The Amazing Adventures of My First Week on BYU Campus

Often, life does not go how we planned. Actually, it hardly ever goes like we want it. We make plans and choose to do certain things and most the time we are left with a situation we did not plan for or want at all.

I have been thinking about this idea quite a bit lately. As I have ventured off on my own, I have figured out that life isn’t that easy. I mean I knew it wasn’t easy before, but when you leave your home and parents, you quickly learn that you are on your own. For instance, that your mom and dad can’t drive you to your first day of work, help you when the BYU employment office sends you on a wild goose chase your first day on campus, or when you get lost on campus. These things are important lessons I have had to learn this past week.

I honestly have had quite a crazy week. Things that I didn’t plan well enough for backfired on me. (I honestly didn’t think I would need my OFFICIAL social security card to get a job because who carries those around with them anymore?) On my first day at BYU this is how my day went. I went to work with my brother-in-law Greg (who got me the job) at about 7:45a.m., then when we got there my new boss said that I needed my student ID card that has my number on it (which I didn’t have), so me and Greg ran to the Wilk to pick up that then went back to the my boss, who then told me that I needed my social security card (which of course as I stated earlier I didn’t have), so I thought maybe a copy would suffice. So I called my dad to have him fax it to me. I waited for about two and a half hours for this fax (my wonderful dad could not get his fax machine to work so he ran around looking for one that would).

Finally, I got the fax and took it to the student employment office, thinking that it would finally work. Well, I thought wrong! Apparently, they can accept a copy of my SS card but I must have some other kind of official document stating that I am a US citizen like my birth certificate, but who carries that around with them? Since I didn’t have that and it needed to be official, and I wanted to actual start my job before the second coming they told me I could go apply for a replacement SS card and then bring them the receipt stating that I had applied for one and this could be my second confirmation (why couldn’t they take my driver’s license but could take a receipt, I don’t know). Since I drove with Greg, I had to wait to go and do this because he was in a meeting. So I wandered campus, found my classes, and basically fell in love with BYU and its campus. After about an hour of wandering aimlessly, I met up with Greg and he took me to the SS office. I waited probably about another 20 minutes to be helped as there were a TON of people there and half of them were there for the exact same reason. Thank you BYU employment office. I finally got my receipt and then went and ventured to the Wilk’s cafeteria to eat food (I think I deserved a break after all the running and waiting around).

After lunch, I went back to the employment office and was finally cleared so I went to my boss’ office and he called the head guy and said that I was in the system but I had to be cleared first, saying that I did the whole process. So I waited about another hour in his office. FINALLY, he called saying I could go to work so I made it to my job where I will be working for the summer, the Tanner building copy center!!! Getting to work has never felt so rewarding and tiring. I am working with my cousin Jessica Eddington, and a guy named Ted Tuttle. They are super nice and fun to work with. I am also enjoying getting to know my cousin better. We are pretty slow now as it is spring term so we basically watch a lot of movies (Leatherheads, Horse Whisperer, Freaky Friday, Fox & the Hound, and the Sword and the Stone), listen to music, play the guitar, or play endless games (pinball, UNO, Phase Ten, Pocket Tanks, speed, and war). It’s been a lot of fun.

For my first week I have just learned the ropes and how to work our GIGANTIC copy machine. I’m not joking, this machine is like that big scary monster we were all scared of when we were young. I have learned how to copy, scan, fax and use Gretta the Guillotine (our massive paper cutter, it really does look like a guillotine). My week has been hectic and one full of firsts. Also this week, I went on my first blind date. My co worker Ted set me up with someone in his ward and we went on a big group date with some of Jessica and Ted’s friends. I also learned from this date, that in South Africa they call a stop light a robot, the back of a car the butt, hamburger and hot dog buns hamburger rolls, a windshield is called a windscreen, and many other different names for things.

I can’t wait for what this next week will bring as I am opening and closing for my job (I will be all alone, all day) Hopefully, a professor doesn’t come in to the copy center wanting something really big done as I won’t be able to help him and I will be alone for four days at work and I have not mastered that monster of a machine yet and all its secrets. I am also moving in to my apartment on Friday along with meeting my roommates, and have orientation. I can’t wait for what the next three months will bring. Most likely there will be a lot of studying and homework. It should be exciting and hopefully not so much running around will be involved.

(If I don’t blog, email, or Facebook for awhile it will either be because I’m stressed out with homework, have a new fear of anything electrical after working with that copy machine, or I have been eaten alive by that monster that lurks in the back of the copy center!)