How to Not Fall for People--An Actual Confession

This is a real confession, guys. You're gonna get a peek into my crazy cerebrum. Don't judge me too harshly.

I have this problem. 
I fall for boys. And by "fall for", I mean getting little crushes. 
I try to not do this because it just gets me mixed up. 
Maybe some of you people out there reading this have a similar problem. #TheStruggleIsReal



Here's a few tips on how to not do this.

1. Don't have cute friends of either gender. Cute friends of the same gender as you will attract the opposite gender to them, and if you hang around your good-looking same gender friends and their opposite gender fan club (for lack of a better term), there's some risk-by-association of meeting cool people of the opposite gender. Cute friends of the opposite gender carry the risk of being so cool that you fall for THEM. Great.
2. Don't look around at church, school, the library, or the gym. No people watching. That's what gets you those stalker-status crushes on someone whose name you don't know.
3. Don't pay attention to members of the opposite gender being kind, clever, or spiritual. All very hazardous qualities if you're trying to NOT be attracted to them.
4. Never EVER flirt.
5. Don't let yourself smell their cologne or perfume. I have a weak spot for good cologne so this is essential for me in order to stay crush-free.

If all else fails, just never leave your room. It's safest in there.



I wish you luck in your endeavors for a crush-free heart. 


#Sarcasm #IBreakAllTheseRules #AlwaysALittleBitInLove #MightAsWell

Ending the Debate: BYU or BYU-Idaho?

Disclaimer: I'm not writing this post because I'm jealous of BYU or embarrassed about BYU-Idaho. If either of those things were true, I wouldn't be attending the school I am. 

I really love my school. I chose to go to BYU-Idaho for a lot of reasons: their nursing program is shorter--I can get my RN in half the time than I could at BYU. I love the small campus/small town. Last but not least, it was the right choice for me. The best way to describe the way I knew where I should go is this: I visited BYU and BYU-I within a week of each other when I was 14 years old. In Provo, I felt like a visitor on campus. In Idaho, even though I was at least 5 years younger than everyone around me, I felt very much at home--like I fit in. THAT'S why I'm going to school there. Not because I hate Provo or didn't think I could 'keep up' with all the classes at BYU or because I just love potatoes.

My brother loves to tell people: "My sister got into BYU and CHOSE to go to BYU-Idaho!" People don't know how to react--but they usually think I'm insane. Those people are usually BYU students.

Many times while I was at school in Rexburg, I'd mention something about BYU--a story, a rule that they don't have that we do (and there are a lot of those), a professer--and I'd get a reaction like this: "Wow, BYU is so...I don't know. The Spirit is just not as strong there." "I can't believe all the stuff that goes on down in Provo." "I'm so grateful for the strict honor code. I'm glad I have a curfew--things are just different at BYU because they can stay out all hours of the night."

People, there is a problem with both of these scenarios. The idea that BYU is hell and BYU-Idaho is a nunnery needs to just:

BYU is an older, more academically prestigious university. Something important to remember is that it's been a 4 year university for WAY longer than BYU-I. BYU-Idaho was a junior college just 13 years ago!

But that doesn't make BYU a Mormon Harvard, for Pete's sake. It's harder, but it's not Ivy League.

People will claim that BYU is "wayy hard to get into"--false. Compared to a few schools I googled, it has a pretty high acceptance rate, especially for a private university.

BYU-I: 99%

University of Washington: 59.2%

BYU: 55%

Liberty University: 22.8%

NCState: 49.6%

Notre Dame: 24.3%

UNC-ChapelHill: 27.6%

Stanford:6.6%

BYU-Idaho is (extremely) easy to get into and less rigorous than BYU but that does not mean all the classes are a breeze. I'm not dumb, and I had to work to get the grades I wanted. News flash: COLLEGE IS HARD WORK. I'm not saying every college is equal, but let's cease and desist with the mentality that Rexburg is full of clueless people.

Except those clueless people that say this: "BYU is the church's school and BYU-I is the Lord's school." I'm not even going to give you any more commentary than this: The church belongs to God. Both schools belong to the church. Wearing shorts and flip flops doesn't make you a sinner--it just means you're not overheated in the summer. BYU is not the great and spacious building. And Rexburg is not heaven. There are good, upstanding people and people who don't want to follow the standards at both universities.

I think it's the BYU rejects (and there's no shortage of those in Rexburg) who make disparaging comments about Provo. Sour freakin' grapes!

I love BYU-Idaho, and President Clark. I DO NOT like the curfew, or the dress code. I could've attended BYU but decided against it. I'm proud to be a Viking (bet you didn't know that was Idaho's mascot, did you? :).

I love Provo. I think BYU's an excellent school. Both my parents went there, tons of my friends, and my siblings. Go cougars!

