(Un)Solicited Advice

I gave a guy a ride home from institute tonight and on the way home he asked me this question:
I am attending the ELC right now, but want to study Engineering at BYU, what advice do you have for going to BYU?

My first response: Do your homework. Go to class.
His response: Oh! I thought you would tell me to hit up all the parties in Provo.
My second response: Actually...

And then I explained and because it was insightful to me, I thought I'd share it with my faithful blog readers. :D

The more I think about the question, the harder it is for me to explain my feelings about it, but I will just say what I said to him just now.

When I was a sophomore in college, I had a friend who told me something that left an impression on me the remainder of my college experience. I don't remember her words exactly, but basically she said education (or learning) is more than about the classes you take. Looking back on my experience at BYU, I was a very good student. I went to every class (I maybe missed a total of 4 or 5 classes) and I did my homework and I worked hard and got good grades (kept my GPA above 3.7). However, I don't really remember a lot from my classes. Granted, these past few weeks, more than ever, I have been spouting out things I was taught in my Marriage, Family, Human Development classes to parents in hopes of helping them in some way.

(Funny side note about that: After saying some things she should consider trying to do to help her family, she asked me if I had kids and after my response she basically said that I can say all I want, but it means nothing to experience. Little does she know that I do have experience and the things I taught her were principles that have been tried and proven. :D It's just funny for me, a single, childless woman, to be giving suggestions about parenting to people. It's no wonder they take it with a grain of salt. Okay, end of side note.)

When I look back at my experience at BYU, it's not the classes that I remember the most, but the things I did with people, what I accomplished, how I learned about myself, and how much I grew from various experiences. Yes, I fully stick to my first response to this question, but there is something to say about balancing it with being involved in the ward, making friends, doing crazy (but LEGAL) things, going to BYU sponsored activities, doing service to roommates, friends, and strangers, trying new things, and going new places. These things are what have made the biggest difference in my BYU experience and my life all around. I have met so many interesting people and have been exposed to so many difference cultures and I have learned something for each one of them because I took the time to get to know them at least a little bit.

When I look at my college highlight scrapbook I made, there is only one picture from a class that I took and that was my choir class because it really was a highlight of my college of experience. It truly changed my life in ways I wouldn't have imagined. All the other pictures are of the people that I had a good time with and activities I participated in that more than likely influenced me positively (or negatively) in some way. I'm not saying to not take classes and that kind of education seriously, because I believe that education (in classes, etc) opens the doors for more opportunities to learn, serve and grow. That sounds cliche, but it's true. What I am saying is that it's important to remember that as an apostle said once, "What's most important lasts the longest." Many times this meant for me to give up studying or doing homework to be there for a friend in need or to just relax and watch a movie or to join a random dance party that's happening in the living room. Yeah, it's happened and it happened over and over again and I don't regret putting down that book or getting off that computer or not doing any homework on a Saturday so I could make memories and make a difference in someone else's that will last forever.

But then on a second or third or whatever thought this is, I look back at the classes I took at BYU and can think numerous classes that helped me to grow intellectually, mentally, and spiritually and I will be forever grateful that I took them because they made me who I am today.

I just thought of this, but in some ways, I feel that a great suggestion for any freshman BYU student is to go after your dreams. Actually, live the dream, NOW and everyday. Attending and graduating BYU was only a dream for me, but things worked out and I made it. Within my experience at BYU, I thought of more dreams, went after them, and then achieved them. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever be an EFY counselor or participate in the Nauvoo Pageant, but it happened. Now my dreams of what I'd like to do and be have expanded and I know I can achieve them with diligent effort because I've done it before. It's the most amazing feeling in the world! I'm really am living the dream.

So, I guess the short second answer is simply to balance your studies and your social life, but that answer isn't nearly as interesting as the long answer, now is it? :D