Brigham Young University

Here’s a free collection of resources about Brigham Young University- BYU blogs, videos, groups, first-hand experiences and advice from people who attend(ed) BYU, etc.

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BYU Blogs

Here’s a list of BYU blogs- blogs written by people who attend BYU, or about BYU.

****Email alexbalinski@gmail.com to submit your blog to this list.***

Vanquish The Foe	vanquishthefoe.com	2017
Salt Lake Tribune BYU Sports	sltrib.com/blogs/byusports	2017
Cougar Fan	cougarfan.com	2017
BYU Athletics	byucougars.com	2017
BYU Nursing	byunursing.wordpress.com	2017
BYU ASCE	byuasce.blogspot.com	2017
BYU Political Science	byupoliticalscienceblog.com	2017
Family, Home & Social Sciences	fhssbyu.com	2017
Marriott Alumni Magazine	marriottmag.wordpress.com	2017
Construction & Facilities Management	cfm.byu.edu	2017
Emma’s BYU Blog	emmasbyublog.blogspot.com	2017
BYU Divine Comedy	byudivinecomedy.com	2016
CFAC Blog	cfacblog.byu.edu	2016
BYU Writing Center	byuwritingctr.wordpress.com	2016
BYU OBHR	byuobhr.blogspot.com	2015
Deep Shades Of Blue	deepshadesofblue.com	2014
BYU Virtual Tours	byujourneys.org	2012
Stuff BYU People Like	stuffbyupeoplelike.blogspot.com	2011

BYU Groups

BYU Groups On Facebook

Other BYU Groups And Forums

BYU Survey

We’re surveying people who attend(ed) BYU. Here will be a collection of their responses.

*The information gathered via surveys may or may not be correct. Hopefully it will be helpful to you!

*Response format = Answer (Your first name, Years you attended BYU)

**Click here to share your BYU experience**

BYU: Favorites

What’s your favorite thing about BYU?

The atmosphere. (Erin, 2017)
The opportunities to learn by experience. (Jason, 2016-2019)
The cultural and service opportunities. (Anna, 2016-2017)
It’s a great environment. (Emily, 2016-2017)
The atmosphere – it’s educational, both temporally and spiritually. I feel like no matter what class I’m in, the spirit is present and teaching. I love this! It helps me to feel more connected with the Savior and those around me. (Jessica, 2016-2017)
Kindhearted people. (Parker, 2016-2017)
Good quality of education. (Britney, 2015-2017)
The Mormon culture. (Kade, 2015-2017)
The mixture of religious education and secular education. (Nathan, 2015-2017)
Dedicated people who are a good example to work hard. (Sarah, 2015-2017)
Great spirit and solid education. (Anonymous, 2015)
Religion classes/safe, happy vibe. (Anonymous, 2014-2017)
That we can bring gospel discussion into our studies! As a science major, it’s awesome to be able to talk about the part that God plays in this world, and to be able to figure out how science and religion can coexist. And they can! (Kaitlin, 2014-2017)
It’s well respected, cheap, the physics department significantly prepares students for graduate work, and there is a good relationship between students and professors. (Anonymous, 2014)
Education. (Rachel, 2013-2017)
Education. (Josh, 2012-2017)
Everyone smiles! (Oliver, 2012-2017)
The dance classes and stats program. (Amanda, 2012-2016)
It’s cost. Quality roommates. Good education. (Erin, 2012-2016)
The people I met there. (Anna, 2012-2015)
that my program didn’t have a graduate program, so undergrads got tons of hands-on experience. (Danny, 2012-2015)
Sports, beautiful location. (Tanner, 2012-2015)
Some of my YSA wards were amazing. I also miss the spiritual aspect of going to school there. There was always a prayer before classes, and the weekly devotional. (Preston, 2011-2015)
The people and atmosphere. (Anonymous, 2010-2018)
Scholarships–I paid for school with various academic scholarships, and put money in the bank. (B., 2010-2015)
My professors. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
The students being morally clean. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
The arts programs. (Christina, 2010-2014)
I loved the “chills-down-my-spine” feeling I almost always got when walking to campus, especially during the fall or any day with particularly nice weather. The beauty around me, combined with knowing I was on my way to spend another day learning at my dream college, often made me giddy. There truly is something special about this place. (Kristine, 2010-2014)
The students and teachers. (Amy, 2010-2013)
People. (Jenna, 2009-2016)
My academic program (the BFA acting program) and its faculty. (Jon, 2009-2016)
Friends I made. Playing rugby. Philosophy classes. (Chanel, 2009-2014)
The classes are fascinating. (Cameron, 2008-2014)
I loved everything about it! I loved the social atmosphere the location with loads to do and the teachers were great! (Steph, 2008-2014)
Mountains. (Kelsey, 2008-2012)
The thousand resources to be able to study the best. (Valeria, 2008/2011)
The community. (Samantha W., 2007-2012)
Spiritual mixed with all learning. (Heather, 2007-2010)
I love how many clean, kind and good hearted people attend BYU. There are so many nice people who share my standards. (Alex B., 2006-2013)
Learning opportunities in my department. (Landon, 2004-2009)

