The End is in Sight!

In 3 weeks, my time at BYU-Idaho will be over.  Thinking about that completely blows my mind.  Rexburg has been my home (whether I liked it or not) for the past 4 ½ years.  I have learned so many things that have changed the way I see education, life and other people. 

When I was applying for colleges my senior year of high school, I really didn’t want to go to BYU-Idaho.  I just applied since it was the same application as BYU Provo and I figured it couldn’t hurt.  Heavenly Father knew that I was too hard headed to go there by my own choice so, despite my 4.0 GPA and high ACT score, I ONLY got accepted to BYU-Idaho.  I was mad at first but after I got past my pride, I was able to feel peace knowing that it was where I needed to go.  I declared my major as Animal Science not knowing exactly what I wanted to do, but I figured I might as well learn as much as I could to better my family’s cattle operation.  Four and a half years later, I still don’t know what I want to do.  But my view of education and learning has completely changed. 

So, here are some of the key things I’ve learned from my time in college and maybe a little advice. 

Take as many classes as you can!  BYU-I has a credit limit and I’m assuming most colleges do, but take advantage of the time you have at college. You’re paying good money to go so get as much out of your money as you can! I’ve had semesters where I took as few credits as possible and semesters where I took as many classes as I had time for (and I paid the same amount for both!). I felt so much more accomplished at the end of the semesters when I had a full course load. 

Take classes that interest you, even if they aren’t required for your major!  That might be obvious, but it took me a long time to figure out that I can pretty much take any class I want.  I mainly stuck to agriculture related things because that is really what I’m interested in, but I also took psychology, and food science, and flower arranging and a couple marriage classes.  Because I wanted to.  And they ended up being some of my favorite classes!  (Not to say I didn’t enjoy the classes required for my major, because I definitely did!)

You take out what you put in!  I think I’ve learned this the hard way. And I’ve been reminded of it over and over.  I’m guilty of doing the bare minimum to get through a class.  But let me tell you something.  When I look back to those classes, I can’t remember a dang thing I learned.  And then there are the classes that I worked really hard to do well in and to really understand and apply the information.  Those are always the classes that I can actually remember what I learned.  What a surprise, right?  I never regretted putting in the extra effort. 

Talk to your professors!  I have learned that for the most part, professors care about their students and want them to be successful. I’ve never had a teacher that wasn’t willing to help me if I came to them with a problem.  Most teachers become teachers because they are passionate about learning and I have found that to be true of every professor I’ve had at college.  I have received some of the best advice from my teachers who were in my shoes not that long ago.  It has helped me to be able to get through the semesters when I really wanted to quit!  (And I may be just a little biased, but I think the Animal Science department has some of the BEST professors ever!)

Hands on experience is PRICELESS!  I knew from the very beginning of college that I would have to do an internship to graduate but I sure as heck wasn’t happy about it.  I wanted to stay where I was comfortable and not have to do something hard.  (I know, I sound pathetic.)  But then, I moved to Kansas, interned at Deseret Cattle Feeders, had one of the best experiences of my life and my perspective completely changed.  The struggles, the discomfort, the tears (and there were lots of them), the insane number of HUGE spiders, and the cow poop were ALL worth the amount of growth I experienced in those 3 ½ months.  For one, I can kill spiders by myself now, which is a big deal for me! But on a more serious note, I gained a confidence in myself and my abilities that I’d never had before.  I learned that it really is okay to ask for help, and being wrong is how we learn and grow!  I can’t say enough about how much my life has been blessed because of my time in Kansas.  The people there are some of the best I’ve ever met and they hold a very special place in my heart!

And finally, Don’t let school get in the way of your education! This goes right along with the hands-on experience.  But really, school is important and I’m not saying you should ditch class all the time, but if you have the opportunity to learn from someone in the industry you want to be in, skip class in a heartbeat!  Most teachers really are willing to work with you and really encourage learning outside of class!

Well, I’m sure I’ll continue to realize how much my time at BYU-Idaho has blessed my life in the years to come.  For now, I’m going to try to enjoy my last 3 weeks as a college student!