You can be successful, smart, hardworking, and upstanding at any school you attend, whether it's a party school or a strict private school or a community college. There's no reason to criticize or judge any other university in the world, so just take some advice from a wise German friend of mine.

Discovery

    The summer of my senior year, my older brother severely injured his ankle, splitting his tibia lengthwise and shattering his talus into hundreds of tiny pieces. This accident had a big impact on his summer plans and his life plans. However, Taylor was not the only one affected. Taking care of him during the trauma of his surgery, recovery, and physical therapy helped me discover that I find true joy in serving people who need it.


     My brother slept in my room that summer. Thought it surprises some, those months with him in my care are some of the most memorable of my life. They gave me the chance to experience what it would be like to be a nurse, something I’d been planning on for a few years. To me, it felt like real-life practice. Taylor lay on the extra bed all day, trying not to complain to me about how much his leg hurt, and I’d refill his water bottle countless times, bring him food so he could take his medications, and change his gauze and clean his surgical incisions every few days. I had wanted to be a nurse since I was a sophomore in high school, but I did not know how much I enjoyed taking care of someone who truly needed it.
     I liked cleaning his wounds, changing his gauze, adjusting his pillows, and bringing him string cheese. Before I left for work I would give my younger siblings special instructions about  letting him sleep and being careful around his injured bones. The first thing I did when I got home  was go check on him and ask him how his day had been. I stayed up many, many nights listening to him talk about how severe the pain was, how bad his future would be due to his accident, and how much he hated being helpless. It was a heavy burden, hearing these sentiments from my tough older brother, but one I was glad to bear. 


     I’d never realized before how strongly I desire is to help others emotionally and physically. This experience was a journey for me, and the end of the adventure was a discovery of how much I want to care for people. Whether it be a dose of pain medication or just a listening ear, I want to give what I can and help where it is needed. With the passion that I have for this role, I think I can make a difference for those around me. That is why I want to be a nurse.




Guys, I don't know if I've ever wanted anything this much. I feel so strongly that this is the right choice for me. Exhibit A of this feeling: I was riding my bike the other day and stopped next to the Intermountain Hospital. Looking at a hospital, imagining myself working as a nurse one day, brought me to tears right there on the side of the road. Just writing this post is making me cry. I look forward to the day when I can be a valuable worker in the medical field.

Best Friend

When I was a little kid, my brother would tell me I wasn't pretty just to make me cry.

It worked.

He would also hit me on the head and steal my things and all the normal brother stuff. I reacted like the little diva I was and would scream and tattle on him and basically display my utter wimpy-ness.

Sometime between now and 12 years ago, this harassment stopped. 

Sometime between now and 7 years ago, we actually became FRIENDS. It was weird at first. We would talk about all kinds of random stuff and go places together. We still had the occasional stupid argument, though.



For the last few years, Taylor has been my best friend in the whole world. It's kinda crazy how much I love him. We can talk and laugh and cry and goof off and eat food and talk more and look up Youtube videos and laugh. I laugh more with him than with anyone else I know. He teaches me something almost every time I see him. He's so wise, smart, clever, hilarious, cool, and interesting.

There is a big problem having a brother this cool.

I know how it feels to always to be excited and happy to see someone with whom I'll have effortless conversation, constant laughter, the ability to talk about important spiritual and emotional things, get advice about anything. I will NEVER ever hear a dirty joke or malicious gossip, he won't be ignoring things I say because of a video game, and is always telling me how wonderful and beautiful and fun to be around I am. 



This has given me high standards for guys. When I meet someone who makes me as happy as my brother does, I'll know I've found someone I can spend eternity with.

Thanks, Taylor, for everything.

This Is Becca's Brain On Drugs

I hate Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper, I've never had Mountain Dew; soda in general is NOT my favorite. Because of this, I VERY rarely consume caffeine.

Probably the highest level of caffeine intake I've ever experienced is a few sips of Monster when a friend is drinking some.

Rockstar was free at work yesterday. I had a few late nights in Rexburg. You can see this isn't headed good places.

I wasn't tired anymore, that's for sure.

There are 240 milligrams of caffeine in one of these cans (There's 95 milligrams in one cup of coffee). Work was a lot easier to handle, to say the least. The caffeine really started to hit me on the phone with my brother after work. I started giggling for basically no reason and he was definitely confused. Working out was boring and I was jittery. In the car on the way to my sister's work, Taylor told me I shouldn't drink energy drinks anymore. Me? I was having a blast. I changed topics literally every 10 seconds and laughed at almost everything. I was excited, loud, and overall a little loopy.

At the restaurant my hands were shaking but I could tell that this little adventure was ending. I calmed down, ate a (delicious) dinner and too much bread (as always..dang free bread!) and drove home without doing anything crazy.