BYU: Least Favorites

What’s your least favorite thing about BYU?

What the rest of the world thinks about us. (Erin, 2017)
Work limitations on students for on campus jobs. (Jason, 2016-2019)
The Utards (how some people [especially those from Utah] can be slightly too judgmental towards people who don’t hold the same standards as them). (Anna, 2016-2017)
Classes are hard. (Emily, 2016-2017)
Fake people. (Parker, 2016-2017)
Finding married housing. (Britney, 2015-2017)
The Utah culture. Judging, inability to accept, etc. (Kade, 2015-2017)
Mormon culture and pharisaical behavior. (Nathan, 2015-2017)
Sometimes people get too intense, and I get tired of the competition with everything. (Sarah, 2015-2017)
No Dr. Pepper, parking. (Anonymous, 2015)
The commercialized bookstore and the ysa Mormon culture. (Anonymous, 2014)
Lack of diversity. But that’s a tough problem to fix at a Mormon school in Utah. (Kaitlin, 2014-2017)
No caffeine. (Rachel, 2013-2017)
DATING/Facial hair policy. (Josh, 2012-2017)
The honor code office kicks perfectly worthy people out for being raped. (Amanda, 2012-2016)
The culture. (Erin, 2012-2016)
Some ridiculous rules and mentalities. (Anna, 2012-2015)
Mormon culture. (Danny, 2012-2015)
People who don’t care for others. (Tanner, 2012-2015)
My major (Spanish. I’m now of the strong opinion that humanities degrees are mostly pointless). (Preston, 2011-2015)
Parking. (Anonymous, 2010-2018)
Everything on campus is overpriced. E-ve-ry. Thing. (B., 2010-2015)
The culture and many aspects of the honor code. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
Lack of diversity. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
The ridiculous “modesty and dress” rules that just make women feel bad about their bodies and lack self-expression. (Christina, 2010-2014)
That we just can’t seem to beat the Utes ;). Honestly though, my least favorite thing is the abundance of “holier-than-thou” people on campus. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of amazing students, but there are some that just take rules a little too seriously. You know the ones — you wouldn’t put it past them to turn you in to the Honor Code office for staying in an opposite-gender apartment 0.01 seconds past midnight, or for eating a coffee-flavored jelly bean. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but those Pharisee-esque students annoy me. (Kristine, 2010-2014)
The same problem as all universities: the professors aren’t always knowledgeable or upfront about possible career paths. (Amy, 2010-2013)
Provo roads!! The convoluted room numbering system in the buildings. (Jenna, 2009-2016)
Lack of diversity/homogeneous, suffocating culture. (Jon, 2009-2016)
Some religion classes tests. (Chanel, 2009-2014)
The close-mindedness and unkindness of some of the people there. (Cameron, 2008-2014)
The late church times. (Steph, 2008-2014)
No caffeine on campus. (Kelsey, 2008-2012)
Too conservative, many racist people. (Valeria, 2008/2011)
The people constantly looking for wrong doers. (Samantha W., 2007-2012)
Closed-mindedness of the culture at times. (Heather, 2007-2010)
I don’t like how some professors grade students much more harshly than others. I was affected by this much, because I tended to take classes from professors who graded more easily (I referred to ratemyprofessor.com), but I know students who took a hard science class during their first year of college and scored a B or C, which disqualified them from having an academic scholarship. (Alex B., 2006-2013)
Holier than thou attitudes. (Landon, 2004-2009)

BYU: Things To Do

What are fun things to do while at BYU? Hidden gems, etc.

