Brigham Young University-Provo Top Questions

If I could give the high school version of myself advice about college, it would be this: buy the right kind of beans. A few months ago, I went grocery shopping and was frantically running through the aisles buying my food. I went to grab some refried beans, but when I came home and pulled them out of my bag, I saw I had made a terrible mistake, I had bought a can of "beanies and weenies:" a mix of hotdog chunks and pinto beans. I made this mistake not once, but twice. And while it is silly, it actually does examplify a greater principle to me that you need to remember: don't overlook the basics. Don't allow yourself to get so caught up in the crazy life of tests, labs, essays, parties and extracurriculars that you can't even take a moment to slow down and buy the right kind of beans. Don't ignore the most important things, like getting enough sleep and feeding yourself good food. Take care of yourself, and then the other areas of your life will flourish because of it. I promise. And please: never buy a can of beanies and weenies.

I would tell myself to learn how to study. There are many differences between high school and college, but one of them is difficulty. College is HARD. There are fewer assignments, but every assignment is worth a larger percentage of your grade. Tests and learning how to take them is probably the most important skill to develop because they are such a huge percentage of you grade. Learn now, study, take notes, attend class, because everything will only get harder after high school.

Going back, I'd tell myself anything is possible but reorder your priorities. Money is not the first concern. It should be in the top 10 but not higher than #5. An undergraduate degree does not determine a career path. Choose schools which: encourage exploration in the first years, have "shopping weeks" not pre-registration, promote internships, have professors who willingly advise students on academic and carrer options, and where women are valued, as evidenced by the student body and number of female professors. Where possible take tours and sit in on classes. Get a sense for the academic rigor and find a student body where I'd belong. Growing up poor, in an elite community, my high school didn't provide advice to students in my socioeconomic bracket. My guidance counselor said "[I'd] never get into any college with a PSAT score of 1200." I didn't study for the PSATs. At the time the highest score on the SAT was 1600. I'd tell myself, make phone calls to the admissions and financial aid offices of universities I wanted to attend even if I couldn't visit. And, I'd say, as I did, yes I can.

Don't be afraid to be you. College can be very intimidating and difficult and you may feel like you need to act a certain way to fit in. Everybody seems older and more experienced than you and it can be frightening to be yourself. But don't compromise on who you are, your beliefs and standards. People will respect you more for having them then ignoring them in order to fit in. Build a reputation of being trustworthy and reliable. Make the college you the best you you have ever been. Your professors and classmates will notice. But most importantly, you will notice and you will be happier for it.

Don't be so concerned about how skinny you are, if the cheerleaders will be friends with you, or if the basketball boys will make out with you! You'll have plenty of boyfriends in college . You're smart, and the college classes aren't as hard as everyone says they are. Don't be afraid to stop studying so much and go the parties. You end up making it. Breathe. Also, stop making out with Peter. Even though he's a 'college boy', he's not worth your time and there are MUCH better boys waiting for you in college! Stop taking the ACT so many times. Trust me, a 32 is definitely a good enough score and nobody cares anyways once you get in. Practice soccer more do you can actually win an intramural championship instread of always losing in the final round. You're the world's greatest!

The advice that I would give to myself is to focus on the most important things. Girls, drugs, fun, and even work can wait. There are other things out there that will help you so much more than those things. I know that they seem to be the best things, but they can wait. Focus on the school work and focus on learning. Don't grow up too fast. You have an amazing opportunity given you. Enjoy it, but also remember that if you do not work hard, you will not prosper. Work is nesscessary in order to grow. As you work hard, you will feel good. Don't let others bring you down, but just continue to try new things and learn so that you can teach your children and bring good into the world. You can do so much, don't forget who you are.

I would tell my high school senior self a variety of things knowing what I know now. First, I would tell myself to start looking into colleges that I want to attend and scholarships right at the start of my senior year. I would also tell my high school senior self to have a job and be working to have some money of my own to apply to my own college experience. Also, I would advise myself to go and visit colleges that I am interested in, so that I can see if I will really like attending one of those schools. And finally, I will tell myself, that yes college will not be a piece of cake, but that it will be worth it.

You do not need to rush yourself. Take the time you need to really figure out what you are doing with your life. Enjoy yourself while you are doing it. Because if you do not take the time now you will have to take the time during a less convenient time of your life. You do not need to figure everything out in one day. What to study? What career to go for? What about social life? These are all questions you should be having. And there are even more questions. The answers will come with time. Just make sure you are not rushing yourself and losing precious opportunities to enjoy life and find the answers to these questions. Do not be afraid to ask for help. You may have to talk to a lot of people. There are people who can help you figure out your life plans. Do not let your self stress over it so much that you cannot enjoy life. Go at the pace you need. You know yourself better than anyone else. Life will be hard but you will figure it out.

High school for me was the pile of brussel sprouts on a large plate of rich, delicious foods. It stunk and it was nasty, but it was absolutely necessary for me to grow. I spent my high school career trying to find a balance between knowing I had the capacity to lead and being told that I wasn’t needed because the school already had better, more able leaders. I knew I had something to offer to the school, but with every leadership position that I took, I tore myself down telling myself that I was incapable and less valuable. Though as I got to college and was treated as a valuable part of society, I realized that it was important for me to learn to follow while recognizing my ability to lead, but it’s even more important to be a competent, humble leader who acknowledges what they are capable of. So to my high school self, I would say ‘Stop it. Stop caring so much about what your peers think of you. Stop trying so hard to be what everyone expects you to be. Stop cutting yourself down because in the end, being you is better than enough.’

You know that college is work and a serious thing. But do not forget that it is also an experience. Do not be a work-aholic. Have a job, stay in your budget, make beautiful plans for the future -- but make the time to have fun. You will meet some of your greatest friends in college; it is a clean slate. Whatever activities you want to do or classes you want to take, just go for it! In leaving high school and going away to school, you left behind all the "boxes" that people put you in. No one at college has any pre-conceptions of your character and interests. You really do define yourself. Remember to be responsible. Stay close to God because you are about to be put in some of the most stressful and stretching situations of your life. You need to roll with the punches, but divine help is a definite necessity. Not every day is fun, but the more you remember to relax into your reponsible adulthood, the more fun moments will occur. That is life. So be happy and while you work hard to be successful, remember that you need to have fun, too.