Grateful Sunday: Education

(The lighting of the "Y" on the mountain at BYU)

School has always been just a thing that I do because "I have to". The summer has always came and went and then school began. I always woke up that morning of the first day of school, got dressed, and grabbed my new backpack full of new school supplies and headed to school. Sometimes I was excited, sometimes I felt quite the opposite. My entire life has run on this schedule, but not until recently have I come to appreciate it. I am grateful for education and the many people who spend their lives teaching and serving students. I am grateful for my family and the importance they give to educating myself. I am grateful for the support they offer in helping me through these times in my life. Aren't we so lucky to have the opportunity to learn so many different things? Aren't we lucky to have the opportunity to mold ourselves into the people we want to become?
As stressful and exhausting as school can be, I can't help but be grateful that I have this time in my life to learn, grow, and achieve. Education shouldn't be taken for granted. So many people live their lives without even the opportunity, and so many others have the opportunity but don't take it. Tomorrow is being built today by the capable hands of our generation. Without education, tomorrow would be nothing.

I know that I haven't done a Grateful Sunday post in a while... I've been a little preoccupied with everything in my life, but I have so much to be grateful for.

Carli

Hikes and such.

Today was my first day of school! Unfortunately, I came to the realization that this semester is going to be pretty tough. This semester is a huge turning point for me in my career path! I am taking prerequisite courses for the application to my major. Basically, I have to do extremely well in these classes to follow my dreams. Honestly, I don't have a plan B. If I don't get into the business school... I don't even want to think about it. BYU's business program is one of the best, which means it is also very competitive. I am just so nervous! With that being said... I have a little bad news. As much as I love blogging and sharing my life with you every day, it just isn't my biggest priority. Don't worry! I am not giving up blogging entirely! But I am going to slow it down a bit. I don't want to be worrying about creating blog posts when I should be focusing on school work. For at least a little while this blog will focus more on my daily life rather than creativity. It makes me sad that I won't be able to share very many (if any at all) DIY posts. I just don't have the time (or funds) to work on them. I might not get to post as often or as consistently. I would rather focus on quality rather than quantity. I hope you understand!
In other news... I hiked a mountain today. There is a mountain behind BYU, that is beautiful. On that mountain there is a large "Y" that you can see for miles. It is a really big thing here to "Hike the Y". So today I did it. Let me tell you... it was not easy. The hike was a little over a mile I think, but it was very steep. When I say very steep, I mean to say, incredibly steep. Steep mountains combined with the thinning air made it seem impossible. It took me a long time to make it, but with a lot of encouragement from new friends, I finally made it! Let me tell you, the view was incredible. The picture above, taken on my iPhone, does not do it justice. We sat up there for a few minutes and I couldn't help but think about how this relates to life. Sometimes life seems impossible. Sometimes you stand at the bottom of a very steep mountain. Sometimes you can't see how far you are from the top. Sometimes you fall. Sometimes you think it might be better to just turn around and go back down. But, sometimes you get this little burst of energy, a little encouragement from a friend, a little push, and you make it. Then you look back down that mountain and see how far you have come. All that work you did to get where you are seems like nothing, because from the bottom there wasn't anything but a mountain in front of you, but from the top you can see everything, and it's worth it. As hard as that hike was, I now am more focused than ever. I know that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I just hiked a mountain! I can definitely make it into business school!!!

Carli

P.S. I still can't find the cord that connects my camera to my laptop... I have so many awesome pictures to share! :( I guess it will be Instagram photos for a while.

These are the things that are happening.