Dollar theatre, plays, country dancing night. (Jason, 2016-2019)
Afuego Fridays, BYU Lu’au, any club that meets on Tuesdays. (Anna, 2016-2017)
Concerts, some of the dances, just hanging out as friends. (Emily, 2016-2017)
Denny’s at midnight. (Parker, 2016-2017)
A lot of my BYU friends got me into rock climbing. (Britney, 2015-2017)
Play sardines in the HFAC. (Nathan, 2015-2017)
Rope swing on the Provo River Trail. (Sarah, 2015-2017)
The library is a treasure trove. (Anonymous, 2015)
The star show in the planetarium at the ESC! The piano lab in the HFAC is a hidden gem I would say… shhh… don’t tell anyone! (Kaitlin, 2014-2017)
Playing with liquid nitrogen and scaring people, make fun of the “two” magazine, race rubber ducks down the BYU river. (Anonymous, 2014)
Freeride Academy, the Bean Museum. (Rachel, 2013-2017)
Watch ROTC functions. (Josh, 2012-2017)
International Cinema, science building lobbies, French Club, baseball games. (Oliver, 2012-2017)
Not get raped. (Amanda, 2012-2016)
Go to Velour! There’s always good music going on there. Never underestimate how fun Classic Skating is. Join intramural teams, even if you suck, you’ll make friends. (Erin, 2012-2016)
Downtown startups are fun to check out, lots of hiking and camping. It’s close to SLC, Velour concerts. (Anna, 2012-2015)
Southern Utah. (Danny, 2012-2015)
Fall festival, Riverwoods, BYU Clubs, MOA. (Tanner, 2012-2015)
Weight training class, dance classes, and actually working summer custodial at Heritage Halls was one of the funnest jobs I’ve had. Teaching at the MTC was the best job I’ve ever had, and there are two temples super close, so go often! If you can, find a good YSA ward to be a part of (The Colony, The Elms, and The Riviera were my absolute favorite). (Preston, 2011-2015)
Hiking – so many options nearby. Take an art class – it’s worth it. Inner tube water polo intramurals – the most frustrating fun you’ll ever have in a pool. (Anonymous, 2010-2018)
Try to find your way around the HFAC. If you get to know the building, it’s the best place to win at hide-and-seek. (B., 2010-2015)
Hiking, being a part of clubs, choirs and shows. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
Y-Serve, intramurals, Legends Grille, MSS activities, reserve a study room in the library just to sleep :). (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
The international films. (Christina, 2010-2014)
A hidden gem that relatively few people are aware of: *almost* every Thursday during fall/winter semesters at 1:00, 2:00, and 4:00 in the Nelke Theatre in the HFAC there are 40-50 minute, free, student-directed plays called Mask Clubs. Such a score for the theatrically inclined! You can get a schedule of week-to-week performances from the theatre office on the 5th floor, or just show up on Thursdays and be surprised. You never know what you’ll get… comedy, drama, musical, Shakespeare, student-devised original scripts… some of my past favorites have included “Seussical the Musical,” “Wait Until Dark”, an original piece based on the book “The Giving Tree”, and an interesting new twist on “Macbeth”. The performances fit into one class period, and are all for free! And there are always open seats! The only time I saw the theatre completely filled for a Mask Club was for a performance of the cult classic “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”. It was a smash hit. (Kristine, 2010-2014)
Tunnel singing is fun as a freshman. (Amy, 2010-2013)
Working in the COUGAREAT- you get half off and the energy there is awesome :). Good people. The basement of the music building. The upper floors of the JFSB. (Jenna, 2009-2016)
Center Street dining, Salt Lake City in general. (Jon, 2009-2016)
Tunnel singing. Martial arts. Pre-law club. Rugby. (Chanel, 2009-2014)
Hiking, bonfires, camping, skating, skiing, sledding–anything outside. (Cameron, 2008-2014)
Join the ultimate frisbee team, go hiking, hot springs, frisbee golf on campus, capture the flag, dances. (Steph, 2008-2014)
Night games, hiking the Y. (Kelsey, 2008-2012)
Go dance Latino dances. (Valeria, 2008/2011)
Asiago cheese bagels are the best! Going to the art museum basement, and seeing the cool modern art. (Samantha W., 2007-2012)
Plays!!! (Heather, 2007-2010)
There are a few free museums on campus. There are things to see in the life science building, the museum of art, the Bean Museum and a few other buildings around campus. I really like to attend the Concert Choir, Men’s Chorus and BYU Singers concerts. There are also a lot of fun clubs that meet in the Wilkinson Center on Tuesday nights (swing dancing, capoeira, chess, etc.). Also, on Sunday nights around 10pm, under the tunnel that’s by the Marriott Center, they do ‘tunnel singing’ where they’ll sing hymns for about an hour. (Alex B., 2006-2013)
Night games on campus. (Landon, 2004-2009)

