Free at Last

Posted by Laura

I am done with finals! Wahoo! It is a priceless feeling. All of that studying and hard work and worrying and studying and cramming and... and... and studying in preparing for one last test has reached its end.

One of my favorite days to walk on campus is the last couple of days of finals. You can look at the face of someone walking by and immediately interpret how their week is going. Some are totally at peace and may have a few drips of ice cream smeared on their lips from celebrating their freedom. Others are in denial and have a strange look on their face, suggesting that they are and thinking, "I've still got time." Some are holding a study guide in their hands and would run right into you if you didn't dodge their studying path. I have even run into a few who are very open with their panic, asking their study buddy something to the extent of, "Tell me everything you know about the Great Depression in the next 60 seconds!" Yet as I was driving in the car and saw the clock strike 10 p.m., there was an immediate flow of relief that filled the surrounding air and a feeling of excitement and celebration. Ready or not, finals happened, and now they are done.

I now have six days of pure joy until I begin my spring classes, and I don't think I will have a problem figuring out how to spend them. I feel so good about "last semester," and I was relieved to see how everything really came together in the end. I feel so proud of all I was able to accomplish, and my first year has taught me that I really can do hard things. I have loved BYU and look forward to the years to come.

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.)

Major Decision . . . Maybe

Posted by Mitch

I think that I have finally chosen a major! This is big news, considering I almost, no, definitely shot myself in the foot if I ever wanted to pursue a business degree—accounting was a great class, just not a great GPA-builder. That's all I need to say about that. Then I considered majoring in history, because I love American Heritage, and I am actually doing well in the class. But I decided that history was too boring. No offense to any history majors.

Anyway, I think I have chosen my major, and it is public relations. Of course, I have to apply to get into the major after I complete the prerequisites, which could be fatal, but I have a good feeling about it. I think that PR is the best route for me, and I can minor in history.

Choosing a major has been a long battle, and I'm not sure it's over yet, but for now the smoke has cleared and I can see somewhat clearly. I love working for campaigns and speaking on behalf of people; what better major is there for me? And this major will prepare me for law quite well.

Advice to the future freshmen: don't sweat declaring your major! Take some classes first and feel out all of your strong suits. Choose a major you like and you can excel in. It doesn't have to be the major you have dreamt about since junior high. Those dreams are great, but they may not be a reality.

The Final Crunch

Posted by Laura

Today I finished my two hardest finals of the semester: microbiology and chemistry. They were scheduled one right after the other, which made the past few days of studying hard, trying to find a balance in studying enough for both. I had my microbiology final first, and the professor surprised the class by telling us that the pretest from the first week of class would be the final. My thoughts raced back four months as I tried to recall the questions; I remembered how I had never heard any of the vocabulary or microbiology language before. It was overwhelming to be exposed to all of that information at the outset and see an overview of the material we were going to cover. Yet as I retook the pretest this morning, I understood the questions, and it made me realize how much I have truly learned and understood over the semester. It was a hard class for me and it really pushed me to work hard, but I also really enjoyed it and have already seen how relevant the information is.

My chemistry final brought back memories of the ACT. It was timed: 60 questions within a five-minute time limit. I think the hardest part was pacing myself to get through all of the questions and finish on time. The whole class jumped with panic when our teacher made the three-minute announcement, and the air was thick with tension. We have to wait about a week to get our scores, but it feels nice to have the test done with and to see how the many hours of studying paid off.

Finals are scary and stressful. It's easy to be overwhelmed with the final crunch at the end of the semester. But having made it through two semesters, I know that everything really does work out in the end.

I have loved being at a university where you can gain comfort from having class prayers; it makes such a difference. It has been wonderful to have both secular and nonsecular education in all my classes and to see how each subject relates to the gospel in different aspects.

Studying in the Spring Weather

Posted by Laura

During reading days and finals week, finding a place to study is crazy. It's like trying to find a parking spot in a BYU student parking lot at the busiest time of the day. I have had to weave in and out of study areas to find a spot that is vacant. I have found myself studying out in the boonies, in desperation, to start studying. Yet one thing that has seemed to help with this crowd problem is the nice spring weather. It's that time of the year when everyone is excited to see anything that isn't snow or rain. It feels so nice to be able to study out on the lawn and walk to different buildings in the sun. I know that the weather can play mean jokes in the spring, but I hope this nice weather stays and that we won't have to pull out our ice scrapers and snow boots again for a while.

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?

