Random BYU Updates

So I had a whole bunch of things to talk about...and now I've forgotten some of them.

One of the big things was about my major. As most of you know, I was hardcore set on doing photography. And I still so totally want to do photography, but now I want to do nursing more than anything. So, since both programs are hard to get into, I am going to apply for both of them. If I only get into one, then that is the one I am supposed to do; if I get into both, then I'm going to choose nursing; if I don't get into either...then I'm in big trouble. So there we have it. I will start taking the pre-nursing requisites that I have to take before I can apply, and I will be taking as many GE's as possible (only about 15 total credits though) and then I apply in May for the nursing program. For photography, I apply in February and will find out about April. Only thing is you can't "defer" your major or anything like that, so if I get into the photography program, I will be a double-major until after I know whether or not I got into the nursing program. Also, because the nursing program is so hard to get into, I am going to be having to work really hard to get a 3.6 or better, and making sure that I get a C or better in all my pre-requisite classes (which are an Intro to Nursing - taking next semester, Human Development, Chem 101 and 285, and as many GE's as possible). The reason for taking as many GE's as possible before getting into the program is that, once in the program, you take 15 credits of Nursing classes every semester, but in Photography you take 15 credits of photography and GE's. So yeah!!
I am super excited and really hope that I get into nursing. And if I do, I'll be looking at another 5 years of school, but at the end, as long as I pass the national exam, I'll be an RN and will be able to get a job right away! And then I would take outside photography classes so I could still do that.

Anyway. Another really neat thing that happened today. So ever since I got to BYU, I have always hoped that I would see Elizabeth Smart. I followed her story a lot when she was missing, and I read the book that her mother wrote and everything. But then I got here and kind of forgot. Well today, I was sitting outside making flashcards for my biology midterm, and I look up because there is a small group (like 3) people and a man has a huge video camera. So this lady comes and sits next to me and so I look at whats going on. So I look, realize they are filming something and go back to my work. But then I do a double take because the girl being filmed looks familiar. So I look again and there she was. It was Elizabeth Smart. I was like...oh goodness! I got kind of excited just because I had always hoped I would be able to see her, and there she was standing 3 feet from me. I didn't talk to her or anything because she was being filmed. It was kind of weird because the guy was filming all around her (like going in a circle) which means that I would have been in it too since she was standing right in front of me! Don't know what it was for but I was still really excited. One thing I noticed was how beautiful she is. I always thoght she was really pretty in the pictures, but she is really just georgous. Anyway. That was my one exciting thing for the day!

My other exciting thing was that I bought a Book of Mormon and a hymnal in Chinese! It doesn't look like I will be able to take chinese next semester because of the Intro to Nursing class conflicting with Chinese, but I don't want to loose it either. And I've wanted to try to read the Book of Mormon in Chinese, so now I have one! And then the hymnal was in pin yin and characters (pin yin is using the English alphabet to write words) so I am able to read it! So I'm super excited!!!

I think that is pretty much all. I'm excited because it is really fall now! It's cold everyday and the leaves are changing colors and falling and what not! Its so pretty! I haven't seen fall in 2 years, so it was awesome!! Oh! And I am so excited because in less than 2 months I will be back in China!! When I first got back, I was so happy to be back and didn't miss China at all, but I'm kind of going through withdrawl right now and I really wish I was back there. It's kind of crazy to think that I've been back in the states for almost 5 months!!!! Wow. I remember when I was saying that about being in China! That was definitely a long time ago!!!

Well I think that is about all. This weekend is going to be busy. I have to work at midnight on friday night because of the home football game on saturday. Then I'm helping my cousin Jen with the Provo City College Graduation pictures, then hanging out Saturday and studying for Biology midterm. Sunday I'm going to Jen's ward for the kids primary program, then maybe to my ward and hanging out the rest. Sunday night my friend Bonnie and I are singing a Chinese song at our ward wrap-up then tunnel singing as always =] Monday is more review for bio then I'll probably take the test Tuesday. The following week I have Book of Mormon and American Heritage midterms so it might be a while before I update again!!!

Oh and just one other things for all you Californians (which most of you are =])

It is super important that Proposition 8 is passed in California on the November 4th election. If this is passed, it will change the definition of marriage in California to be between a man and a woman. So Vote Yes on 8!

Love,
Andrea

Cold. And St. George!