So... I have pretty much a billion pictures to share from my road trip/new apartment/crafting but... in the move I lost the cord that attaches my laptop and camera. The truth is that I think it might be in the bottom of a very full box of stuff, and lets face it... I am too lazy to dig it out at the moment.
In other news, I am starting to love the college life! I have been going to college for several years now, but this will be the first semester that I will be actually living the "college life". I have always been in a really weird college situation, but now I am living in student housing, walking everywhere, eating Ramen every night, and meeting tons of new people. It's awesome.
So as I have mentioned before, I am Mormon. I know that your going to roll your eyes when you read this because it is probably the most cliche Mormon thing ever... I go to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Yeah, I know. BYU is unlike most colleges. Lets talk about this awhile...
#1. The day that I moved into my apartment, one of my roommates Tabby and I went to Lowes to buy some cinder blocks. If your wondering why we would be buying cinder blocks, well, apparently everyone uses them to elevate their beds in order to fit more stuff underneath them, and it works mighty fine. So we are at Lowes buying cinder blocks and we walk up to the checkout and are greeted by some strange dude. "Some strange dude" is an understatement. This guy was super weird. We told him that we were there to purchase cinder blocks, he asked why, we told him, he asked where we went to school, we told him. He then whispers "Are you Mormon?" We replied with "Yes." He then whispered "How Mormon are you?" I replied "We are pretty Mormon..." He then told us how beautiful we are, something about Georgia, something about tattoos, and then wrote his number down on my receipt and told me to give him a call. Lets just say that I did not call him. Not even once.
#2. The following is a joke among Mormons (and non-Mormons alike) that is actually not really a joke... like at all. Mormons marry young. In fact, there are at least five wedding invitations on my refrigerator as we speak. BYU is probably the only school with a billion wedding related businesses within a 2 mile radius from campus. BYU students have this terrible, but useful, habit of checking every possible suitor for a wedding band. Even I have fallen into this trap, and it's sad. Very very sad.
#3. There are literally signs that say "Thank you for being clean shaven so that we may serve you." I honestly don't know why this is in the Honor Code, but apparently men are to remain without facial hair, but they can get a "Beard Card" if they need a beard for some reason or another...
#4. People are really friendly here. I had to go to financial aid the other day, and the whole walk there I was so worried that some rude FA lady was going to stress me out even more. Isn't that the worst? Am I right? Or am I right? Good news is that that was not even the case. The lady was super nice and helpful.
#5. Since school hasn't started yet, I have been really bored. I don't know very many people yet, and haven't really had the opportunity to. So I decided to go on a little walk after the sun went down. As I stepped outside, I took one look at the mountains and I knew that I should be listening to Fleetfoxes. So I put on Helplessness Blues and started walking. The weather was perfect. I walked with no inclination of where I was going. I just went where my feet took me. I explored, and found many beautiful sights. There was an enormous amount of couples taking romantic strolls through campus, but I was happy to be alone. It was nice to think about the goals I want to accomplish this semester, and to be grateful for the blessings in my life. I happened upon some fireworks and sat there for a few minutes wide eyed and grinning. I love fireworks. Then I went home, and now I am here writing this blog post. I now have this overwhelming feeling that I am where I am supposed to be.
#6. I talked to an advisor yesterday about switching my major to business. Apparently I was taking all the wrong classes this semester. He told me to go home and see if I could get into the right ones, or I would be pushing back graduation for a year! I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to get into the classes I needed since school starts on Monday, but somehow it worked out! All the classes I needed had an opening in the exact time slot I needed. Thats what we call divine intervention.
#7. There's a Texas flag hanging in my room.
#8. Campus is super big. If I don't loose 30 pound this semester from all the walking I have to do, I'll be pretty surprised.

I thought it would be pretty funny to share these weird little experiences that I am having here at BYU. I am sure there are plenty more to come, and I am sure they will get even better. So  hope you don't mind if I share them... Also, I need to take a picture of that no facial hair sign for you guys. It's literally the funniest.

Carli

I Know A Girl WIth A Texas Smile.

School started yesterday… It actually feels nice to have  full day of work off again. Even if it’s dedicated to school. And as much as I say that I wasn’t ready for school to start, I just wasn’t letting myself admit the fact that I was completely ready to go back. That time off was not serving it’s purpose. Instead of embarking on many wonderful projects I laid around the house and watched movies and the entire season of Pan Am (which by the way is sooo amazing).

So far it seems like my classes will be pretty interesting… well except for statistics. I will never be interested in that class. Never.

In my New Testament class my professor is hilarious. He had each student say their name and where they were from and he would say some really cheesy jokes about where they are from or their picture on the roster (BYU puts pictures on the roster… great… because my Id picture is so sick.) After I announced that I was from Texas and that Texas is probably the best state in the union he told the following joke.

