Brigham Young University-Provo Top Questions

I have learned how to study, cook for myself, live on my own, form close friendships with random strangers, and just how to be an all-around better person. I believe it has been valuable because I feel enlightened just being here. I have really begun making friendships here could last a lifetime, and then some, and that is the most valuable thing about attending college at BYU.

I don't know if I can accurately describe all that I have learned from my college experience. Being here has been a great blessing. I have learned to be more independent, Learned through trial and error what works and what does not, and learned to think critically and in a crunch. I think that the school I study at fostered these things and provided an enviroment that was safe for learning and that kept me from getting lost or forgotten about along the way. I wouldn't choose any other place to continue my undergraduate education.

My experience at Brigham Young University was pivotal to my intellectual and spiritual development. All of my courses were mentally stimulating and tied in, or at least attempted to tie in, religious and historical views. I loved being in close contact with the esteemed professors and the fact that there were all reachable, helpful and friendly. I've had many conversations with professors after lectures and believe that the professors are one of the best resources that Brigham Young had to offer. My experience at this university was comprehensive and in depth, socially, emotionally, physically, spiritually and intellectually. I believe that BYU was and is a unique university and that any student will be enchanted with the experience. BYU is an intellectual crucible; students who've attended the university are stretched, tested and challenged, and leave the campus brighter, stronger, and with a new perspective on life.

I have learned the importance of acceptance here at BYU. While I love this school and am grateful for the opportunity to study here, more often than not I find myself feeling like an outsider compared to the other students. As a Mormon, I didn't expect to feel this way attending a prestigious Mormon school. I find that in Provo a lot of people take our religion to an extreme level. Because I watch PG-13 movies and wear skirts that show my knees, I am viewed somewhat of a radical. This has changed the way I view the outside world. I have become less judgemental of everyone I meet because I know the feeling of being judged, and it is not a pleasant one. I try to treat people with kindness and respect, the same way that I expect to be treated. Not only is this an important lesson, it's a universal and necessary lesson. It's one that could stop genocide, murder, and wars. With this lesson, I look at the big picture: it's not me wanting to be accepted by BYU. It's people wanting to be accepted by the world.

College has taught me many valuable things, but the most important thing I’ve learned since graduation is the value of true friendship. A true friend is someone who genuinely wants to spend time with you and will go out of their way to do so. If you have true friendship, the distance between your college and theirs will not harm your relationship. The people who are around just because you have that class together or just because you happen to be in the same clique, are not true friends. College has taught me that to have a friend, you must first be a friend. The girl that picks up your tab at lunch because she knows you’re between jobs, the person who will meet you at Waffle House in the middle of the night just because you need to talk, or the guy who texts you just to ask how your day went- they portray examples of what genuine friendship looks like. College is a difficult time for many young people, but less than pleasant circumstances often act as catalysts when it comes to finding true friendship.

My college experience is helping to define who I am and who I will become. By making the decision to continue my education, I am securing my future in this increasingly competitive world. I am learning skills that will transcend my chosen major. These skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and stress management will help me through out my life in and out of the classroom. I have made lifelong friends that share my values and have strengthened my beliefs. I feel like I'm part of a family that will help me achieve my professional goals and personal aspirations. Attending this university was the smartest decision of my life. It has given me the best college experience for the best price. I was blessed to be awarded scholarships each year, giving me the opportunity of study where, otherwise, I would have had none. Overall, I am extrememly pleased and grateful for this university and all I have been able to accomplish. I feel more prepared as a future career woman and more excited about what awaits me after graduation.

My college experience in the two semesters I've attended has so far been a blast. I started out this summer attending BYU and it turned out to be a great idea. I really allowed me to ease into to college life instead of having it all heaped upon me at once in the fall. I had only 8.5 hours and it really allowed me to establish good connections with the students there and make some good friendships. Now that I'm in fall having barrages of homework thrown at me every day, I realize how glad I am I went to summer and made some really good friends, because I wouldn't have met those people so easily since I have so much homework now. It has also taught me the value of money and how to use it wisely. I've always been kind of a frugal guy when it comes to my own hard-earned money, but college has just enhanced that even more. I'm applying for scholarships everywhere I can, since the university didn't give any to me, and have been working anywhere between 14-15 hours a week.

The thing that I've gotten out of my college experience is that it is extremely important for students, especially for incoming freshman, to study really hard in their classes. This university isn't for students who prefer more one-on-one time with their teachers. As long as the students pay attention in class and do their best to keep up with the homwork, they should do fairly well in school.

I feel I have gotten what is intended for college students to get out of their higher education experience and more. I have honed my communication skills, explored a wide range of subject areas, received quality training in my chosen field, and been given the tools necessary to succeed after graduation. Extracurricularly speaking, college is like high school, but better! I have been able to try so many new hobbies, make unique relationships with so many kinds of people, and experience so many new things. But even more important than these aspects – which are offered at every other decent college or university – is the development of self I have experienced at BYU. I have learned that the true value of an education is not merely to pad your own future pocketbook, but to use all your hard-earned wisdom, knowledge, and skills to serve the world at large. I have learned that people are more important than anything (money, power, fame, stuff, information) and without meaningful connections in life, all other rewards are empty. My college experience has not only increased my knowledge, but taught me how to develop the wisdom to best apply that knowledge for the greater good.

I remember my first semester at college, exiting the bookstore with arms loaded with textbooks. It hit me that, in a few months, I would know everything found in those books. I think that explains my college experience: knowledge. There is something exciting about signing up for your classes, reading your textbooks, etc. Learning is the most wonderful journey in life! I served a church mission in Budapest, Hungary and saw how schooling is only available to the wealthy. I am so blessed to be able to attend college and pursue the best life has to offer!