The BYUH Atmosphere

Hey Jessica!

While you're off saving the world with math, I just scare people. The most common response I get when I tell people my major is: "Oh" (scared look) "you're probably analyzing me right now." I usually then inform them that I'm a freshman and they don't have cause to be scared of me . . . yet. While in line for the cafeteria one day, I met another psychology major. He said that that never stops. I guess I'll just frighten people for the rest of my life . . .


BYUH has a certain atmosphere. I think this is the same atmosphere no matter which BYU you go to. The second you get on campus--marriage time. It was mentioned multiple times during orientation and we all know that that's kinda what is expected and what is going to happen, but it's a weird feeling. I'm 18, I don't want to get married yet, and neither do my friends, but that doesn't mean this feeling isn't affecting us. Here's how it is:

1. Most of the guys here are older than the girls my age. Because we're the same age as guys are when they can go on missions, they are mostly gone or soon to be gone. Why is this an issue? It's because all the guys here are looking for a wife. Or have a wife.This makes dating stressful (not that I've been on a date) because we're just like, "I wanna be friends" and they're like "you could be my eternal companion!" Awkward.
2. There's this feeling that you could meet your future husband at any time. Suddenly, you are on the lookout for guys. Impressing them is a big deal. Even I, with my "a guy just passed us? He was cute?" attitude have noticed some guys. Big deal. This feeling just gets in your head and makes you over think everything and wonder about everyone you meet. 
3. My bishop is very pro-dating. He says we can call him if our home teachers don't teach us, or about anything, including if we don't get any dates. When I had an interview with him (after about two or three weeks of being here) he asked if I had gone on any dates. He was really surprised when I said no. He then told me of how he was going to get on the guys' backs (and how he already had) about them not dating "our girls". How can you not feel awkward when he talks like that? How does that not get in your head and screw you all up inside?
4. Single girls feel really weird. So weird and left out and awkward that my friends have devised a point system. If a guy (a friend or a date) walks you to the curb, you get a certain number of points. If a guy walks you onto the curb, you get more of a certain number of points. If he walks you all the way to the door/lock thingy, you get even more points! However, making out in front of the hale loses you points. PDA in general makes you lose points. I think this point system makes the lonely feel more involved. It lets them hear all the details and revel in someone else's love life.
5. "What race are you attracted to?" is probably a question only really heard here. This means you have to have a preference, you have to know said preference, and you have to let all your friends find you guys that match that preference. Whether it be Asian, Polynesian, Caucasian, African, whatever, there's someone here for you. And don't worry, all your friends will conspire together to get that guy for you. Because that's the BYUH way.

So that's how the BYUH atmosphere is messing with my head.

On another note . . .

Trouble has struck my roommate. Her grandfather was sent to the ICU. The Lord, for some reason, sent us both to BYU-Hawaii. He sent us to be roommates. We were both together when she got the call in the cafeteria having dinner. I, being an idiot, was talking joyfully to some other people when her mom called. She had to ask me to talk to her for me to listen. As we were walking back to the hale she told me.We got a lot of weird looks as she cried  as we walked. Through the Holy Ghost I was able to tell her what she needed to hear. God put us together for some reason. Maybe it was just for this moment. Maybe it was for things yet to come. God knows every one of us and He cares for every one of us. He put our lives in motion so that we could come together right now. It was a delicate procedure, but He did it because she needed someone right then, and I would be there right then. I know God lives. I know that there is life after death and that everyone will have the opportunity to learn the gospel and to accept it. I can't claim to understand God's plan for me or anyone else on this earth, but He has a plan, people die at certain times for a reason. Trials come for a reason. Sometimes, like in my roommate's case, they come all at once, sometimes they come slowly and last for a long time. You can overcome with the Lord's help. He knows your sorrows, He knows your pains. Lean on Him.


Melissa

ACME (Not Acne)

Melissa!

So this past week I realized something: I actually have a cool response when people ask me what I'm studying! In the past it's always gone as follows: What are you studying? Math. Oh, do you want to teach? No. What do you want to do? I don't know yet. Then they look at me funny and think I'm either counting on being a stay at home mom so I can study something with no relevance at all, or that I'm going to stay in academia my whole life and just prove random unconnected theorems about stuff they can't understand.

BUT NO LONGER!

I realized that I have a super cool major, and that even though I don't know what I'm going to do yet, I'm learning some really cool stuff and that when I'm done, I'll be able to do whatever I want. If I just start listing off a few of the things I've learned in the first 6 weeks of the major, people are really impressed and pretty excited.

For example, being in BYU's Applied and Computational Math Emphasis (ACME) is like being a math major, but you go a step further and learn about the algorithms that people are using today to do everything. You know those image filters on Instagram? That's just linear algebra, and I've programmed a very simple version of my own. And I've made a program that will take a database of actors and movies and find out each actor's Bacon Number (how many steps away they are from Kevin Bacon). At this point, the only thing holding me back from doing filters on large pictures or using a database from more than just the past few years is computing power. Next week we are learning about teaching computers to read handwriting. The program I'll be doing will just be reading numbers, but still, this is a real problem that real people are working on today. In the next two years, I'll also learn about Google's search algorithms, facial recognition, voice recognition (like Siri!), autopilot, and many other algorithms that get used everyday. Math is in everything we use and creating good algorithms is how we solve all of our problems. I'm not learning something obscure or unusable, I'm learning high level math in order to solve all of your problems. I love it. I love the material, I love the teachers, I love the other students, and I've never been so excited. So now when people ask me what I'm studying, I get excited and I basically spew out this whole paragraph.

