Posted by:
Breeze
(
)
Date: April 04, 2021 07:05AM
I went to BYU, and University of Utah
I hated BYU, except for the skiing, dating and parties. I didn't drink, and was a prude, but liked to dance and socialize. I felt the BYU students were too wild for me, because they were having sex, and drinking--and pretending to be something they were not. Many cheated on their exams and homework. Some girls were making money writing papers. I lived in the dorms, because it was fun, and students were forced to be quiet at night, so we could study and sleep. I was not backwards in my attitudes towards women's rights, student government having a say in policies, freedom, evolution being taught, the mandatory religion classes, the "honor system" which required students to rat on each other, etc. Really, all the rules and regulations made me crazy, and would make you even crazier. Even if you live off campus, you are watched by all the Mormon minions around you.
Worst of all, I didn't like the people at BYU. I was assaulted three times! A dorm-mate's creepy fiancee grabbed me at the mail boxes, at Cannon center. He dragged me to the coat room, and tried to rape me. Three of my football-player friends happened to walk into the center, and heard me scream. They pulled him off of me, but he had already broken my arm. Another assault was a date-assault, and I'll never know what set him off, but he was the Elder's Quorum President, in our student ward, and all the girls thought thought he was such a great catch, but I didn't like him, and tried to stop dating him after a few dates, and didn't even want to hold his hand. He was arrogant, and no one was supposed to tell him "No, thank you." Another was a stranger in a raincoat, who was naked underneath, but I was able to out-run him, after dropping all my books and purse. I had jewelry and clothes stolen out of my dorm room, many times, and we kept that room locked, always. When I got a car, it was always being broken into. My bicycle was stolen the first few days I was at BYU.
I had plenty of fun at home in California, and I really wanted to go to a university to learn and get my degree(s), but the classes and teachers at BYU did not inspire me in the least. Freshman classes were too large, and quite boring. I didn't learn anything really new, because if I ever wanted to know something, I always just read a few books on the subject. I did not like that BYU graded on classrooom attendance, when I could have just read the textbooks and taken the tests. I hated the religion classes, because they made no sense. I had already read the BOM, D&C several times, and who could make any sense out of the BofA? I would sit in the back of the classes and do my homework or write letters.
BYU are sticklers for petty red-tape, and if you make some mistakes with your appllications, or miss a deadline, or especially don't send them your money in time, you might be rejected. Or, you could ditch classes and be kicked out.
If you want a real education, don't go to BYU. I doubt that your parents care about that. They probably believe those Mormon lies that BYU is the "Harvard of the West." When I transferred to the U, I had to re-take some classes, they were so bad at BYU, and of course all those mandatory religion credits did not apply. You will waste a lot of time at BYU.
Going to SLCC would be preferable to BYU. All of my kids took classes at SLCC, whenever they could, because they had to work their way through. The classes were cheaper, much more convenient, and interchangeable with U of U credits. They all graduated from the U of Utah, as I did--Go, Utes! My sons were in fraternities, and it turned out to work very much in their favor. They had to keep their grades up. They were very active in planning and financing trips, social and charitable activities, and working in groups. Believe it or not, I think it sharpened their social skills. Both of my sons made life-long friends in their fraternities, and one started a successful business with two of his fraternity brothers. Yes, there was drinking, but no drugs, and my sons and their friends didn't become drunks (not all drinkers become alcoholics, like the Mormons believe). They are happily married, have children, are very successful as young adults. They travel around with their wives for the U football games, (before Covid) and to see their friends in Washington and California, and to a cabin on a lake in Wyoming, and to a beach house in Cape Cod, to the Carribean every year. None are Mormons, but they are more honest in their business dealings, IMO, and faithful in their marriages than Mormons, in my experience. Going to BYU does NOT make one a better person.
The business programs at the U are outstanding, and there's a very nice new building. Contacts are important, too. You could tell your parents that you plan on living and WORKING in Salt Lake City, so the more friends and business contacts you make at the U, the better! Both my sons are in business. So am I. My job I had while I was going to the U extended after I graduated, and the company paid for my grad school at the U.
I loved the U! The classes were smaller, the teaches were more approachable, conscientious, and had respect for the students. There was definitely a greater sense of freedom and ease there. I could be myself. The "frat boys" were fun and interesting; wheras the BYU boys were arrogant and weird and repressed. I mean, some of them I barely knew proposed marriage after only a few dates, and wanted to pray together over the food in restaurants, and stuff like that. I felt like an object, instead of an individual.
I doubt you can reason with your Mormon parents, without ending up in an argument. They might even feel that your salvation depends on your going to BYU, and marrying a nice Mormon girl, who will nag you into being righteous. I, personally, don't think drinking is fun, because I don't like being groggy and sick--but I do like skiing on Sundays, keeping ALL of the money I earn, paying taxes and considering it charity, having 3 babies instead of 8-12, like my Mormon cousins, wearing pants in the winter, being treated as an equal, and believing whatever I want to believe, and having friends of all kinds--and not knowing what race or religion they are, even.
I hope you don't drink too much--it's unhealthy, and it does eliminate some possible friendships and contacts--but I do wish you years of learning, good college fun, and LOUD LAUGHTER.