fall. Remember how excited you are now, and hold onto it throughout college. The future is as bright as your faith.
 |
| Walking into my new dorm for a new life 1 year ago |
No comments:
Post a Comment