If any of you have seen the movie Sydney White with Amanda Bynes you'll know what I am taking about. It's my favorite movie and I used to watch it all the time as a kid, but that movie is how I thought college social life would be. WRONGO. It's actually better. Yes there are still frats and sororities (which my roomie may be doing), but heck they don't walk around ruining people's relationships. Jokes on them I'm currently single so I'm invincible so if they pull anything on me, they fail. I just want to tell you some amazing experiences and things I've learned in my short time up here.
#1 Be EVERYONE'S friend.
Not just your roommates or the people in your building, but everyone. If someone looks content not talking to anyone you just lied to yourself, you need to meet that person. Every person I have met has such a cool background and it's probably the best feeling when you remember their name and see them on campus and can personally greet them! Whether you're sitting in class or standing by cute guys (or drunk guys in my case) at a football game, talk to those cute ones! Just turn and say "Hi what's your name?!" Then as you continue to cheer on your team you feel a boost of self esteem as you're the only one waving your $1 pom pom in the air next to your new friends.
The first week of living up here some guys down the hall were blasting music as I sneakily walked past their open door I thought "Dang it. These guys don't want to be my friend we probably have nothing in common." I kept thinking this, and the next day I walked past again and this time GIRLS were in there. Actual living girls. I thought "Why not?!" We ended up going to a park and playing on the playground and I still felt uncomfortable in my own skin. (Warning I may include spiritual things, but only cause that's what I believe helps me everyday in my life) So I prayed that I would be able to get more chances to know them and just be myself around them. BA-ZING. I've not only been able to hang out with all this kids, but I found out they are so amazing, fun, spiritual and ready to do anything! They are all in my ward and when my roomies are gone I love to sit by them and hear what they have to say (which reminds me of another point I will explain later).
It's crazy, we had a fire pit party outside of our building and 50+ people came, this was my chance to make new friends. It's intimidating being away from home not being surrounded by your normal friend groups or even people you recognize. You just come up to some random place and you have to decide what kind of friends you want. If you enjoy doing certain things you have to go find people with that common interest. Neither the school nor your parents are going to set up the same opportunities you had it high school, you have to find them out for yourself. There is no "cool flow" to follow in college, if you enjoy doing something then you're surrounded by kids who won't judge you! Being a pre-vet I'm in the agriculture science building A LOT, you will find many guys and girls in their cowboy boots, wearing their bet buckles and some have southern accents! THESE ARE MY PEOPLE. There weren't people like that in high school and now I'm surrounded by them. Go to college for your interests, I think that's what has made college so enjoyable is the fact I'm surrounded by my type of people and they are interested in the same stuff.
#1.5 Don't judge a book by it's cover:)
I admit when I first saw some people I judged them hard core, it's horrible. I have learned so much in this category. I saw some girls as super gorgeous and really good talking to guys and all that stuff etc, but at church I found out that they were humble and had the sweetest testimonies. They are so including and make me want to be a better person when I'm around them. I can't help but say that the girls that I thought were better and more outgoing than me.....I love them so much now! I don't give a flying caboodle if you think people are higher than you on the food chain, everyone has wonderful intentions and you got do that something that scares you everyday and freaking talk to them. They are thinking the same thing and you will never regret a friendship made.
Another thing, not to be cocky but in classes, church, etc before coming up to USU I was always participating in discussions and going the extra mile to get recognition of some sort. IT CHANGES. Up here everyone is striving to be their best, hands are shooting up, questions are being asked, comments are inspiring. At first I looked as I was inadequate, I have no knowledge on these subjects, and why is my testimony not as strong as other. Now I like it. I realized there are super amazing people out there and I can learn so much from them. I don't have to compare myself to them, but being around them and having that influence has definitely helped me grow as a person and given me a realistic goal to strive towards. Who cares what someone looks like or what you see them doing (unless it's drugs, don't do drugs) be their friend, you both have something to offer for each other!
#2 SO MANY ADVENTURES
Up here at Utah State there are so many things to do! The first day of classes there was a giant slip n slide going down Old Main Hill, the hill is so steep that a majority of the sliding you did wasn't even on the tarp so we were covered in mud and grass. The thing is 5,000 other kids were dirty too, it was great (never thought college would get this dirty haha).
One night on the Quad they set up a jumbo screen and we watched Jurassic World and got to slide down blow up slides and sumo wrestle! During the movie Josee (my roomie) and I just went around and told the end of the movie to everyone, just for the heck of it hahaha.
