Lessons from the first day of BYU Education Week

PROVO, Utah – Wear comfortable shoes, bring a water bottle and a light jacket, be flexible with class choices, talk to new people, and listen to spiritual promptings – all advice from participants on the first day of the week of BYU Education.

Some instructors told classes not to worry about writing everything down, but rather correcting the impressions and thoughts that came to mind. Many teachers stopped to allow participants to take photos of slides during presentations, especially when the slides included lists, tips, or quotes.

Steve and Susan Russell from Herriman, Utah, ended up taking different classes the first day. While Steve Russell said he looks at the instructor or subject first when choosing a course, Susan Russell mentioned the need to find second and third choices for courses that fill up quickly or are too busy. distant – and to be open-minded about the different options.

As people listened to them at the Wilkinson Center, Steve Russell was checking name badges. “I love seeing where people are from and the diversity where they’re coming from,” he said.

On Monday, four teenagers from different U.S. states sat together in the Richards building for a youth class offer. They didn’t know each other before, but now they’re friends.

“It was a blast,” said Josiah Bennett, 15, of LaVerkin, Utah. “People are so nice. The speakers are so funny. And the Spirit is great here.

Beside him were siblings Nathan and Ella Lewis, 16 and 15, of Surprise, Arizona. Nathan had gone to Education Week in 2019 and had wanted to come back ever since.

“I felt the Spirit then, and I felt it much more today,” he said. It was the first time for her sister Ella, and she said she was happy to be around other young Latter-day Saints with the same standards, goals, and values.

Young people like 17-year-old Jefferson Zabriskie of Payson, Utah, who sat across from her. He had originally planned to attend the youth dance with friends on Thursday. But deciding to come all week has already been a valuable experience, he said.

BYU Education Week attendees listen to a presenter on Monday, August 15, 2022.

Brooklynn Jarvis Kelson, BYU

Teenagers emphasized sitting next to someone who looked lonely or reaching out to someone new while waiting in line. “Just talk,” Josiah said, and Ella added, “Because some people, that’s what they need.”

Jefferson added that it helps to make new friends, and seeing them again throughout the week is a happy event.

When asked for advice for other attendees, they mentioned all the walks on campus and therefore the benefits of good shoes and a bottle of water. But since some classrooms get chilly, Ella Lewis said sometimes a jacket is handy — even though temperatures in Provo, Utah this week are in the mid to high 90s.

Susan Russell thought of another tip: “Make a peanut butter sandwich before you come.”