The Young(er) and the Restless

One experience which I am pretty sure no one in the class has gone through is graduating a year early and coming to BYU. Today is in fact my last day as a 17-year-old BYU student. Needless to say, it has been very interesting.

Most of my friends in high school were a year younger and I didn't know too many people in the class of 2011 outside those in my classes, Cross Country, Drama, or Choir. I was worried that it would be totally obvious right away and that it would be very weird hanging with a bunch of older people. Also, it was not necessarily easy leaving high school early. I had just found my niche (the drama program), I was poised to finally make Varsity for Cross Country, and there was a lot of opportunities ripe for the taking. However, I knew that going to BYU was the right thing so, rather nervous, I went.

And it has been great, quirky at times, but great. No one really notices that I am younger (I blame my height advantage) and those whom I've told seem shocked. My friends don't really care; the only difference is that they are getting their mission calls and I'm not (which just makes me wish even more that I was). Three of my roommates are a year and a half older than I am and one is four years older (an RM), but we are all best friends, who go to Pizza Hut together on Friday nights. My 21-year-old roommate serves as my unofficial "legal guardian" because I'm still not old enough to sign off for safety waivers and stuff like that (otherwise I would just lie because, again, no one notices.)

I am pretty positive that next semester will be strange: all my male friends will be gone, the freshmen who are actually my age will be living on-campus while I live off, I'll have to speak Spanish whenever I'm at home (I'll be living in the Foreign Language housing), and some of my female friends might get engaged. Yet, at the same time, I've learned this semester that I don't have to worry. Things will work out because...well, I don't really know how to say it. Because BYU is just awesome? Because the Lord is looking out for me? Yeah, I think both those responses work well. So....goodbye year 17 and hello adulthood!