Well folks, I have been selected from amongst thousands of candidates to be a Freshman Foothold mentor. What is this you ask? Well, I'll tell you. Freshman foothold is a program that is sponsored and organized by Multicultural Student Services at BYU. This entails an overnight event in which around 150 multicultural freshman are taken to Spring Haven lodge up Hobble Creek Canyon for an overnight activity with devotionals, workshops, dances, and presentations. I was selected to be a mentor of 12ish wonderfully optimistic/naive Freshman for this activity which will take place next week. I am told that I was selected primarily for my awesomeness, which is substantial.
Now, for those of you who know me (I'm looking at you politicchic), you are probably cringing internally and questioning whether or not the Freshman Foothold selection committee is composed of sadists, psychos, pirates, and ruffians. Probably. But that doesn't change the fact that I, and therefore you, are in a position to impact/scar the next generation of BYU tadpoles.
I am planning on printing up a list of REAL HELPFUL advice for each of my little buddies (there will be girls and boys). I am going to be putting advice that will really help them during their time at BYU.
This is what I would like from you: One thing that you wish that you'd have known about when you were a Freshman that you didn't learn until later.
We're looking for the best tips, tricks, ideas, and philosophies- NOT the standard 'get involved', or 'do the readings before class' type of advice. That's common sense and I am sure they will get that from other sources. I need your combined wisdom to make their experience as worthwhile as possible. The focus of the workshops is relationships- between a student and roommate, professor, opposite sex, and other students.
Extra credit: I am also going to make a mock 'Worse Case Scenario' cards to hand out to the kids in my group. They are supposed to be funny/realistic. It will have a scenario written on the front of the card, for example:
You come home late one night to your apartment (around 1 AM) and find your roommate engaging in 'petting' with their significant other. WHAT DO YOU DO?
Then on the other side will be something like this:
A) Yell at your roommate and throw a chair at them.
B) Apologize and offer to be lookout for them and run interference with other roommates.
C) Curl up into the fetal position and cry until they go away.
D) Throw a bucket of ice water on them.
Anyway, something along those lines. If you have a scenario idea, email me. They are supposed to be silly, so no worries there, and The idea isn't to give them an acceptable solution, they can think of that on their own, but to get them to think about things in a humorous way. Thanks if you help, and if you don't.... well. Fine, be that way.
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5 comments:
I guess this one is geared a bit more toward the guys...
The Pre-date is the perfect way to test the water before committing to a full-blown Friday night date.
Get a small group and head out to the Malt Shop (do they still do 2 for 1 Wednesdays?) or another cheap dive. It'll ensure your "real" dates are more worthwhile.
Explore all options of the Dining Plus card besides the Cougareat and the cafeterias. Use the vending machines, or the Penn Court, or that place in the business school.
Is J-Dawgs still around?
Also Get involved! Ha. What can I say, that's classic advice
I have to disagree w/ Alan, the freshman boys should not date, else the "Yoko Syndrome" might occur and we do NOT want that.
I think the best advice is to actually take questions you have about your classes to the office hours. If you ever plan on going on an internship you are going to need professors who remember who you are to write letters of recommend.
Don't feel pushed to make a decision on a major immediately, but make sure you look into your various interests and see what type of majors might fit into your skill set.
Always take time out to get into service projects/helping other people. There is a tendency amongst all freshman to have a woe is me little attitude when life gets hard. Helping other people will give you the reality check you need.
That is about it, other than utilizing the cool things BYU has that other schools might not. The International Cinema is awesome, as are the exhibits at the MOA and the library. The Kennedy Center attracts lecture series that other schools that aren't Ivy League do not offer because the church has international connections. Also, reading Police Beat is a must.
Dude I already told you my only advice.. Don't listen to your guidance counselors and take advantage of your ta's/tutor labs
Oh Jason, though I am slightly worried and more than slightly concerned for the welfare of your little freshman, my only hope is that the great advice of your friends will impress on them some memory that will be lasting and will leave them with one less regret when they leave the comforting hold of all that is BYU. With that said, this is my advice:
Take any opportunity that you have to further your education and your future career with any program available through BYU. What I mean specifically is if you are in a major that promotes internships, take it! You may not realize the the value of that experience until you are looking back on it and wishing you had seized it without fear or skepticism of it actually furthering your education and career. It will...even if only on paper. Trust me, you will also be grateful for the networking it will provide and how people will be more willing to hire you (when you finally graduate) and see an internship on your resume than if you took the simpler way and now have to reap the consequences of the "easy button" when you're ready to look for a job.
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