[7] My BYU Experience

Before coming to BYU, all I knew was what my brother and parents told me. My mom attended BYU and met my dad who graduated here. They loved it and told me adorable stories of their time together at this great campus. My dad has always stressed the importance of hard work. Honestly, I wouldn't be here without his encouragement and expectations. When preparing to come here, he talked about the school work. He helped me set up my schedule and plan time to be in the library every day. Everything he taught me and prepared me for here was great, but it was all about the school.
My older brother came here for a semester before his mission. He is the oldest, so he was the first sibling in our family to go to college. He paved the path for me in everything I do. I always asked him what he was up to and what his plans were to get the idea of a college life. Michael is really smart and took some difficult classes. His average day at BYU consisted of waking up early to go to class, coming home and eating, then doing homework all day/evening. He would go to bed hoping he did everything he needed to, woke up, and did it all again. He said, "Sometimes I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to get done what I need to." That made me really nervous to come to BYU. Not specifically BYU, but any college. It looked hard, so I expected no social life and stress every day about hours upon hours of homework.
Coming to BYU, I realized that the college experience can be different for everyone. I do have lots of homework, but I stay on campus and get it done. That way, when I go home, I can enjoy my evening with friends and activities that I want without worrying about homework. I have loved getting to know new friends all the time, going to sports games, playing intramural soccer, and having jam sessions with my friends almost every night. College can be hard and time consuming, but I have learned that it can be as fun as you make it! I love BYU!