Settling on a Major

Posted by Trevor

Well, the first year at BYU has officially ended. I promised myself at the beginning of fall semester that I would not choose a major this year. That way I could keep my options open and see what might spike my interest—I wouldn't limit my opportunities by chaining myself down to one major right from the get-go.

Now that the year is over, I can go ahead and declare a major with a clear conscience.

After much debating, I've decided to pursue a career in animation. This came as a surprise to me. Though I've been known in my apartment and all through high school as being the "Disney Guy," I never seriously considered working for a major studio. In fact, I never considered any kind of degree in visual arts at all. But, as everyone says, the first year of college changes everything, and I can testify that this is true.

For your enjoyment, I've attached my three projects from my beginning animation class. (Hopefully they play correctly. I'm not the most tech-savvy person the planet has ever seen.)

End-of-Semester Woes

Posted by Trevor

Finals are almost over. As the semester winds down, I've found that my life has become more complicated than relaxing. I recently found out that I'm not eligible to stay in on-campus housing, so I must move home and try to work out how I'm to commute to Provo twice a week for my Spring class.

As if that wasn't bad enough, I need to find a job in my hometown, which is easier said than done in this economy. Though I've picked up several job applications, none look too promising at the moment. This is quite a problem when spring tuition is due in two days and my mission is coming up in just a few months.

So, rather than enjoying a care-free last few days of the semester, I'm freaking out trying to get all of the loose ends that will govern the rest of my spring and summer tied up. Who knew the end of school could be so stressful?

Cursed

Posted by Trevor

At our last ward prayer, as is customary, everyone who received their mission call recently announced it to the rest of the ward. At this particular ward prayer, we had about seven or eight guys announce their calls. Many have only to finish up the semester before they'll be leaving.

Though this is exciting news for them, I can't help feeling a little left out every time it happens. I was cursed with having a late birthday. By the time I can submit my papers (let alone receive my call), most everyone that I know will already be gone, and I don't know how many letters I can write without my hand falling off.

All is not lost—I'm working on my papers right now. I just have to wait much longer to get the white envelope. . . .

Paper Shortage

Posted by Trevor

Before coming to college, I bought myself a ream of plain white copy paper. After fall semester, I think I had used up all of about 10 sheets. Up until the beginning of the second semester, maybe about 15 sheets. But since starting my animation class, I have finished off my first ream of paper and started on the second. This class is eating up all of my paper! For example, for a near 10-second animation of a bouncing ball, I used 58 sheets. I later did some research and found that the average Disney animated film uses about 2.5 million sheets of paper for the finished film (which doesn't include concept drawings, trashed drawings, thumbnails, storyboards, background drawings, etc.). If this does end up being a career, my employer had better be the one supplying the paper, because I'm sure not buying it!

Supplemental Income

Posted by Trevor

Extra money can be a little hard to come by when you're in school. Somehow, we need to be able to afford rent, groceries, textbooks, etc. This past week, in order to mitigate some financial troubles, I became one of the many BYU students who earn a little extra money by donating plasma.

At first I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. I've rarely been to a doctor, and I must admit, this was my first real experience with needles since my required kindergarten shots. But, as it turns out, I can keep my composure even when being poked by thick needles. After an hour or so of sitting in a chair with a needle in my arm, I got to go to the magical machine that spits out money to compensate for the pain and suffering endured. With a little extra income, I may be able to afford more schooling after this year's money runs out.

Writer's Cramp

Posted by Trevor

One big contrast between college life and life in high school has been the absence of writing papers. I have never been inclined to pursue the field of English in any form. Attending college was a dream come true when I found out that I didn't have to take an English course every semester. I've found that I'm perfectly content to fill my schedule with math and science courses, where there is no writing of any kind required.

However, this lack of paper-writing also has its drawbacks. Because I'm not required to write papers on a regular basis, the task of writing anything has become much harder to complete. On the rare occasion that I am required to write, I can literally spend an hour or so trying to find a way to phrase a certain idea to my liking. Hopefully I can get myself back into the habit of efficient writing, but in the meantime, I'm content with the lack of writing in my schedule.

Another Way to Test

Posted by Trevor

Today I had my first exam inside the Testing Center. That's not to say this was my first test or quiz, it's just that in all of my other classes, the exams were administered either online or in class. Now that I think about it, I really prefer them to be that way.

When tests are online, I tend to feel a lot more relaxed. I can take the test in the comfort of my apartment. And when exams are taken during class hours, there is a set time limit and the test is made to be taken within a set amount of time. As I took my test in the Testing Center today, neither of these comforts was offered.

The Testing Center is a house of fear, fear so pungent you don't need to be a dog to smell it. As the semester continues, I pray for more tests taken outside of the Testing Center where there aren't so many bad vibes reverberating off of the walls.

An Uncertain Future

Posted by Trevor

Well, I must say that I've never written on a blog before, so I'll try my best here. Much earlier in the semester, I approached a booth outside of the library advertising for the Disney College Program. After speaking with my neighbor who had graduated from said program, I decided to gather more information about the program.

After attending the information meeting on campus, I filled out a job checklist, set up an interview time, and began the process of applying for the chance to work at the Happiest Place on Earth. I had my interview with the Disney representatives and even had an audition to be a character performer (which was WAY out of my comfort zone!). With the process completed, now all I have to do is wait for 3-5 weeks to find out if I made the final cut.

However, class registration waits for nobody. So, I stayed up until past midnight to register for winter semester classes. I couldn't help thinking, "What's the point in this? I may not even be here next semester to enjoy these classes." Now with registration done, my future for winter semester remains a mystery to me. Will it be more grinding away at the grindstone of BYU, or will it be working away the semester in warm, sunny Florida? As a guy who likes to have everything organized and laid out before me, this uncertainty places me in a very stressful and even frightening situation. With no other options, all I can do for the time being is wait, wait, wait...

Meet Trevor Barrus ('14)

Posted by Jeffrey S. McClellan (BA '94), Editor

Hometown and High School: Alpine, Utah; Lone Peak High School

Applied To: BYU, BYU–Idaho, University of Utah, Weber State University

Major Plans: Undecided

Interests and Achievements: Received the BYU science fair scholarship for his project about liquefaction in Utah County; youngest of six (four brothers, one sister); shares a birthday with his immediate older brother; played violin in high school orchestra

Science Fair Fun: Fascinated with science, Trevor Barrus ('14) participated in various science fairs in high school. His sophomore year, he studied the Mozart effect, and his junior year, he and his senior brother studied bacterial growth on objects in students' pockets. The verdict? Cell phones carry the most bacteria, even more than mp3 players, hall passes (which were the cleanest items), and cash. His senior year, he collected soil samples from 25 locations in Utah Valley and studied liquefaction (the dangerous liquefying effect of an earthquake on certain types of soil).

BYU Bound: Until the BYU science fair in late March, Trevor thought he would be going to BYU-Idaho. He had applied to BYU and had been accepted, but he did not receive a scholarship and did not think he could afford to come to Provo. But at the end of the awards ceremony for the BYU science fair, sitting with friends and family, he was stunned to hear his name announced as the winner of the BYU Science Fair scholarship. And suddenly everything changed. He and his family celebrated with ice cream at the BYU Creamery, and Trevor began making plans for Provo.