BYU: Recommended Classes/Professors

Any classes or professors you recommend?

I really liked astronomy. (Erin, 2017)
Religion classes with Professor Sweat or Professor Belnap. Business classes with Professor Brau or Professor Greathead. (Jason, 2016-2019)
Griffin, Goodman, Christopher Jones, Madame Wilde (French). (Anna, 2016-2017)
Bybee for biology. (Emily, 2016-2017)
Hank Smith – New Testament and The Book of Mormon. Human Development (SFL 210). (Jessica, 2016-2017)
Any language class for RMs. (Parker, 2016-2017)
I really enjoyed gymnastics a lot. (Britney, 2015-2017)
Michael Goodman, Daniel Belnap. (Nathan, 2015-2017)
Ron Hager. James LeCheminant. (Sarah, 2015-2017)
Anything Dr. Sweat. (Anonymous, 2015)
Brother Sweat. (Anonymous, 2014-2017)
Physiology with Jason Hansen. Tough class, but probably my favorite one yet. (Kaitlin, 2014-2017)
History of creativity and anything physics. (Anonymous, 2014)
Kim Smith. (Rachel, 2013-2017)
Hopkins/Gantt. (Josh, 2012-2017)
Ben Gibbs (sociology), Bob Walz (communications). (Oliver, 2012-2017)
Michael MacKay for D&C. (Amanda, 2012-2016)
Women Studies! Kayaking! Soccer! Weightlifting! (Erin, 2012-2016)
A Women’s Studies minor is super fun and has a lot of cool people and activities. (Anna, 2012-2015)
I definitely recommend Environmental Biology and Anthro 101. (Danny, 2012-2015)
Spanish, choir. (Tanner, 2012-2015)
Intro to Entrepreneurship with Nick Greer was amazing. It seriously changed my life. If you can get him, do it! (Preston, 2011-2015)
Anything by Allen Christensen (Humanities) or Fidalis Buehler (Visual Art). (Anonymous, 2010-2018)
SFL 100. Should be required. Best class I took. (B., 2010-2015)
I loved all of the theater classes I took and all of those professors. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
Writings of Isaiah, gymnastics, springboard diving, sewing, any religion class with Brother Marsh, marriage and family with Bro. Ogletree. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
Dean Duncan, Darl Larson–any class, they’re excellent. (Christina, 2010-2014)
Brother Marsh was my favorite religion professor. I took more than one class from him, and I recommend that everyone take at least one of his classes at some point. Also, take some recreational classes! Social dance is fun, and food prep is a bit of a hidden gem! One of my favorite classes was my flexibility class. We spent most of the period stretching, and then almost always finished with a short meditation/nap time. (Kristine, 2010-2014)
Floral design, ice skating, astronomy, other fun classes. (Amy, 2010-2013)
Haws- religion; Goodman-marriage and family; Sloane- public health. (Jenna, 2009-2016)
Ty Mansfield for Marriage and Family. (Jon, 2009-2016)
Professor Arts’ philosophy classes. Professor Carter’s philosophy of medicine. (Chanel, 2009-2014)
Nutrition, chem 105, geology field trip class. (Steph, 2008-2014)
Wakefield, Communication Department. (Valeria, 2008/2011)
Kim Johnson–creative writing, Dr. Ostenson–any English class. (Samantha W., 2007-2012)
I really enjoyed Beginning Gymnastics, since it didn’t cost any more than a normal class, and you got to use the gymnastics equipment. I also thought it was good to take American Sign Language. I took a few foreign language choir classes, and University Chorale and Men’s Chorus, which I really enjoyed. I took a few digital humanities classes to learn basics skills with different programs, which was awesome! I wish I had taken several CS/programming classes, although it would have been hard. I recommend taking easier classes/professors the first year or two, to pad your GPA, and quality for a full-tuition scholarship (if you have a GPA of around 3.9+). (Alex B., 2006-2013)
Islam and the Gospel. (Landon, 2004-2009)

BYU: Housing Advice

Any housing tips or recommendations?