So not much is going on. I had the amazing opportunity to go down to St. George last week with my Biology Professor and 12 other students from the class. Now the class is 120 kids, and only 13 of us got to go. How you might ask? Well the trip was opened up to my lab section, and so my first thought was, well, I've never been to St. George, so I'll go. Most kids didn't want to go because we were going to miss 3 days of school, but since it was a Tues-Thr, it wasn't a big deal for me because I don't have classes on Tuesday or Thursday. So we left last Tuesday to drive down to St. George. Oh. The purpose of the trip was a service trip. We have to do 8 hours of service for Biology, and so we went down to help out with the Senior World Games. We helped them do the health screenings...I'll get to that in a minute. So we left last Tuesday. I knew it would be a great trip because I love my bio professor and I was excited that we were going to get to do medical things. So I was in the van with my professor, and he just talked and told stories and gave us Book of Mormon quizzes the whole way down (not only has he been a bio professor for the last 35 years, he has also taught Book of Mormon since then and is a Branch President at the MTC for a non-native English missionaries). So he has so many neat stories and is incredibly knowledgable about the Book of Mormon. So that was fun in and of itself. The whole trip was funded by the Freshman Academy office (since we were all freshmen academy students). So we got to stay in a hotel and get free meals for 3 days. It was wonderful! So we go eat buffet that night and just hang out. We had a "little" devotional (turned into 1 1/2 hours) after dinner where our professor told more stories! He really is an incredible man. I would take biology forever if I could have him as my professor. I'm actually thinking of being his TA so that a) I can take his class again and b) go to st. george again...thats how great it was. Anyway. Wednesday started our tour of service. We were at the Convention Center at 7 AM. There are about 15-20 health stations for the health screenings, and we helped with about 5 or so of them. The different stations that we helped with were: balance test, osteoperosis testing, blood sugar testing, BMI test, blood sugar and vision tests and I think that was it. I mostly stuck with blood pressure and pulse because a lot of the other kids were afraid they wouldn't be able to do it, becuase we were taking it manually...meaning a manual blood pressure cuff and a stethescope. It was a lot of fun. I also did do some blood sugar testing and helped a little with the vision tests. So we did that for Wednesday and Thursday morning, then left on Thursday afternoon. Turns out Thursday was our professor's birthday, but he didn't tell anyone, till we were halfway home. He said "So today is my 68th birthday and I didn't recieve a single gift". And were like, well, you didn't tell us!!! So at the next rest stop people went and bought him tons of stuff! It was so funny! And he ate most of it too!! A few weeks ago we learned how to calculate the percent of fat and carbohydrates in foods, so we were doing that for all of our food we were eating. Oh and on Wednesday night we go to go to the St. George temple since about half of the group had never been! That was really neat too. It is very visible since it is quite a bit higher then the surrounding buildings, so it was neat to go see it up close. It was about 7 when we got there, and the Joseph Smith movie was starting at 7:30, so we stayed to see that too! It was such an amazing movie. I had never seen it, so it was really great to see. I highly recommend it if you have never seen it. The ending was so hard to watch. They have scenes playing of the Prophet being taken to the jail and it is playing to Praise to the Man. So sad.

Anyway! Needless to say, this was an amazing trip! And it's made me want to change my major to nursing. I've always wanted to be a nurse or doctor, but wasn't sure I was capable of all the schooling, but I think I might try it now if I can get into the program. They are having a major fair at school tomorrow that I am going to go to to look more at the nursing and photography program. So yeah!

I think that's pretty much all that's happened.

Except for this! It is definitely getting to be closer to winter! It "snowed" this weekend! It didn't stick, but it came down a little on Saturday and Sunday! This past week was homecoming so they had the homecoming parade on Saturday morning. I went so that I could take some pictures and it started snowing about 2/3 of the way throught! I was excited, and not at the same time (I mean, come on, snow and expensive cameras don't mix!) So that was neat. Its perfect weather outside right now. Probably low 60s. And there is snow on the mountains, but it is definitely melting. But there will be snow on the ground soon enough!!!!

Ok! I should probably go and do homework. I have several writing assignments!!!!!

Love you all!
Andrea

Exciting Happenings!!!

So a few exciting things have happened!!! So first, on Monday, I was walking through the Wilk and noticed a kind of long line coming out of the bookstore. So I peak in and who do I see?? Kirby Heybourne from The Best Two Years, The RM, and all those other movies! I got kind of excited, but didn't want to look like a dork standing in line to get a picture with him (I didn't even have my camera on me...shame). But then I see my friend and she wanted someone to stand with her so I said I would. Then I called Lily to see if she had her camera because she generally does! And she did! So she brought it to me and I waited a whole hour to say hi and take a picture and get an autograph. He is a pretty funny guy! So we chatted with him for a minute and then took pictures and I got his autograph! It was marvelous! Here are some pictures!

We were singing "Andrea". He was a little on the weird side =]

It goes: Heidi (we met her in line =]) Kirby, Me, Alyssa, and Bonnie. Bonnie is from Taiwan! So she speaks Chinese!

The next exciting news is that I am going to conference! My wonderful Uncle was able to get me tickets for conference!!! Both sessions on Sunday. And guess where I am sitting....on the floor, section 4, which happens to be right in front of the podium and right behind the general authorities...I am beyond stoaked!!!! It is going to be so amazing! My best friend Tessa (from China...she was in grade 12 with me) is going with me and it is going to be astounding!!! I will detail all about it! We can bring cameras...but can't take pictures during conference, obviously. But I will post some pictures of Tessa and I and around the temple grounds since we are just going to chill between sessions!!! Ahhh!!! So excited. I am literally shaking with excitement as I write this!

Anyway.

I also finished 2 midterms. Biology and Book of Mormon. Biology was all multiple choice...I went in thinking I knew it all, took the test thinking I knew it all, came out thinking I did amazing, but I only did ok.

And I have no idea how I did on Book of Mormon. It was all free response, but we get 12 free points (out of 100) since there were 54 questions and he forgot to unbold the correct answer for the 2 mulitple choice questions there were. So 12 free points! That always helps!

Anyway. I need to go write my American Heritage opinion essay! Hooray!. Not really.

And just an FYI: You can subscribe to my blog through Blogger. Go to the bottom where it says: Subscribe to: Posts (atom) and click the "Posts (atom)" and it should send you an email every time I post!

Love! Andrea