How To Succeed In College Without Really Trying

Ok, that’s a lie. The title is just a spoof of a popular show. Google it kiddies.

The reality is, you won’t succeed in college if you don’t try. It just won’t happen! So here are my foolproof strategies to succeed in college while not killing yourself and having fun!

1. READ. Teachers aren’t just assigning reading for the heck of it. It will show up on a quiz or test later. Or at the very least they’ll do one of those quizzes where you check YES if you did the reading, and get points for it. Don’t miss easy points because you were lazy!
2. Take notes. This seems obvious, but for a lot of people it’s not! Even if the power point slides will be online for you to access, I still say you should take notes. It will help you understand and retain the information.
3. Do your homework ASAP. Especially the first few weeks of the semester when there are no tests! Crank that paper or that project out when you don’t have too much to do! Also, don’t leave your homework for Sunday night, just do it when it gets assigned. I promise, you’ll be much happier.
4. STUDY. In high school you didn’t have to try. Here, you do. You actually have to study to do well. And if you don’t….well shame on you. Anyway the point is, set aside time to study for your tests and actually study, don’t just look at the page. Use flashcards, memorization techniques, or teach it out loud. Whatever it takes for you to get the information.
5. Go to class. Seriously. Just do it. There will be classes that you think are pointless, but I guarantee you’ll get better grades if you bite the bullet and go to the lecture.

Hopefully these are helpful. If not….well I’m sorry.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Friends

I’ve been doing a good deal of reminiscing lately. And a lot of thinking. Dangerous, I know. I blame it on the fact that I spent the weekend in bed, fighting off a cold. You can only read so many books and watch so many hours of Netflix. It left me sitting and thinking, a lot.

I’m very lucky. I’ve been blessed with an amazing family who are my best friends. I’ve also been blessed with some incredible friends, my family away from home.

So here’s a huge thank you to the people who have been here for me, through the good times and the bad. You’ve put up with a lot, and I really appreciate you.

Ok enough sappage.

First home BYU game was AMAZING. And we had pretty great seats. 

Ran into my person at the temple today. Goodness how I miss this girl. 
Don’t take your friends for granted. One of the most important lessons I learned in college, is that relationships take time and effort. A lot more time and effort than you think. I’ve also learned which ones are worth the time. Super grateful for that today.
Happy Sunday everyone:)

How to have an amazing birthday

What a wonderful day of birth I had. I have to tell you, my friends and family are out of this world wonderful. They’ve made my whole life amazing, and they made my special 21st birthday awesome as well. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, and thanks to all the people who have made my 21 years on earth incredible. I’m very lucky!

Ok, seriously. My mom is wonderful. Barbie anchor set for the top of my cake!

This is a look of pure joy my friends.
Birthday Dinner: Chicken Alabam (aka, breaded chicken with cream and butter and onions and paprika) over pasta. Cakes at my birthday: Peach Crisp, Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cool Whip Frosting, Lemon Bars. I’m the luckiest girl alive!  
Awww sisters! 

Snowman bag…I love it:)
Just modeling my new sweater…

This awesome guy bought me birthday breakfast on the actual birthday, plus threw me a party with all my friends the night before! I lucked out in my brotha from anotha motha. 

My cute roomies (and ex roomie Linds) took me to dinner at La Jolla Groves the night of my birthday! I’m so lucky:)

We are cute:) I love my friends!

20 years of living

20 things I did when I was 20 (in no particular order)

1. Completed year 2 at BYU
2. Watched several of my best friends get engaged/married
3. Fell in love
4. Dealt with drama
5. Laughed until I cried
6. Missed my missionary best friends
7. Took trips to Saint George, Park City, Idaho, Arizona, California, and Boston
8. Landed and completed an internship
9. Then landed a job
10. Met/talked to incredible people
11. Started my final year at BYU
12. Started my personal book collection and read every chance I could
13. Changed my minor
14. Moved into a brand new apartment
15. Became closer to my family
16. Watched friendships shift and change, and found some of my closest friends
17. Got a scholarship to BYU for my last year
18. Taught, served, and fulfilled needs for my church
19. Strengthened my testimony and love of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
20. Spent a good deal of my time being happy.

20 was a good year, and I have a feeling 21 is going to be even better.

Happy Tuesday everyone:)

First week of school down!

