Done with Week One

So week one of college was tough at first, but i can honestly say that things are much better now. I'm not sure if i've just gotten used to life up here or if things are actually improving, but i'm much more happy about being in P-town then i was last week.

My classes are going really well. It is a TON more work, but its fun and enjoyable. Psych is veeeery interesting, and i'm learning a ton. Living prophets is fun too, because its spiritual and gives me a seminary-type class, but i learn cool and interesting things. And creative writing is a blast. There are only like 15 people in that class, so we all get a lot of time to talk and share ideas, etc. We basically just go over different creative styles, and then our teacher has us write stuff. Its very fun.

Well, i thought that this needed an update since its been a while. But for now, i need to study the brain. Apparently its important for psychology...

TJ

Day 4 - 6/24/10

So i know that this will say "6/25/10" on it, but thats just because it is 12:26 am. This is about the 24th though...

So the past 2 days of classes went well. Things are going pretty good for me. The homework load, though intense, is manageable (so long as i don't get stuck on my computer for hours). All in all, not too bad. Although, i am getting over the glamour of college life. When i first got here, the cannon center was freakin awesome. Now im just like, "Oh well. Time for food. I guess i'll go eat."

What i'm really hoping is that things start to get a little more exciting once this first week is over. People are still sort of settling into their places here, and most people, including me, are sort of drifting from group to group. Eventually i think people will find their niche, and so will i. It has been one crazy first week though. Lots is happening, and its all been a big roller coaster so far.

Tonight was one of the more fun nights so far. I went downstairs at around 9 and just hung out. I played pool with a bunch of guys, then z-ball, and then some girls came over and we all just sort of hung out for a few hours, talking and stuff. it was fun.

so anyways im going to bed soon. got to go over a little bit of psych homework and then im hitting the sack. tomorrow im hoping to wake up at 9 to go on a jog! hooray!

i still can't decide if that sounds like a good idea or not. maybe i'll wait till next week to start it... yeah. probably. i still need to buy an alarm clock too...

Any-hoo... goodnight. The bed is calling. Except that my roommate is watching Family Guy. I'll have to ask him to put some headphones in.

Classes, Day 2 - 6/22/10

Second day of class went pretty well.

The kids on ratemyprofessor.com were right on. My creative writing teacher seems like she will be great for creative writing, but probably not for other classes... all in all not a bad day. Woke up WAAAYYY later than i planned to though, so unfortunately i missed the devotional. Wanted to go, but oh well.

Because of sleeping in so late, we had no breakfast and ate lunch at 11:30. And so, now it is only like 4:30 and i am STARVING. i don't want to go eat something now though, because dinner starts in like an hour. I guess ill just have to wait.

Not much else to report though. Things are going great. Oh, but we are going to go see Toy Story 3 tonight! super excited for that one!

As to last nights feelings confessional: Today has been a lot better. I realized that i will eventually find my niche, and until then i have the chance to explore and meet tons of new people. Eventually i'll find my fit.

Well, so long for now.

TJ

First Day of Classes and...gulp...FEELINGS - 6/21/10

So yeah. Today was our first day of classes. I got to sleep in nice and late til 10, and then had my first college class EVER at 11. Psych111 with Dr. South. He is a great teacher. Very funny, smart, and a good teacher, and he lets you know exactly how to get an A, and even offers extra credit. It will be a very fun class. However, there is a TON of reading. At least it will be interesting reading and not something boring like biology... (which i am seriously considering dropping in the fall)

Class #2 was The Living Prophets with Brother Freeman. This is going to be a fun class too. Brother Freeman is really enthusiastic about his classes, and makes everyone in the room feel happy to be there. I must say though, it is odd having 3 pregnant girls, 2 married couples, and a BABY in class with me... Still, it will be fun.

Tomorrow starts my Creative Writing class. Ratemyprofessor.com doesn't help much with Professor Susan Howe, because half of the reports tell me to "avoid her at all costs" and others claim that they take classes specifically because she teaches them. Hopefully i'll have an experience like the later. Side Note: My personal creative writing is going great. I finally got past my road block with my book, and am just a couple chapters away from the end!

All of the EFY and Sports Camps are here now. Its weird seeing 12 year olds running around. Also, they are ruining the Cannon Center. They take all the tables and food, and normally i would just sit down with new people and try to make friends, but i'm not going to try to make friends with the EFYers. that would just be weird.

Tonight we were supposed to have our first FHE with our ward family, but it failed miserably. We didn't really have anything planned except, "Hey, everyone meet at the volleyball courts at 7:30". Except that there were already like 50 other people at the courts, and only like 10 of our FHE showed up... Oh well. Logan and I have been put in charge of "brainstorming" so that this doesn't happen again.

And now onto the hard part... FEELINGS!