Have a friend in your apartment. (Erin, 2017)
Look for housing early! (Jason, 2016-2019)
Get housing early, so you don’t have to stress. (Anna, 2016-2017)
Try to get into Heritage. (Emily, 2016-2017)
Find it early. Places fill up so so quickly. Remember to take in consideration if you have a car/bike/need to walk everywhere, because having a car means you don’t need to worry, but if you have to walk everywhere, you don’t want to live super far from everything. (Jessica, 2016-2017)
Off campus is better than on campus. (Parker, 2016-2017)
Start looking early. (Britney, 2015-2017)
May the odds be ever in your favor. (Nathan, 2015-2017)
Stay somewhere that is moderately cheap, and you will meet fun and down to earth people. (Sarah, 2015-2017)
Do not rent from any property under Aspen Ridge Management. (Anonymous, 2015)
Live south of campus, and sign a contract as soon as you can! Most places have contracts available for Fall semester in mid-February. (Kaitlin, 2014-2017)
It’s a monopoly, you’re screwed, just try and find a landlord that cares. (Anonymous, 2014)
Don’t live on campus. (Rachel, 2013-2017)
Never Glenwood. (Josh, 2012-2017)
Campus Plaza is well priced. (Oliver, 2012-2017)
Don’t get raped in your apartment or they’ll blame it on you. (Amanda, 2012-2016)
Trust online reviews. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. (Erin, 2012-2016)
South of campus is where it’s at. (Anna, 2012-2015)
Don’t know; I lived in private housing the whole time (I was married before starting my undergrad). (Danny, 2012-2015)
Sign up sooner rather than later. (Tanner, 2012-2015)
Most housing is pretty old, but that’s part of the college experience. The best ward I was ever in were at The Colony apartments, The Elms (now Liberty on 1st or something like that) and The Riviera. (Preston, 2011-2015)
Don’t live anywhere owned by Liberty, at the Village, or in King Henry if you want to be taken seriously. (Anonymous, 2010-2018)
Apply early; however, be prepared to couch surf, or live in your car if you arrive early. (B., 2010-2015)
Find good roommates who you connect with well. You’ll have a much better experience than you will with strangers (that’s my experience). (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
The cheaper the place, the more genuine the people. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
Know your rights. The landlords will try to get you with bad furniture or hidden fees. Let the university know. (Christina, 2010-2014)
Poll your friends before signing any contracts. They may have some horror stories about the management or condition of the apartments, or they might have glowing recommendations for an obscure, hidden housing gem. Also, start looking early; some of the best contracts disappear quickly. (Kristine, 2010-2014)
Get in it fast; don’t stay off campus your freshman year. (Jenna, 2009-2016)
A private room saved my life. (Jon, 2009-2016)
Campus Plaza. (Chanel, 2009-2014)
Find a cheap house south of campus. It’s more fun than apartments (to me, anyway) and you meet a variety of students and non-students. (Cameron, 2008-2014)
Go on campus (Heritage or Helaman your first year) then try to stay as close to campus as possible. The further away the less social it seemed. (Steph, 2008-2014)
Live in the dorms. (Kelsey, 2008-2012)
Live in dorms freshman year–it’s how you make new friends. Try and live with people you don’t know your freshman year. (Samantha W., 2007-2012)
Find a house or condo. (Heather, 2007-2010)
I lived in Campus Plaza which was nice- right next to campus. I also enjoyed my time at Roman Gardens. (Alex B., 2006-2013)

BYU: Places To Eat

What are the best places to eat near BYU?