Friends, a week of school is done! My classes have been wonderful so far, I think it’s going to be a good year! I also had my first day working at KSL as an actual employee! Talk about a dream come true!

This week also included a rooftop concert in downtown Provo…

Seriously Provo is the coolest place in the world. Three amazing bands, thousands of people, an awesome mayor, basically Provo rocks.

This guy officially has 99 days left on his mission. What in the world???

And I love when random walks around the temple lead to seeing one of my favorite sister missionaries. She’s doing amazing in the MTC and couldn’t be happier! We both may have started tearing up when we saw each other…
In other news, I was just offered an anchoring position at BYU 11 News! I’ll be doing the online “Who, What, When, Where, Why” segment every Tuesday for BYU 11 online! I am SO stoked. Basically life is great friends. 
It’s my last day of being 20 years old, and can I just say, the 20th year has been a great one. 
Happy Sunday everyone! 

10 Things Every BYU Freshman Should Know

Well hello, school started. What is this??? I know some of you started last week, but we’re all brand new at this school thing. It’s kinda crazy! I can’t believe I’m starting my senior year here at BYU. Where did the time go??

Typical first day of school pic!

In honor of school, I wanted to write a little post for all the BYU Freshman out there who are trying to figure out this crazy school. Hence, 10 things every BYU freshman should know. Some of these may apply to other freshman as well!

1. This is a big school. You won’t know your professors personally, you won’t always know the name of the person sitting next to you, etc. And that’s ok! It’s great to be friendly and try and meet lots of new people, but don’t feel bad if you don’t know everyone’s name right away.

2. There are some standard questions you should be prepared to ask and answer. What’s your name, where are you from, what’s your major, and occasionally some details about your family (how many siblings you have, etc.) Those are the standard questions that everyone is asking everyone, so prepare accordingly.

3. Everyone is good at everything. It’s rare at BYU to find something you’re the very, very best at. You were valedictorian? So was everyone else. You have played the piano since birth? So has everyone else. You can walk on your hands to class while eating breakfast? So can everyone else. But that’s ok! Find the things you’re good at, and stop comparing yourself to others. You can still shine in a different way than you’re used to.

4. Do your homework. Some people won’t do reading, put off assignments, don’t study for tests. You could get away with that in high school. Not here. Do your work, or you won’t get a good grade. End of story!

5. It’s not all about dating. There is a culture of dating here at BYU. Some people love it, some hate it, but in all honesty it’s important. But don’t let that be your only focus. Focus on learning, having fun, making friends, and the dating will come!

6. There are some cliche BYU traditions you might think you’re too cool for, like hiking the Y or singing the fight song. Don’t be too cool for this school. It’s an incredible place, and I can guarantee you’ll have more fun if you let yourself be here, doing BYU things.

7. Don’t forget that for every person who got in, four people didn’t. You are very, very lucky to be here. There are people who really wanted to go to this school, and aren’t here. Don’t take your spot for granted.

8. Get involved! You heard this all during high school, but now it’s real. Don’t get caught up in the “too cool for anything” idea. Join a club. I was a Student Alumni director and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Go to the opening social of your major, meet your ward and neighbors, go to activities on campus. Don’t be lame, have fun!

9. Don’t be so hard on yourself. College is hard. It’s stressful living by yourself, doing your own laundry and spending crazy amounts of money on things you thought were free before. Give yourself a break. You don’t have to be perfect, it’s ok to spend a Saturday in your PJ’s watching movies. Cut yourself some slack!

10. HAVE FUN. Ok, totally cliche thing, but seriously. Have fun while you’re here. Trust me, it goes by so much faster than you think. Before you know it you’re sitting at the front door of senior year, wondering what happened, hoping that you spent your time wisely. Don’t get caught up in drama, don’t stress too much, do good school work and enjoy yourself! This is a one time thing. So have fun!

Summer 2k14

This summer has seriously been one of the best. I’m sad to see it go, but I have so many memories and a million stories to tell.

Rooftop concerts and Meri from Sister Wives

Lots of fishing

Lots of sister time

And family time

Soooo many hours at KSL

Baby ducks

Dogs

Joined a collegiate badminton team with two of my best pals

Fireworks

Boating
Adventures with this amazing woman

Missing this kid

More fishing on the Teton

Saying goodbye to one of the best friends I’ll ever have

Wicked

Arizona

For this girl’s wedding

And the Grand Canyon

Too much fun with this best friend of mine when he wasn’t doing EFY

Boston

Hailee Jane coming home
Goodbye to these kids
Missing Mal Pal Gal while she was away

And the great outdoors.
Guys, it’s been an amazing summer.

