The BYU-I Experience!!!

Journal entries about me and my BYU-I experience.

Sept 19-25

Post 1-

I am not much for writing in Journals or expressing myself. So far my experience has been ok. I am just trying to figure out what I am supposed to do and why I am really here. A part of me regrets coming here because it is so new and I hate change. But I am around some old friends that also came here for college, and that part I am thankful for. That is all I really have to say for the day.

Post 2-

I am getting a little bit more used to this place. My friends dragged me to a country dance this week and that was tons of fun, but apparently I need to stick to swing dancing. Also, my best friend and her roommate invited me to go bridge jumping but I am not allowed to jump from high points because I have a Cochlear Implant and the quick change of pressure like that can mess up my Cochlear Implant. I still went and had fun watching them make fools of themselves and laughing. My favorite part was watching the water fall and the mist come off of it. Also, I am excited because we have our first game tonight.


Sept 26-Oct 2

Post 1-

So far this week I have gotten used to two of my classes and I am really beginning to find some middle ground in them. I am still a little distracted by spending time with some friends, which is a good distraction I guess, a lot better than the ones at my old university though. Not a lot happened today aside from the fact I went to my Heber J. Grant class- this one girl made me mad. She said that she probably one upped everyone in the fact of seeing the real world. Which she should not have said because she doesn’t know what everyone has gone through and what their battles are. On the other hand of the BYU-I experience my house mates are pretty interesting.


Post 2-

This last half of the week has been kind of stressful. A little bit of home sickness is kicking in and homework is starting to pile up. So far this week we have had some softball games which is good, I need it. I need to be back in my element because I have missed it so much. The BYU-I experience this week needed the good end because in all honestly, I was starting to feel really sad. But on the other hand, I am really looking forward to General Conference this weekend.




October 3-9

Post 1-

General Conference was this weekend and I like it a lot. Of course it was hard for me to stay awake because I stayed up late both nights- but I managed. I especially loves President Monsons talk about how missionary service is a priesthood duty-- an obligation the Lord expects of us who have been given very much. Church (mostly the activities we have during the week) is starting to become more interesting and I am starting to know some names, even if it is my RS leaders.. Hahaha. But aside from church activities I had softball practice today and that was really awesome!!! I am starting to get to know my team-mates and they are insane, we have Tiana, Jarica, Kellie, Becca, Christina, Mary, Kailin, and Kayla- oh and of course there is me. I play 2nd base and it makes me happy. Tonight I have a Book of Mormon class and I don’t know if I really like it yet. I like the principles and stuff, just hate how late the class is which is 7-9 and I am usually about to shut down by then. But we will see as the semester goes on.


Post 2-

All I have to say is this week has turned out not like I thought it would. I have felt sick and decided to go to the doctors in which they put me through some blood tests, turns out I have a auto immune blood disease. I am guessing I have had this for many years because my doctors has suspected it before, but weren’t sure of what it was. At times in the past I would be in bed laying on my stomach while in pain- it was my spleen. I am learning to battle it though. Taking more vitamin C for my immune system. It has effected me being here because right now, I really want to go home. But my mom always tells me to keep my chin up and that I can do it. I love her for it. Which is why I am staying. I know I was sent here for a reason. Although, my experience right now isn’t very good.



October 10-16

Post 1-

Today I am not having much of an experience except the fact that I am sick with this forsaken flu so I haven’t been able to go to my classes or softball practice. So that is my experience right now.

Post 2-

Apparently, I have the most amazing best friends. My best friends Kjirsten and Brittany both brought me food today, it wasn’t anything much except chicken noodle, crackers, and some sprite and water to drink. I hadn’t been able to get up all day and felt weak. But they are awesome and came in my room and sat on the floor next to my bed and spoke to me and made sure I ate. They also knew I must have felt socially starved. I may be a loner, but at the same time I like to talk to someone- especially my best friends. They also felt it wasn’t right to not see me cause it is routine that we all spend some sort of time together almost everyday. I love them to pieces. Other than that little experience, not a lot happened, I mostly rest, which is what I was told to do.


October 17-23

Post 1-

Wow… now that I am back in school the work and stuff is pile back up. I am turning in things that was due last week and getting a little late start on something’s due this week. Also I have to build myself back up a little bit in softball because I am still a little weak from being sick. But I am sure by the time the games roll around this weekend I will have my spark.

Post 2-

So, it all turns out that I have my spark back. I got a bunch of outs tonight in the game which was awesome. And I made a hit to the fence and was completely excited. But aside from that, my experiences have also given me the chance to get to know my team-mates a lot better. I have grown to love those girls to pieces. This coming week is also the last week of softball and in all honestly, I am terribly sad about that fact. It has been the most exciting thing for me here at BYU-I thus far. I really will miss playing.



October 24-30

This week has been so much fun, we have had a ward Halloween thing, Halloween dance, and a bunch of other things going on. In communications class we were asked to do some interesting things so I went dressed up as myself to a few Halloween things just to see how people would react, it was interesting. But, I loved how there were students dressed as the tetris group, hehehe, it was great. J Most of the week was spent doing homework and doctors though. Not what I really want to talk about.



October 31-November 6

My experience this week has not been as well. I almost feel ready to give up. I am trying to focus in school and I can’t. I feel weak from the blood disease and lungs. But I can’t give up, no matter how bad it all maybe. I know I am here for a reason and that is what makes me continue this BYU-I experience. I did manage to go country dancing this weekend with my room-mate since she really wanted me to go with her. That was probably the only fun thing about this week. Other than that the week has revolved around ward activities, doctors, and needles. Ehh, but I know I just have to have faith and He will make things better when He thinks best. I just gotta keep my head up.


November 7-13

I am ready to go home, no joke. My emotions are raging- I need a release. I can’t hide very much anymore. Atleast there is a bright side to all of this. I went to the Hot Springs and was able to relax. It helped a lot with the pain that I get from being sick. My friends were there too, they goofed of and played games and relaxed quite a bit with me. It was nice to have all of us together though and to get out. Also, I had a friend come up from Logan come and stay with me. It was nice to be able to spend some time with her.

November 14-20


I really can’t focus in my classes. But this week I have been working on the paper for my groups communications project and it is really interesting. Also in my other classes we are preparing for Thanksgiving and have talked a lot about blessings. And in church we are doing a lot of that too. I really am enjoying that part of this week. But I am super stressed.



November 21-27

Well, I am not on campus at all this week. I decided to go home for thanksgiving and spend time with my family. I need it really bad and I have missed my family a ton. Me and my twin sister decided we were going to put up the Christmas tree and completely enjoy ourselves- but the enjoying ourselves did not happen a lot. I did most of the work and she thought she was going to put the top on the tree. Oh well. We both wound up putting it on the tree at the same time. And got to see speedway in lights back at home.



November 28- December 4


Well, being back has been really hard for me. I did not want to come back to Rexburg at all. I would much rather be with my family. I like it here, don’t get me wrong, but goodness, I didn’t realize how much I had missed them until I was with them. Now being back I haven’t had any experiences except the fact that today is my best friends birthday and the Jane Austen Yule Ball- which I am not going to. So yeah, that’s it.



December 5-9

The BYU-I experience has been stressful this week. I, along with many other students, are preparing for the final exams and assignments. Some students are having mental and emotional breakdowns and I am being one of the few. But I look back on the experience and I realize, it is not at all what I expected. I was trialed a lot- there were tons of things that I did not mention for the fact that it is personal. But being here has made me realize a lot of things. It has made me realize how important my family is to me, how there are very few true friends, how much I need the gospel in my life