Professor: “You know I once had a girl with a Texas smile in my class.”

Everyone turned to me and asked “What is a Texas smile?”

I shrugged.

Professor: “You know! Wide open spaces!”

That quite possibly is the best Texas joke I have ever heard. If you know of a better one then please let me know.

Only at BYU would your Statistics teacher make you announce your name and relationship status on the first day… and give you 2% extra credit if your get engaged during the semester… Honestly… My professor is trying to marry us all off! This is such a Utah thing.

In my genealogy class (my filling a requirement class) I am literally the only person under the age of 50. Maybe even 60 (I am not that good at guessing ages)! Granted there are only 4 people in the class. But still. They are all old enough to be my parents.

Tonight i have my last class that I am taking this semester which is persuasive writing. I am really nervous. I am not at all good at grammar and spelling and pretty much anything about writing. Plus I don’t really think I am that persuasive. Like at all.

Happy Thursday.

Carli

P.S. Last night I went ice skating. It was kinda fun. But mostly painful.

Check List.

Checklist:

Eat something. I am famished…

Learn to make a bomb avocado soup.

See Michaelangelo’s The David in person.

Swim in the Salt Lake.

Finish Research Paper. CHECK!

I finished my research paper on the Amarna Period of the New Kingdom in Ancient Egypt! Woot!

I have been stressing about it all day. Actually for several days….

The above picture is of my little study cubicle in the BYU SLC Library. This is a cleaned up version of my workspace. Before I finished my paper it was in complete chaos. It was insane. Speaking of insane. I was pretty insane looking about 5 min ago. I was freaking out about not finishing in time, flipping through my books like a mad woman, whispering to myself, and pretty much pulling my hair out. I have now tamed the mane.  

Why do college papers give us crazy eyes and bad hair? Because it sucks. For real.

No longer with crazy eyes and bad hair,

Carli

Mid City Schooling.

I finally began school at the BYU Salt Lake Center. A great alternative to the large jam packed Provo campus. Small classes of 9 to 15. Quiet. Clean. High tech. Not very stressful. It’s nice.

Pros to BYU Salt Lake Center:

The elevators talk to you. Plus there is no ridiculous elevator music.

I get to park in a multilevel parking garage.

There are big windows that overlook the city. 

And nice comfy chairs that allow you to sit and look at the city.

There is a fuze-ball table. Not that I’d play it. It’s just really cool. It lightens the mood of the room.

My biology teacher plays Chariots Of Fire before class to get us pumped. I am not lying.

The bathroom faucets have what appear to be solar panels on them. But theres no sunlight in the bathroom! Maybe that is what makes the water the perfect temperature.

We pray at the beginning of my religion class. And if our cellular devices go off in class you have to bring treats to the next class time. Today someones cell went off. :) I look forward to Tuesday.

My World Civilization teacher had no upper teeth on the first day of class. He says his bark is worse then his bite. He has gotten implants and now has teeth. 

He also takes long dramatic pauses. Not only it is it awkward, it is slightly humorous. I do feel his words resinating in my mind. Apparently he knows something we don’t.

He also taught us to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. I feel as if i’ve learned a new trade. 

I could go on…

Cons to BYU Salt Lake.

You have to pay 7 cents per page you print.

Thats all.

Carli

Things Are Falling Into Place.

Two weeks. That’s it. Only two weeks in Utah and I already feel like this is where I am supposed to be.

I have made some amazing friends. Done some amazing things and have fallen in love with mountains.

So I got a great job! Its boring but very simple. The best part is that I get paid to sit there and read, text, internet search, doodle, and other things. Best part is that when I start school I can do my home work at work.

Speaking of school. My application process for BYU has been long and stressfull. After almost 10 months of waiting I have finally received a decision. So I was sitting at work bored so I decide to check. I was admitted! I just about jumped out of my chair and screamed like a crazy person but that would have been unprofessional. So I settled with a fist pump and a silent “oh yeah!”.

I just can’t believe how lucky I am. I feel like I’m on cloud nine. Maybe I am. Carli