Why I Support BYU’s Ban On Sex

I’m sure many of you have read this article. It’s all about a sweet girl who is asking BYU to repeal its ban on sex. I’ve been asked by a few people to voice my comments, so here we go.

There are a few things you should know about the BYU Honor Code, and the LDS Standards.

1. The Honor Code and LDS Standards are a choice. People who attend BYU sign the Honor Code willingly. You don’t have to come to BYU and live the Honor Code. But if you sign that Honor Code, you are obligated to live it. I’m sorry if this is harsh, but if you don’t like the rules of your school, maybe go to a different one? Nobody is forcing you to be here, or follow those rules.

2. The Honor Code isn’t a list of horrible extra rules. They’re basically the Church standards, written down for people to agree to live by. If you’re a practicing member of the LDS Church, most of these rules shouldn’t be that big of an adjustment.

3. Never in the church or in the Honor Code, are women asked to dress modestly for men. They’re asked to dress modestly for themselves and for their Heavenly Father. While there are people who talk about modesty as it regards to men, more and more the conversation is becoming about your personal self-esteem, and how you can show a God up in Heaven that you respect him and the body he gave you. Yes, modest dressing does help the boys around you. Is that such a bad thing though? It’s not your responsibility to help boys have clean thoughts at all, but if dressing modestly helps them, why not do it? The bigger reason to dress modestly is to prepare for the temple, and because God has asked you to. End of story.

4. Sexual sin is viewed by the LDS Church as very serious. That’s not because a bunch of men sat down and decided it was. It’s because God said so. And the consequences are exactly the same for women as they are for men. Because it’s against LDS Church Standards, it will stay against BYU standards. There is no changing of God’s law here.

5. The church doesn’t blame women for sexual sin. This talk by Elder Holland says it all, and I’ve included a piece of it here:

In this matter of counterfeit intimacy and deceptive gratification, I express particular caution to the men who hear this message. I have heard all my life that it is the young woman who has to assume the responsibility for controlling the limits of intimacy in courtship because a young man cannot. What an unacceptable response to such a serious issue! What kind of man is he, what priesthood or power or strength or self-control does this man have that lets him develop in society, grow to the age of mature accountability, perhaps even pursue a university education and prepare to affect the future of colleagues and kingdoms and the course of the world, but yet does not have the mental capacity or the moral will to say, “I will not do that thing”? No, this sorry drugstore psychology would have us say, “He just can’t help himself. His glands have complete control over his life–his mind, his will, his entire future.”

To say that a young woman in such a relationship has to bear her responsibility and that of the young man’s too is the least fair assertion I can imagine. In most instances if there is sexual transgression, I lay the burden squarely on the shoulders of the young man–for our purposes probably a priesthood bearer–and that’s where I believe God intended responsibility to be. In saying that I do not excuse young women who exercise no restraint and have not the character or conviction to demand intimacy only in its rightful role. I have had enough experience in Church callings to know that women as well as men can be predatory. But I refuse to buy some young man’s feigned innocence who wants to sin and call it psychology.

Indeed, most tragically, it is the young woman who is most often the victim, it is the young woman who most often suffers the greater pain, it is the young woman who most often feels used and abused and terribly unclean. And for that imposed uncleanliness a man will pay, as surely as the sun sets and rivers run to the sea.”


6. Sexuality isn’t forbidden by the Church. It’s encouraged at the right place and at the right time. This doesn’t include walking around being sexual while you’re on campus. The scriptures tell us to “bridle our passions,” for a reason. Be sexual in the correct context that God has implemented.

7. There are many outlets for those who are victims of sexual abuse. I’m not sure about this girl’s specific situation. Perhaps her leaders did handle it incorrectly. Even church leaders are human. The important thing is, the church takes sexual abuse very seriously, and does not blame anyone who is a victim. There are dozens of talks, resources, and counselors who deal with this very issue and are clear that the church does not view someone who was sexually abused as impure. Ever. 

