Brigham Young University-Provo Top Questions

Take your education seriously. Don't just do the homework and study for tests, but understand the things you're learning about. Take time to do outside readings and research, and don't be afraid to talk to the teachers and TAs. They can help you out a lot. Also, get involved in different clubs around campus and enjoy the time you have at college. You won't always have all these resources available to you, so take advantage of them while you can. Reach out to people around you and get to know them. This is a wonderful time to make friends for life, so sit by someone new and talk. Don't neglect the social and physical aspects of your life, but get out and exercise and play games with people. Just have a great time, because now is the time to do the things that you want to do.

Dear Former Self, I know that you've been making some big plans and you have lots of potential, but I want to send you a little message. I know that you've always dreamed of going to college, of getting doctorate degrees, of changing the world; but I'll just let you know what you're getting yourself into. Prepare to be stressed out of your mind as you struggle to balance work, school, social life, volunteer work, etc. Prepare to lose sleep on assignments, projects, and tests because there aren't enough hours in a waking day to finish everything. Prepare to focus on your priorities, even when things go dead wrong. With the stress, depression, and anxiety that come from college, you'll need to be determined and tough. You will experience desparate situations. Everything you you ever knew, or naievely believed, is about to be thrown into the trying furnace; you'll find out what you're really made of. Brace yourself. And finally, you'll get bad grades if you have to work and do all your schoolwork at the same time, so apply for lots of scholarships right now. Love, Your Future Self

Go to bed. Yes, you may be able to function on three hours of sleep a night, but you'll be happier and do better if you actually sleep eight hours a night. Also, don't be shy. Branch out- everyone else wants to make new friends as well. Don't be afraid.

Stay focused from day one. Have a great time and lots of fun, but work hard from the beginning. It is harder to make up a bad GPA from the first semester than it is to just do well the whole time.

If given the chance to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have advised myself to look for more scholarships. I was not fully prepared for the expenses of college. If able to do it again, I would have spent more of my time looking for more financial aid. Also, I would have encouraged myself to develop better study habits, as I had to give myself a crash course in studying during my first term as a college freshman. Overall, I believe that I would tell myself to not slack off as much as many of my friends were doing during their last few months in high school. Those last months still require effort in order to be ready for the college life. I would also, of course, told myself who the good professors were, and perhaps avoided having a professor or two that I didn't really like. Small and simple pieces of advice such as this are equally as important as the larger, more important issues. Knowing simple facts such as this would have allowed me to have an easier transition into college. I would then have had more time to put effort into school.

Fear is in the root of the world's problems. Fear debilitates, sucks confidence, and weakens. I would advise myself not to hesitate to do what is right, despite what others watching might feel or think. Fear is opposed to faith. Faith is a positive motivator, where as fear is a more negative motivator. People will do a lot of things out of fear but when the fear factor is eliminated, what are they left with to motivate them? Faith is also a motivator, believing in something you have not yet seen. It is an abiding hope and trust which causes you to act on a level higher than you thought you could. When I acted by faith and not fear I was more sucessful or atleast I was happier. I say this because the majority of my failure at BYU was a result of hesitation rooted in fear. For instance, I did poorly on exams because I did not trust my initial answers. I had a season ending injury in rugby due to hesitation/fear. Fear and hesistation cost me strength in my relationships with people who were very important to me. I have learned, overcome fear with faith.

I would tell myself that it is imperative to apply for as many scholarships as possible. If I made one mistake my senior year it is that i neglected my scholarship abilities and didn't try near hard enough to get funding. It is also important to realize how expensive college books are as well as other seemingly harmless supplies. It is also extremely important to focus and do your absolute best the first semester. I ended up failing a class my first semester as well as receiving two C's. You don't want to end up repeating a class and wasting the money to get average grades.

Senior Year! Congrats! Start preparing for college now by:1) Save as much money as you can! Hopefully you have already been doing this!2) Get as high a GPA, ACT/SAT, as you can.3) Participate in several activities. Schools (and scholarships) like well-rounded people.4) Meet with a good guidance counselor. Ask for a list of scholarship opportunities. Prepare financial and personal background information ahead of time, as well as potential schools and programs you are interested in.5) Apply for FAFSA and scholarships earlier than later. Search the internet for scholarships and grants. Contact community organizations and civic groups. Treat your activities and interests as scholarship leads. Inquire with the officers or advisors of such organization about available scholarship funds.6) Visit potential schools well in-advance. Talk with the counselors over each program you are interested in about school requirements, program requirements, scholarship opportunities, etc. Look into housing options, insurance options, student life, etc. The more you find out and the earlier you find it out, the better!7) Apply for several schools and several programs. The more options you give yourself the better.8) Get involved and enjoy college life!

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self to prepare myself for the future, the change, and the transition, I would have alot to say. I would probably start by telling myself that it IS important to stay on top of school work, and that just because I don't like a subject, that is no reason to give up; it only gets harder in high school. I would tell my high school self to get involved in as many extra carricular activities, because college is hard to pay for and if you're good enough at a sport, you can get scholarships. To prepare for the move to college, I would let myself know to not make plans last minute- that it isn't hard on just me, but everyone I live with. I would tell myself that its alright if I'm going to school far away where I don't know anyone, it's okay to meet new people and make new friends. These are just a few things I would tell my self if I could go back to high school, and there is plenty more.

Kevin, so you are about to enter college. This will be a great time in your life so enjoy every opportunity that comes to you. I have three pieces of advise to give you. One, choose you major carefully and love that choice. I take every opportunity to get all that you can out of it. Do all the extracurricular activities that your major provides. Participate as a research assistant, teaching assistant, and a tutor. These positions will help you learn more. Two, get to know each of your professors a little better. Go out of your way to introduce yourself in class or by visiting their offices. You will enjoy the classes more when your professor knows you and you can connect with them. And three, spend some time doing other things than academics. Make lots of friends. Take advantage of all the things that the area has to offer. You will only be there four years and then it is over. You cannot return and relive this part of life. Lastly, do your very best and enjoy the journey.