My conclusion:

I don't plan on becoming one of those people that drinks 2 energy drinks a day (I know SO MANY of these people). But because of this fun experiment, I now know that I can use caffeine as a back up plan for things like the drudgery of an early morning after a very late night, cramming for a test, working when I'm completely exhausted..I'll retain my high sensitivity to the drug and be able to fully utilize the benefits of liquid stimulants.

Party on.

#CaffeineVirgin

Provo Probs

To Those Who Abide in the Lovely City of Provo, Utah
This is a great city in which to live. However, there are a few hazards you should look out for:

1. BYU Couples

Characteristics of BYU couples:
Always wearing BYU apparel of some kind--hats, sweatshirt, lanyards, bags, etc. (See below photo)
Gaze into each other's eyes ALL THE TIME. (See below photo)
Rub noses in public and kiss. All the time.
NEVER stop holding hands. 
(NOTE: THIS IS NOT PHOTOSHOPPED. I took this picture while I was at work, where I am lucky enough to see a large number of these specimens)

Safety precautions to be taken: Walk around with your eyes closed, or better yet, stay indoors at all times.

2. Icy sidewalks

It seems like nobody salts the sidewalks in Provo. This results in some awkward looking walking. Or you can be a crazy person and GO JOGGING AT 10PM ON ICE. Because that's perfectly safe. *rolls eyes* I have no idea why or how people do this on slick ice without dying.

Safety precautions to be taken: Wear good boots. Bring around a portable hairdryer and melt everything as you walk. Or, better yet, stay indoors at all times.

3. Mormons EVERYWHERE.

Don't get me wrong--Mormons are great (I happen to be one). But there is a ridiculously large number of Mormons in Provo. I mean, they DID settle the state of Utah so it's understandable that there's a remnant, and there is a huge Mormon university (BYU) in Provo, but still. Lots of these Mormons running around. Talking about Primary lessons and their home teachers in the grocery store and elders wandering through Walgreens. It's a whole other world out here. People would think you were crazy if you were anywhere but Mormonville.

Safety precautions to be taken: Go to the activities they invite you to--free casserole and Jello! Who could say no? If that doesn't work: Can't beat 'em? Join 'em. I like being part of the huge Mormon family. BUT, if you don't join, that's good too. But to all my fellow Mormons: NON MEMBERS ARE CHILDREN OF GOD TOO. Just cuz they're not baptized doesn't mean they're evil. Love them and treat them how they should be treated.

Good luck, Provo-ites.

Would You Rather...

According to some psychologists, there 9 types of intelligence. Howard Gardner wrote a book called "Frames of Mind" that outlined several different ramifications for each type of intelligence: 

Musical–rhythmic & harmonic, Visual–spatial, Verbal–linguistic, Logical–mathematical, Bodily–kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalistic, Existential.

I just took a quiz and got Linguistic-Verbal Intelligence:

Good at explaining things to others
Able to use humor when telling stories
Strong abililtiy to listen and remember spoken information
Understands both the literal and figurative meaning of words
Able to use language in many different ways, such as to entertain, to persuade and to inform
Strong grammar skills

The reason I bring up the 9 types of intelligence is because of a conversation I was having with a friend of mine. We were discussing a few relationships we have--both romantic and platonic--and how complicated people make things. I told her I just wanted to start nursing school already--I know it'll be stressful and crazy and I'll probably cry.  

A lot.

But the thing is, I like an academic challenge. The stress of school can be managed. Yeah, it's super tough. It'll feel endless. I'll want to give up. But I'll be able to see the end, know what I have to do, know the rules, expectations, and I can always just ask my teachers, fellow students, and others for advice and there will almost always be a right answer, a correct method, and a box I can check off at the end of the day.

This is what I told Emily: "I'd rather study the biological hormonal differences between males and females than actually experience the difference myself."

The reason for this because people's mental processes are more difficult for me to maneuver than their physiological ones. It's easy for me to tell you that decision making occurs mainly in the prefrontal cortex, speech is understood in Wernicke's area, and emotions are found mainly in the frontal lobe. But I can't tell you why you decided to be angry at something your roommate said to you.

I discovered something about myself a few years ago--there are two things that bring me both stress and happiness.

School and relationships.

The feeling of Oh my gosh I have a paper to write and I have no idea how to start is about as uncomfortable as I like this boy and don't want to be too obvious but he probably likes my roommate so I'm not gonna compete. Dang it. 

And on the flip side: Yay I got an A on this essay! and He asked me on a date! 

Obviously there are varying degrees, but you get the point. 

The nice thing about academics is that I can control it. I study harder, read with more focus, pay better attention in class, I get an improved grade. With people, I can only control my half of any interaction. Which can be difficult sometimes.

#PeopleProbs