The Best Two Weeks

Posted by Braden

The best part of every semester is the last two weeks, when all of your projects are turned in, teachers have stopped assigning homework, classes slow down or stop altogether, and you've got nothing left but a few finals to worry about! Some people fret and squirm and say finals are terrible, but the way I see it, we've been taking exams all year—it's just that this time, they actually give us time to study for them! LOTS of time! Two reading days would be enough for me to do all of my studying, since I make sure to review past material all semester. That leaves five days of finals where I have no commitments whatsoever with the exception of maybe a two- or three-hour chunk of time when I have an exam. What a lot of playtime! I never feel bad for not being more productive either, because I can't possibly work ahead in any of my classes. I can't go home either—not until all of my exams are over. So I take my one exam for the day, then hang out with friends, pack stuff, go for a walk, go to the temple, read a book, or do whatever else I feel like with no guilt or reservations that I'm not accomplishing anything for school. What a wonderful couple of weeks these are going to be!

Sixth Graders, YIKES!!!

Posted by Ashley

Yesterday, for my physical science class, I had the opportunity to go to an elementary school and teach about the solar system. My physical science class is for those going into elementary education. This whole semester we have been preparing lessons to teach to students at Farrer Elementary. It was almost like a science fair. The elementary students came in and went around to each of the stations set up by us college students. My lab peers and I were the lucky ones to teach the sixth graders—the kids who think they are all that because they are the oldest. We were not too thrilled. The topics we were assigned were pretty basic; I was given the topic of the relative position and movement of the earth, moon, and sun. Most sixth graders already know this, so it was interesting trying to teach them. It was a really good experience, though, to be able to go into an elementary school and have that experience.

I also volunteer for Tutor Outreach to Provo Schools (TOPS); I go to Wasatch Elementary every Friday and help with math time in a fifth-grade class. I get to assist the teacher and interact with the students, and it's helped me see that I really do enjoy being in an elementary-school atmosphere. I believe I have made the right decision to go into teaching.

Props from a Pro

Posted by Brittany Karford Rogers (BA ’07), Associate Editor

Stacy Wetzel, a violinist in the Los Angeles Philharmonic, gave Sini props during her visit to BYU. The School of Music had arranged a master class taught by Wetzel for all violin majors. Only five students were chosen to workshop pieces with Wetzel in front of the whole group; Sini was one of them. “I played solo,” says Sini, who performed her jury piece, Sarasate.

“Overall, she liked the way I played.” Wetzel talked about the rhythm, pacing, and improvisation. “Then there’s this really fast part—she wanted it a lot faster,” says Sini. Wetzel also performed.

“She has a really nice sound,” says Sini. “When you play in an orchestra, you don’t have time to practice on your own stuff—it can kill your musicality. She plays really musically.”

Drinking from a Fire Hydrant

Posted by Braden

Today in mission prep, we got fried. The topic was "The Second Coming," and Brother Bott explained that he once gave a thorough lesson on it at Education Week, for which he was given three hours and was only able to present a tenth of the material he prepared; so today he had essentially 30 hours of information to give us in 50 minutes. He said it would be like drinking from a fire hydrant, so just try to survive and don't forget to gasp for a breath of air every once in a while. Well, I'd heard that sort of comment before—"We've got a lot to cover, so pay close attention because we're going to move fast." Bott is an extremely good teacher, and the subject material is particularly interesting, so I knew it'd be a good class.

Fifty minutes later, we finished, and we all just kind of sat there, fried. He finished with a comment like, "I'm sorry, that's probably the lousiest overview of the Second Coming you've ever had; we had to skip over so much!" And I left thinking, "Dang . . . that's probably the most thorough lesson on the Second Coming I've ever had." Talking to one girl after class, she said, "I had to sort of zone out there at the end to protect my finite little brain from exploding." And to think I get college credit for this fire-hydrant drink.

I feel so blessed to be at a college where I can have awesome religious classes like this from awesome religion professors like him every semester!

Squeaky Clean

Posted by Laura

Something that I have learned my freshman year of college is that there isn't enough time in the day. You can have a very productive day, look at your clock and realize that it's past midnight, and still have a list of things you want to accomplish before going to bed. A lot of my classes this semester involve memorization, and I have found a new study method: if you put your papers or note cards in a plastic baggy and then tape them somewhere in the shower, you can get in vital study minutes that make all the difference. Now I can take a long, relaxing shower and still feel like I am not wasting my time.

I think every college student has different methods of multitasking while studying. I have seen people eat while studying, listen to music while studying, walking to class while studying—some have even tried to master the art of sleeping while studying. I guess everyone has their methods, but mine is squeaky clean.

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!

Theoretical vs Tangible

Posted by Braden

I was asking my math professor a question today during his office hours, and we got to talking. He was really surprised to find out that this is my first math class since high school (partly because it's Math 343, and partly because I've been doing so well in the class). Then I got a letter this week inviting me to the Mathematics Undergraduate Recognition Dinner, "based on the recommendation of [my] professor." (I'm excited for it—they're going to have free food and a "mathemagics" show!)