8. People are imperfect, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect. People may say or treat others in a way that’s unkind. We need to work on that. I’m a total advocate for fixing that in this LDS culture. But that doesn’t mean that the laws given by God are imperfect. Those are perfect, and never changing. And there is help! So many people are working on repenting, getting better. Sexual sin doesn’t mean you are less, as second-class citizen in this Gospel. God wants everyone to make it back. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is there for everyone! We all have things we are working on, nobody is perfect. The point is to work together to help our brothers and sisters make it back to Heaven. We are all on the same team. 

9. The Honor Code is there to help you. Believe it or not, the Honor Code helps students at BYU have happier, more successful lives. It’s because they are mostly Church doctrine, God’s laws. Following those laws will help you, not hurt you.

10. I don’t judge anyone who has sinned. Because I am also a sinner. And so many people in the Church feel the same way. You get to work on your salvation with Jesus Christ and a loving Heavenly Father. Sins are sins, and we all have sinned. Remember, “don’t judge me because I sin differently than you?” Well I’m trying to do that, and so are so many others. Some of our sins may be that we are judgmental. We’re all trying. We’re all working. And we can work together. 

I could be considered a bit of a feminist myself. I’m all for women being treated correctly. Being treated as equals and respected. A ban on the Honor Code will not do this. A look at how we teach young girls about modesty will, identifying the best ways to help everyone understand the law of chastity and their responsibility in staying clean will.

The BYU Honor Code, and the laws of the Gospel for that matter, are here to stay. We need to focus on changing a judgmental culture and looking at the way we treat one another, more than changing the laws that God has given us.

So, Keli, I hope you find what you’re looking for. I hope you are able to find the peace and reassurance that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints can bring. It’s a beautiful religion, filled with people who are trying to be better. Hopefully you can forgive all of us our shortcomings, and work with us to make this gospel welcoming to everyone, without trying to change the very laws that God gave us.

Boston



My family and I just got back from an amazing trip to Boston to drop off my brother and sister-in-law at Harvard for law school. I’ve been to Boston before, but I don’t remember much about it. Can I just say, I’m obsessed with this amazing city!

One of the first things we did was go to Bunker Hill where Liv and I climbed to the top of the monument. Can you say GORGEOUS!? Beth broke her foot just the day before they left, so she was wheelchair/crutch bound for the trip. She took it like a champ though! 
The “Hahvahd” tour was incredible! So funny and so awesome to learn about Harvard. This is the second most photographed statue in the United States!



 The Boston Museum of Fine Art was AMAZING. I could’ve spent days, even weeks exploring it. It had some of my favorite paintings and some of my favorite artists and it was incredible!


My sisters and I LOVE Degas, so seeing The Little Dancer was incredible! I loved seeing paintings that I’ve studied in high school and college.

Also. Pollock. Wow. 
Awwww aren’t they awesome! 
Seeing the Orchard House that Louisa May Alcott lived in was amazing. My family loves “Little Women” so seeing the inspiration behind it was incredible! 
I also loved going to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to see the graves of some of my favorite authors

 

Walden Pond was probably my favorite place on this trip. It’s incredible!
Pose with a Thoreau statue!
The house site, so tiny!
And we ended the trip with a wonderful trip to the temple. I love my family, and I loved this time we got to spend together!
Also included on this trip: walking up to the wrong car several times, LOTS of amazing seafood and clam chowder, the best blueberry pie imaginable, trying to figure out where we were, Lexington and Concord visits, the Freedom Trail, the most amazing Italian food ever, game night, struggling to find parking, a sweet dance group on the street, lots of churches and cemeteries, lots of history, too much laughter and a lot of fun! 
It was a great trip but I’m glad to be home, setting up my new apartment and welcoming Hailee Jane Henson home from her mission! But more on that tomorrow:)
Happy Friday everyone!

Goodbyes are hard

My brother and sister Ben and Kim are two of the most amazing people I know. Dropping them off in Boston was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I know Ben is going to do amazing things in law school and I’m SO grateful Kim will be by his side. They’re rockstars, and Harvard is lucky to have them both!
Once again, Treat is my go to site for cards to find the funny in the sad. They have cards for EVERY occasion (even when your brother and his wife move go to law school!) 
Treat is the place my friends! Check it out!

Ben and Kim, we’re going to miss you here in Utah. But I don’t doubt for a second that you’re making the right decision. You are both so incredible, I couldn’t be more proud of you both and I couldn’t love you both any more. Good luck out there!