I've gotten a number of questions from you all about school, so I'll stop holding out and give an update. Bear in mind, today is only my 3rd day of class. Thursdays will be my longest day of the week, class-wise, but I think maybe my favorite days, because of the content. But don't quote me on that just yet.
Orientation was 4 days long last week and it was EXHAUSTING. We even had a case study competition, where we had to break into groups, prepare a case study, and present it. During orientation!! But there was lots of good information, and I had a chance to get to know my classmates. There is some serious diversity in my class and I love it! We have representation from India, Vietnam, Nepal, Dubai, Honduras, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and then some.
My theme so far seems to be, "I'm not at BYU anymore!" I keep getting hit with the culture shock of people taking smoke breaks after class, the ladies dressed scandalously, and the teachers randomly cursing in class. And the "cultural thursdays" where everyone goes to happy hour after class. Weird!! But that's all aside from the culture shock of being a student and not knowing what I'm doing. I used to be a pro at this! Not anymore. It's very disorienting.
All that being said, I'm very happy to be here. There's still a lot of transitioning I've yet to do, but I'm going to enjoy it. So far, it's not as ridiculously hard as everyone kept warning us it'd be, but I'm sure that will change. I can tell that I'm definitely going to enjoy the subjects, for the most part. I found out on the first day of my stats class that I could waive it since I'd already taken so much of it. This was unfortunate because I really liked the teacher and was looking forward to working with him. Then I found out that he's probably going to have me be his assistant for the class next year, so I'll get to work with him anyway! (Yay for employment!) I guess they don't get that many stats gurus around here.
One other cool thing that happened today is that the admissions guy (the one I called about a dozen times before I decided to go full-time) asked me to be an ambassador, which means I'd get to host visitors on campus and go to orientation sessions/dinners to give prospective students and other inquiring minds a perspective from a current student. Not a major time commitment, but I get $500 out of it each semester, which is a lot more money than it used to be!
That is all. I'm about to go check out the pool they've got here. Dad, I'm still not running, because of my ankle. It is making me insane.
HISTORY
A Little History:
Our story begins in Pocatello, Idaho, circa 1972, when the lovely Debby Christensen agreed to a first, though fateful date with admirer, David Croshaw. Long story-short, he bade her follow him, and they went arm-in-arm to the Logan, Utah temple for establishment of an eternal family unit, Generation 1, on May 23 1973.
From their first blissful summer in Salt Lake City, educational pursuits took them to Provo/Orem, Utah, birthplace of Leslie and Rebecca, and to San Francisco/Oakland California, birthplace of Colin and Matt. Then, for establishment of livelihood, expansion of the tribe with Abby and Dana, and for raising/unifying of Generation 2, it was back to the roots in Pocatello for a rewarding sojourn.
In time, driven by a raging, but commonly shared sense of adventure and independence, one-by-one, Generation 2 escaped the homeland to distant regions of the country and the world, each ultimately developing their own tribal expansions by pairing with worthy mates and initiating Generation 3.
Now sensing fulfillment of their purpose in Pocatello, Generation 1 has also left those roots and transplanted to Cascade Idaho, from which base, they anticipate more abundant contact with The Posterity, Generations 2 and 3, in the future. That contact however, awaits fulfillment of a call to LDS missionary service in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, wherein they hope to help the state of the world by sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
So now, including Generation 0 (Grandma and Grandpa Christensen) home base includes Yuma, Arizona, Pocatello, Idaho, Cascade, Idaho, Vancouver, BC, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Spokane, Washington, Boise, Idaho, Los Angeles, California, back to Boise, Idaho, and on and on (Generation 3+) to infinity.
Our Mission Statement:
This is the blog of our eternal family unit. Initiated years ago, it served well as a journal, but even more so, as an archive of our personal interaction. It was a gathering place, a confabulation instrument, a unifying force for four generations of widely dispersed and progressively prolific posterity, and their valued associates. Though it served these purposes well for many years, it eventually took a back seat to new-kids-on-the-block, Facebook, and Instagram, and was sadly forgotten.
We now move to resurrect this blog with an added functional purpose of archiving the missionary experiences of Generation 1, of their movements and activities as they participate with The Gathering of Israel in the land northward. In so doing, we hope that via their own comments and posts, this blog will again serve to gather and unify the posterity and their friends.
As in the past, that the young and vibrant may know the old and tired, that enduring bonds may be fostered and maintained, that experience and encouragement may be openly shared, that posterity may embrace truth, and that hearts may be knit together, we must resist detachment despite our geographic divergence. We shall do so here.
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6 comments:
Only you could make a "stats guru" look so cool! It sounds like you are already impressing everyone, having one teacher already asking you to be a TA and becoming an ambassador for the school-It's only been 4 days girl!!! Somehow I'm not at all surprised!
Wow Abby, I'm impressed like everyone else too. Just reading about that kind of made me miss school, and I do not like school. :) You're going to be a super star.
you are a total super-star. 3 days and everyone loves you. can't wait to hear more stories about how it all goes. before the year's up, they'll be giving you a full scholarship for your 2nd year...i'm sure of it. it must be nice to be Abby!
You guys are my best cheerleaders. I am having a good time, but in all reality, I'm just trying to make the most of what I've got to work with until I can be in your shoes.
no surprise from your mother. you made the right choice, and now everyone else gets to see how incredible you are. he's already asked you to be a tentative ta. WOW. you are awesome. xoxo from foggy eureka, ca. xoxo mom
Hey, Abby~ I am glad things are so good so fast. That must feel truly great to have so much affirmation already. I can tell you from being a prof. that I have only had one student that I have actively sought out and employed during my 4 years teaching. Awesome students with a good personality are hard to find. Ambassador sounds important! That will be fun for sure- you will continue to meet lots of people. The thing that made me laugh was your sense of "not BYU." You see, i have never had anything but "not BYU" and to me, Institute and the like were a total cultural shock back in the beginning. I remember FHE and how every soul there knew how to play every board game and I had to learn all the rules... going out to a place after class involved nothing stronger than ice water or the occasional root beer, and Saturday mornings- instead of being used to catch up on sleep were used for Habitat for Humanity. The best about all this, of course, is that is made be feel better about me. I hardly ever was able to socialize with my collegues because my priority when not at work, was Valerie and I certainly could not take her to anything "not BYU," but with the YSA group, she was a perfect fit.
Anyway- the point is- your goodness is going to make them curious and they will see in you such a blazing Light of Christ that you are inevitably going to influence, for the best kind of good, those around you. Here is to TWO WHOLE YEARS of that. Lucky you and lucky collegues!
Cheers (of ice water, of course)
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