Another night there was suppose to be an 80s dance on the Quad, but it was lighting A LOT. We decide to continue to party because we were all dressed up and one of the guys had spent some time putting on his eyeliner hahaha. My roomie Caitie whipped out her fanny pack with a built in speaker and we jammed to 80s music and just started frolicking down the street like gangstas. Little did we know about 100 kids were following us, and we ended up at off campus housing in someone's parking lot with a party jeep lighting the way. The rap music was blasting and suddenly a guy comes stumbling over all smiley and starts hugging the jeep..... this is why you don't do drugs kids hahaha. We decide this party sucked so we started walking back to our dorm and heard yelling and our instinct was why not walk towards it?! We ended up in a parking garage with all these kids mosh pitting it and chanting Aggies Aggies! and at first I thought they were chanting Abbey Abbey! So i ran over and started towards the core until I was overcome with a heat wave of moisture. Nasty. As we were leaving the cops came and shut it down, because of "liability issues". Sure thing po po, you do what you gotta do! We got back to our dorm and the guys below us were having a party, they had some Eminem and other party music playing. What do you do? I danced like it was my 21st birthday, and all these kids just watched me...... I was definitely trending on everyone's snapchat story. Then BAM, the drunk kid from the parking lot party walks in..... I was like, "How are you still living?!" He had to have walked a mile to get to our building.....crrraazzzy stuff. I ended the night jamming to T-Swift with some cute girls down the hall:)
Another other night USU had a power hour dance. INSANE. Everyone was jammed on the sidewalk just grinding for an hour. Pretty sure I just stood in the middle screaming and telling people to stop touching me!!! #gocollege.
To summarize the rest of my past 5 weeks here.... went mountain biking in Logan Canyon with my rad hallmate Braden. Super fun trail, it was all uphill at first and we were DYING, i felt like i just ate 5 cafe rio burritos in my thighs! The trail ran across a river and I just love rivers! Any who, coming down was all down hill and so much fun and adrenaline!!! I went to the state fair, while my roomies watched a season and a half of Grey's Anatomy;) Got kissed. haha jk I'm just checking to see if you're still paying attention:) Went home and rode my horse Koda, which was super great!! Kids, don't go home every weekend. Once a month is fine, but it is so much better to just stay up at college and go do things with new friend. Besides.....your parents helped pay for college for a reason.
Last two things!
Utah State has three equestrian programs: Western Riding Team, English, and Rodeo. I do a type of riding called Dressage, which they don't have up here but i was so excited to come up and try a new discipline! I first tried out for the English riding team, which consists of jumping. I hadn't jumped a horse in four years, so when we had to jump at tryouts I was like, "oh shoot I'm gonna die. I at least wanted a year of college before i died!"......tryouts went great! I forgot how much fun jumping is!!! Practice have been awesome, we have been working on skills i already know, but I'm riding a different horse every week so i have to figure out new tips every week. This week I had a little buckskin named Zorro, he was a little hyper but i loved it. It gave me something to concentrate on the entire time! Towards the end of the lesson I had got him to finally listen to me and I had a blast jumping him:) I also tried out for the Western team, I was super stoked. Unfortunately i didn't make the team, because there were some amazing riders with more western experience so I'll have to try again next semester:) I don't know what plan God had in store for me at the time, but i came to find out there is an amazing Biology study group every Thursday night (western practice night) and since i didn't make the team I am able to go to that (and save money, cause I'm forever indebted to horses) Which brings me to my next point, I'm not always right. At the beginning of the semester I thought my study habits were on point for my intense Biology class. I was wrong, I would read the entire chapter before go to lecture leave and think.....well i learned nothing! I talked to the TA of the class and she told me she has never ever opened the book!! I can't get that crazy, but I learned to really focus and listen in lectures then what I didn't understand I would read that section in the book. This has saved a lot of time and stress and possibly brain cells! I have my first exam this week so fingers crossed it goes well!!!!
Today I ran 3 miles on a good ole dirt road in Logan, because I get to run my 2nd Ragnar this year in November and couldn't be more excited. It is also Agriculture week and they had foals, piglets, calves, sheep and all sorts of livestock on campus....long story short I joined three clubs! I joined the Pre-Vet, Animal Science, and Sheep and Goat club! This Saturday I get to go up to Wyoming and vaccinate, castrate and other fun things with sheep!!
I decided this post was wwwayyyy too long, but I hope it changed your life. Remember to not overthink things in your life, be you and don't decide what others think of you is true. Have a terrific week, I hope to post every Sunday so check in whenever:)
Love you all!!! :)
