Ohhhh Back to School Back to School

One week down at BYU! I’ve learned a lot, mostly about how to survive without a meal plan. I love being back on campus! I forgot how much I love BYU. And I actually know where I’m going, unlike all those new freshmen and transfers. It’s weird being a sophomore, it’s like now I’m actually expected to know what I want to do with my life.

Living in the hood, is nice, but two light bulbs (wait, make that three) and our fridge light have already broken. The kitchen sink and right bathroom sink have two levels: off or full blast.  I always use the left shower, it goes from the level of freezing in the Arctic to burning hot in hell in .5 seconds (that’s a rough estimate, I haven’t actually timed it), but the right shower refuses to heat up. It’s more of a lukewarm temperature. (Sidenote: why is it called lukewarm? Why not joshwarm or hannahwarm?)

I’ve also developed good skills at saving toilet paper: the first thing I do when I get to school or leave campus is go to the bathroom. I’m not paying for the university’s toilet paper! (I hope my roommates realize the effort I’m going through to save money.)

Apparently there is a direct path that leads from Glenwood to Helaman Halls that leads to campus! Of course, I didn't know that the first day, and I walked around the whole entire block, but don't worry, I made sure to sing the classic Billy Madison song as I walked to school for the first time: back to school back to school to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool I've got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight ohhhh back to school back to school...

New classmates and friends mean the short comments are rolling in. My roommate (she’s 5’1’’, but that’s still taller than me) put her clothes in the bottom drawers. When I arrived she said, “I assumed my roommate would be taller than me, but I can move my things to the top drawers.” Good thing she did, because I can’t even see into the top drawer.

There are a lot more people here than I remember. The first day of school I made the mistake of walking directly in the JSB instead of taking the side entrance. There were people everywhere. It took about five minutes to get to my class, but as I’m walking at a snail’s pace, a girl looked at me, turned to her friend, and said, “I feel bad for short people…they probably feel so claustrophobic in these crowds.” HELLO! I am literally standing right in front of you. Just because I’m short, does not mean I can’t hear you!

My group partner (yay for permanent groups the whole semester) commented to me, “You’re so cute and petite!” That’s all she said to me the whole period because she then turned to the only boy in the class and talked to him.

Speaking of boys, I did not choose the right major! All my Elementary Ed classes and my English class have a limited quantity of boys. My only classes where I interact with the opposite gender are my religion classes.

I think the most exciting thing I did on the first day of school was WALK THROUGH THE NEW BACK ENTRANCE OF THE LIBRARY. Let me tell you, it was GLORIOUS. I no longer have to walk completely around the giant building I call my second home to get in the entrance. And new friends means new places to study! (Or in this case, old friends.) Perry introduced me to the periodicals downstairs (who knew that area could be as fun as the Asian collection on the fourth floor?!), and Elisabeth gave us the tip to study in the Tanner building where all the handsome business majors are. Maybe that will make up for the lack of men in my life, oops I mean in my classes.

It is with great sadness, that I mourn the loss of my meal plan. I even miss the Cannon Center a little as I walk past it on my way to school. I bought a Jamba Juice the first day of school (because I was starving, but too lazy to make food), and it is way more expensive than I thought! Never paying that much for a smoothie again! (Unless I have a meal plan…) Sometimes my stomach grumbles at 10 pm, but I don’t want to eat my food because then I have to spend money and buy more! And sometimes I don’t even step foot into the kitchen to make dinner because my roommate’s friends are over and then I’ll have to actually introduce myself to them!

My grandparents took me and my cousin out to ice cream, and I wolfed mine down while my cousin gingerly ate hers. Clearly, you can tell who has to buy their own food without a meal plan. Not gonna lie, I think I’m hungrier without a meal plan. It’s like my stomach knows I forgot to bring snacks to school and that I can’t afford the ever-enticing Chick-fil-a. And then when I get home from six hours of classes and even more time spent studying in the library, I have to actually decide what to cook and eat! No more asking, “Mom, what’s for dinner?”

As I’m waiting for my mission call (still not here yet, I knew you were waiting in agony for when I would mention it), I got to send off one of my dear friends to the good ol’ MTC, where she’ll stay for three weeks, and then embark to Southern California. I'm so proud and excited for Hermana Weaver! 

Alma 17:13: they separated themselves and departed one from another, trusting in the Lord that they should meet again at the close of their harvest; for they supposed that great was the work which they had undertaken