College life has been an interesting experience to say the least. But now i've finally moved past the "EFY" phase and have realized that this is actually college, and its weird. Only having like 3 or 4 friends here is probably the hardest part. And even with those 3 or 4, i rarely see them. Everyone says that you make so many friends in college, but i don't believe them. Before, if i had a bad EFY group, i could just suck it up for a week. But now i have to live with this. I almost feel like an outcast here. I mean sure, i have new people that i know and new acquaintances and one or two friends, but i don't really have a new group that i can hang out with. I just sort of float from group to group. Maybe that is the problem, i don't know. I know that i should just deal with it and be my usual outgoing self, but its tough to try and be outgoing and make new friends while also trying to keep up with the hardest classes you've ever taken. Hopefully it'll get better. Who knows. People have told me that in college you make friends that you will be friends with for your whole life, but so far i haven't. Sure i've met some fun people and all, and most people here are really nice, but i haven't found my niche, and that is really hard. In high school i knew who my friends were and where i was. Now i don't. I don't have being part of the Mormon crowd to fall back on, and i don't have anything like Forensics to guarantee me friends. I guess the plain and simple truth of it is that i miss being home. I miss my friends and my family. I know that i'll have a great time eventually, and that college is one of the best times of your life, it just doesn't feel like it. Not yet anyways.

Well, thats it for now. If there is even anyone reading this, please don't call/text and tell me to feel better and that everything will be ok. i know it will be, and hearing that sort of thing will probably just make me feel worse to be honest. I'll get through it. i just needed somewhere to put this into words and get it off my chest. Goodbye for now.

TJ Thomas

First Sunday - 6/20/10

Let me first start by saying, HAPPY FATHERS DAY! to any of the fathers/grandfathers/uncles/father-type figures reading this.

Today was my first Sunday as a college student. I must admit, this all basically still feels like one big EFY session to me. Going to church just seemed like a regular church day (Except that we had only kids my age of course). I was assigned to play piano for today, but i don't think that it will be my full calling. I pulled off the opening and closing hymns just fine, but the sacrament hymn was... lacking. Even after simplifying it i stumbled every other measure. But nonetheless, not a bad day.

Except for this: When my roomy and i went to go to breakfast this morning, we discovered (along with several other very disappointed students) that the Cannon center doesn't serve breakfast on Sundays. This is odd to me. It would seem like Sunday is the one day they really NEED to serve breakfast. Any other day of the week students could go to the CougarEat or a food place around town to find something. But on Sunday everything is closed, so there really isn't another option. Which is why this morning i fed myself with a poptart and chocolate milk from the downstairs vending machine.

Last night, however, was a blast! It was the "finale" of the new student orientation, and they pulled out all the stops. There were 2 volleyball courts set up, a giant inflatable obstacle course, a dance floor, a ping-pong tournamnet, a bouncy house, and even a show room. In the show room there first was a dating game where a bachelorette and then a bachelor got to pick a date based on questions and stuff. Side Note: my good friend Kim Austin won the date with the bachelor. After that, they had a really really really great show done by BYU's comedy troupe "Divine Comedy". They did a great job. I will DEFINITELY be trying out for that in the fall.

And that brings us up to now. I didn't have an internet connection in here until last night, at which point in time i read my 97 new email messages to discover that i am supposed to have read the first 75 pages of my psychology book for our first week of class. Joy. I know i told myself that i wouldn't do homework on Sunday, but i really wasn't given much of a choice here. Although, in my defense, the email wasn't even sent out to us until yesterday morning. So that is what i'm going to do now. Have fun with your summer people. I'll try to do the same.

T²

BYU New Student Orientation - 6/19/10

Can I just say that being at BYU is freakin awesome? Although classes haven't started yet, I already feel like I belong here.

It was a really surreal moment (is that the right word... surreal???) when I dropped my dad off at the airport and he said, "See you in a couple months!" It made me realize that this was actually happening. I was now officially in college. I'm away from home and living on my own. It was a sad thought, but liberating at the same time. Lots of mixed emotions there.

Anyways, being here is really quite an amazing experience. We've toured the campus and have heard talks (both spiritual and secular) about our upcoming time at BYU. Also, the food is amazing. I LOVE the Cannon center.

I'm very excited for classes to start up on Monday. It's going to be quite the experience. Also, the Freshman Mentoring thingy is great. I've already met tons of friends who will be in Psych111 with me. Also, my roommate is awesome. We're going to get along just wonderfully.

I signed an honor code saying that I wouldn't lie, so I won't say that I miss my family. Yet. Because I don't. Right now this just feels like a big EFY group. I have a feeling that all that will change once classes begin though...

Odd side note: one of the books I bought for Psych (the most expensive one naturally) is apparently not the right book. The author, title, and edition are all correct, but not the ISBN#. So looks like I'm going to be returning that.

Anyways tonight will be a blast. There is going to be food and music and games and even a bouncy-house for the NSO Finale! Fun fun!!!

So I guess this is the end of my first post here on my first full day at BYU. Thanks for reading! Love you family! I can't wait to see you all again soon!

TJ