So Melissa, this is what I hope for you. Not for you do to math, but for you to find a major or career that gets you excited. Because if you don't love it, you won't be good and you won't be happy.

- Jessica

Eight Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Oahu

Hey Jessica!

I'm sorry you were so sick last week, I really hope you're feeling better.

I've been in Hawaii for about a month now and so I thought I would share with you some things that I learned about Hawaii. Here it is:

Eight Things You (Probably) Didn't know About Oahu

1. Chickens. There are stray chickens everywhere. Apparently some were wild and some not, but they mated and you just don't know which is which anymore, so I think they are basically all wild. If you ever go off of campus in the morning you will hear all the roosters crowing. If you leave campus any other time of the day, you'll see the hens, and the roosters, and their baby chicks just walking around. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it's kinda cool, and different, and unexpected.
2. Stray Animals. I don't know if this is universal (islandversal?) but there are stray animals here. More than I am used to. We have at least three stray cats and two stray dogs on campus. It is definitely a possibility that this is just a campus thing . . . but since when are there stray animals on a college campus? I've never heard of such a thing before. The biggest thing to know about said stray animals is not to feed them. You can get fined by the campus police if you do.
3. Small Beach. Maybe I'm just used to the beaches we normally go to when we go to California, but there's not a ton of sand here. Like in California there is about what 50 feet of sand before you get to the water? Here (excepting Waikiki) there is more like 10-20 feet of sand. Maybe that is just the beaches by campus, but once again, I wasn't expecting that.
4. Rain. Contrary to popular belief, it does rain in Hawaii. On this side of the island it rains more than on the other side, but it does rain. It just rains for five minutes than stops. Seriously, it's like the sky has a timer that goes off "oh! It's been five minutes! Better stop raining!"
5. Flower in the Hair. Wearing a flower of the left side of your hair means you are "taken" wearing it on the right side means you are "available". So don't screw it up, unless you want to deceive everyone.
6. Shrimp Trucks. There are shrimp trucks all along the North Shore. They get their shrimp fresh from the ocean and they are good! They all kinda look like unprofessional vendor trucks, but trust me, some of them are DELICIOUS.
7. Foodland and Walmart. These are the places to be. Foodland is the closest grocery store near campus and Walmart is the cheapest place on the island. However, Walmart is at least an hour away, sometimes two. If you are ever bored you can just go to Foodland, or you can take your whole Saturday to go down to Walmart. I don't think I have ever been so excited to go to Walmart before coming here. It's crazy. On a related note, I don't think anything here (that isn't like a pack of gum or a granola bar) that's under $4. Crazy, eh?
8. Height. I put this one in here because my friend Brooke (who's 5' 7") says that she was really surprised by how short people are here. Even I noticed that, a bit. There are a greater amount of shorter people here than I was used to at home. I was used to being the shortest person around, however, now I'm not! (And it isn't just all the Asians here.) No. All sorts of people are short! It definitely helps my self-esteem.

I was bored and watching videos on YouTube one day when I stumbled across this. I know you like this song so I thought I'd share it with you. 

At a one of the devotionals here the speaker talked about meeting new people. I can't remember what they whole talk was about but he mentioned this. He talked about sitting next to the lonely people at meals. Now, I  am usually that lonely person. I had a moment where I could've brushed off the council he was giving us and thought "it isn't for me. People should be coming to sit by me" but I listened. I decided that, whenever I went to a meal alone, I was going to sit by a someone who was sitting alone. It's been ok, I've been meeting new people, many of who I never see again, and I haven't sat alone in a while. But the other day I was really rewarded. I sat by a girl named Abigail, we talked and I found out she is in two of my classes and I had fun with her. After dinner she said she was going to buy Hi-Chews and when I said I had never had them before, she decided to share then with me. We walked over to the Seasider, she bought Hi-Chews, ate one or two of them, and gave the rest of the pack to me! It was really nice of her. The moral of this story is, listen to your leaders and follow their advice, even if you think you may be excused from it. Truth is, you're not. You'll be blessed if you follow their council, it comes from God.

Love,
Melissa

Hard Things

Melissa,

So this week was hard. Not only did I get sick, but that sickness basically made my brain not work, which made my math homework very difficult. Combine this with long days with very few to no breaks, and it gets pretty bad. It even got to a point where Monday during a study group, I was at the white board trying to figure out a proof with some other people, and we were all teasing each other like normal. Then I started laughing pretty hard and the laugh just kinda turned into tears. So I got some hugs and then they made me go sit down and take a break.