My professor said that I should definitely get a math minor, like I'm planning on doing, and maybe even a math major, since it comes so easily for me. I don't think I will (I just need a degree; experience and results in the places I work will be what actually get me places), but it was nice to hear. And it's true that I do prefer the computational part of science. I find the manipulation of numbers to be really satisfying. Studying inferential statistics in my high-school AP statistics class was really exciting, too.

While optimization in mechanical engineering requires number-manipulation out the wazoo, I find actually working with physical parts to be frustrating—everything is so inexact and variable! It makes me wonder every once in a while if I'm really in the right major, but I think I am. I'll just select a job or branch of mechanical engineering that deals more with computer models and simulations and have somebody else go through the pain of actually creating the tangible representations of my models. Unfortunately, to get my undergraduate degree, I need to go through those pains myself as I take all the classes on manufacturing and machining—gross!

Licking Rocks!

Posted by Ashley

WOOT! I am finally done with my physical science lab. We had our final today. It consisted of identifying a total of 30 rocks and minerals. We also had to identify properties and how they form. For some of the rock and mineral samples, we actually had to lick the rock and rub it against our teeth. That was really disgusting—what if someone was sick? Although it was very entertaining to watch people's faces after tasting the salty rock. I can now name 15 minerals, 8 metamorphic rocks, 11 sedimentary rocks, and 10 igneous rocks. I still don't understand why I need to know all these rocks to become an elementary teacher, but oh well, it's done now.

Study or Fly-Fish?

Posted by Mitch

I was able to go fly-fishing today with my roommate. Fly-fishing is one of my top-10 favorite things to do; after all, I come from National Geographic's no. 1–rated town to live in for sportsmen.

The Provo River is kind of dirty, but just casting was enough to make me content. Sometimes I get so tired of school. Let's just say it doesn't take long for me to wish I was out doing things I enjoy so much more. Unfortunately, school is necessary.

I think today was a grand start to a beautiful fly-fishing addiction here in Utah. I hope it doesn't take too much time away from my studies.

A Thorough College Education

Posted by Braden

As part of Student Development 358R (a class for resident assitants), we learned about effective methods of communication and how to handle crucial conversations. To do this, we made a case study of a specific conversation that our teacher happened to have recorded: the proposal scene of Pride & Prejudice.

From Darcy and Elizabeth's encounter, we learned the importance of stating your intentions, recognizing when another person feels uncomfortable or threatened, and some good general dos and don'ts for proposing to somebody someday.

I'm fairly positive we all paid much closer attention and learned more that class period, watching scenes from a chick flick, than if we had covered the same material in typical textbook-style fashion.

Freak Out!

Posted by Laura

I loved social dance so much last semester that I decided to take the next level this semester. It is sooo much fun and is, no doubt, one of my favorite classes. Every semester, all of the social-dance classes have two huge labs in the Wilkinson Center Ballroom. All of the social-dance students come to practice and to get to know new people. At the lab there is food, dancing, and music, and a couple class sections perform.

At this particular lab, my class (section 280) was assigned to perform the cha-cha to "Le Freak." Everyone was decked out in '70s-era D.I. goods when it came time to perform. The crowd went crazy, which made it easy to feed off of their energy. It was a blast! My sister recorded about half of it and I attached the video here:

One Day at a Time

Posted by Laura

School can be crazy! Thinking about all of the the assignments, quizzes, tests, and finals that happen in a semester can be overwhelming. Just thinking about it makes my palms a bit sweaty.

This week I have four tests, one of which is a final for my computer-block class. How can I manage my time to make sure I prepare myself for each of them? You know that you have spent too much time studying diseases when you sign "Laura Bacteria" as your name on top of your assignments, or when you talk in your sleep about diagnosing diseases. It's hard to figure out how much time you need to put in for each class to make sure that you stay caught up.

I have found that the best way to do it is to focus on one day at a time. Focusing on how you are going to spend the next 24 hours is a lot easier than focusing on everything you have do to before the end of the week. 

The Next Young Ambassador

Posted by Elise

Some people just can’t let go of childish dreams. I’m one of them. I’ve always loved singing and dancing. Always. And growing up, I’ve always admired Young Ambassadors and wanted to be one someday. It was just one of those dreams you have.

Last week I saw the Young Ambassadors show, and I renewed my resolve: I am going to work hard and take dance classes and become a better dancer and singer. And then in a year or two I’m going to try out. I’m really gonna do it! I’m so excited! If I don’t get in, that’s fine, because prepping for the audition will be fun regardless of the outcome. It’s a win-win-win situation.

Unforgettable Devotional

Posted by Brittany Karford Rogers (BA ’07), Associate Editor

In the second devotional of the semester, Sini’s favorite of her freshmen year, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (BS ’65) spoke about Lot’s wife, who looked back. “He talked about how we need to move on in life and not look back in time,” Sini recalls. “Christ died for us, and we have a responsibility to use that gift and let the Atonement work in our lives and in other people’s lives.”

Read or listen to this devotional on the BYU Speeches Web site.