That night, I prayed harder than I have in a very long while. I just couldn't do it. School and work were hard enough before, and now with being sick, and not being able to sleep because I was sick, I just couldn't function, I couldn't think - I could barely make it from class to class, let alone get all my homework done. I realized just how weak I was, and how much I really do need to rely on my Savior.

The week got better, and after hearing President Monson's talk in the General Relief Society Meeting, my eyes were opened. Looking back now I can see the heavens opening the instant after I said that prayer. So many of my friends offered help and medicine, and my study group friends all constantly asked how I was doing and were patient enough to slowly guide my muddled mind through difficult proofs. My roommate gave me some Tylenol PM to help me sleep, and slowly, my body started to heal. As much as I wish I hadn't gotten sick, I am so glad I got the chance to see just how my Lord and Savior can help me when I am in need.

I know a simple sickness is small compared to what others go through, but for me, it was a big trial. Now I know without a doubt that God lives and that He cares for each one of His children. I know that when we turn to Him in humility and faith, we allow Him to bless our lives through His kindness, comfort, and His angels here on earth. I know miracles happen, and I know God often works through His faithful members to bless others. I know that no matter what trial we go through in this life, that we can rely on Him and make it safely though.

I hope all is going well in Hawaii, and I want you to know that though college will be hard, the Lord is always there to help you get through it. Have a great week, and I can't wait to hear from you!

- Jessica

Hawaii

Hey Jessica,

So I'm late. I'm really sorry about that. Can I blame it on the internet? Or lack of internet? The new dorms are having issues with the wifi so I haven't had wifi in my dorm since I got here. (You can get really good wifi in the laundry room though.) Mom was supposed to send me an ethernet cable in the box of things I forgot, but she forgot and so I had to buy one at the bookstore. Now I have internet! Yay! But no phone.

I didn't realize how important a phone was until I left my phone cord at home. It's really hard to get in contact with people when you have no wifi and no phone. I'm going to blame my friendlessness on my phone and internet issues.

Hawaii is beautiful. It's a little hot sometimes, especially in the sun, but my dorm is surprisingly cool. Just don't run in the middle of the day and don't stand in the sun for too long. Layers are bad.

My roommates are awesome. There's Michelle, Rei, and Maggie. Rei's from Japan, Michelle is from Utah, and Maggie is from China. Rei is super adorable. I love her! We sometimes have trouble understanding each other but she is just so sweet, we always figure it out in the end. And she teaches me some Japanese. I think I know two words now. Maggie is always teasing Rei. It's fun to watch them. Michelle is usually hanging out with some friends from other rooms and dorms.

I met some people in the room across the way. They go running in the morning so I decided to join them and be healthy. One morning we got up extra early so that we could run, swim, and see the sunrise. Kate and I (the slower runners) decided we were going to run on the beach a bit. However the beach where we were isn't very flat so we walked instead. As we were walking, we ran into a turtle. IT WAS HUGE! I wanted a picture with it so Kate took a picture. She forgot to turn the flash off her phone though and so as she was taking the picture it woke the turtle up. He opened his eyes and slowly turned his head towards Kate. He had the grumpiest look on his face. He was all "who dares to disturb my slumber". I felt really bad but watched him as he slid back into the ocean.

I got some scholarships for being in band classes. I'm in the North Shore Symphonic Wind Orchestra and the Brass Ensemble. It's pretty cool. The brass ensemble especially. There are nine of us, eight if you don't include our teacher. It's really fun to play in a small group. I've never really played in a small group like that.

Sorry for the weird post, I'm kinda really tired. Sorry again.

Melissa

Good Things

Melissa!

So Summer term ended, I got to visit home, and now I'm back in Provo for the Fall semester. And this semester is looking great because of a few really good things:

1. Family
I have so much family here! Kevin is here, as well as Cami, Danica, Alyson, and John; and we all live close to each other! On Friday we all went to Alyson's and John's new apartment to play Apples to Apples and eat brownies. We had a blast playing through the entire box.

2. Classes
I know this seems weird, but I am so excited to finally start in on my applied math classes. Multivariate calculus and ordinary differential equations were fun, but it will be great to really delve into my major. More than half of my credits will come from my math classes! I'm also taking French 102, Old Testament, and beginning Latin dance. It will be a ton of fun.

3. No Textbooks
What? Did I say that right? Yup! I went to the book store the other day and looked at the book list, and I don't have to buy any textbooks at all. There's $200-300 I don't have to spend! And quite a bit of weight I don't have to carry around as well.

4. A New Job
This will be my first time working while taking classes, but I'm excited to start working as a tutor in the Math Lab. I start Tuesday! With that and my math classes, I am going to be spending all day in the Talmage building

5. Awesome Roommates
After all my roommates left on missions, I found myself in need of some new ones. I'm rooming with my friend Mandy for the first time - we've known each other since freshman year but never roomed together. There's also four other girls in the apartment and they all seem really nice. With this great group of girls, this year is going to be a blast!

Well, that's my good things list for today. I hope moving to Hawaii is going well! What things are you most excited about for this upcoming year?

- Jessica