Wild Ginger (Chinese). (Jason, 2016-2019)
La Dolce Vita, the El Salvadoran restaurant by the Peruvian llama one. (Anna, 2016-2017)
Station 22, Los Hermanos, In N Out. (Emily, 2016-2017)
Gurus, Rockwell Ice Cream, Costa Vida. (Jessica, 2016-2017)
There’s this one schwarma place at Provo Town Center that’s amazing. (Parker, 2016-2017)
Cubbys. (Britney, 2015-2017)
Gloria’s Little Italy in downtown is great! (Nathan, 2015-2017)
Pita Pit. (Sarah, 2015-2017)
Slab, El Salvador on Center Street. (Anonymous, 2015)
Bombay House if you have money. Don Joaquin if you don’t. (Kaitlin, 2014-2017)
Panda Express. (Rachel, 2013-2017)
CupBop, J Dawgs and Hawaiian Plate. (Josh, 2012-2017)
Don Joaquin Street Tacos, JDawgs. (Oliver, 2012-2017)
Sub-zero, Bombay House. (Amanda, 2012-2016)
Provo Food Truck Round Up, every Thursday at the Startup Building. (Erin, 2012-2016)
Hot Potato, Thai Village, Pho Place on Center Street. (Anna, 2012-2015)
Home. (Danny, 2012-2015)
Apollo Burger, Pizza Pie Cafe, JDawgs. (Tanner, 2012-2015)
Brick Oven. (Preston, 2011-2015)
The Wash, Slab, JDawgs, Bruges – all 10/10. (Anonymous, 2010-2018)
Zupa’s; Cafe Rio; Burger Supreme. Why Chik-fil-A is in the CougarEat and none of these are, is a mystery; not of Biblical proportions, but still… (B., 2010-2015)
Terra Mia in Orem is my favorite restaurant in the world!! (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
Don Joaquins. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
Einstein’s Bagels, Bruges. (Christina, 2010-2014)
If you’re willing to venture down to Center Street, there are some fun hole-in-the-wall places along there! I love Station 22. On campus itself, I love going to Blue Line Deli in the Tanner building to get a build-your-own grilled PB&J. My favorite sweet combo is dark chocolate peanut butter with bananas, marshmallows, and chocolate chips on sourdough bread. You can come up with some fun combinations! (Kristine, 2010-2014)
Pho Plus when it’s cold, Hruska’s Kolaches, basically visit Center Street. (Amy, 2010-2013)
Thai village, J Dawgs, India Palace, King Kebab at the Provo Mall. (Jenna, 2009-2016)
India Palace’s lunch buffet cannot be beaten. (Jon, 2009-2016)
Slab Pizza. Bombay House. Cafe Rio. (Chanel, 2009-2014)
Thai restaurants! (Cameron, 2008-2014)
Jdawgs, Zupas, Cafe Rio. (Steph, 2008-2014)
Always Chick-fil-A. (Kelsey, 2008-2012)
Dennys!! Betos!! (Valeria, 2008-2011)
El Gallo Giro. Best burritos ever. Provo Bakery donuts. (Samantha W., 2007-2012)
Cubbies. (Heather, 2007-2010)
My favorite new place is Main Street Pizza ($5 for lunch, $6.50 for dinner, all you can eat pizza and salad), near where the old dollar theatre used to be, and the MIX complex is being built (on University Avenue, on the way to Orem and the University Mall). I also love Subway! Costa Vida and Emmanuel’s Fresh Grill are favorites as well. (Alex B., 2006-2013)

BYU: Crime & Safety

How’s the crime/safety at BYU?

Very safe, but avoid the hill on the south side of campus after dark. (Jason, 2016-2019)
Very safe, just watch out for those groppers. (Anna, 2016-2017)
Pretty good. (Emily, 2016-2017)
8/10. Theft is pretty big on campus. Just don’t be dumb and leave your things unattended. (Jessica, 2016-2017)
Low crime. High safety. (Parker, 2016-2017)
I haven’t had anything happen to me, but you should still be careful. (Britney, 2015-2017)
Very safe. So safe that people sometimes forget simple cautionary steps. (Nathan, 2015-2017)
Pretty good, but don’t go walking around at night alone! (Sarah, 2015-2017)
Extremely safe. (Anonymous, 2015)
Not all of Provo feels safe to me and there is a lot of theft at specific locations, but campus feels very safe to me! (Kaitlin, 2014-2017)
Read the police beat for your answer and a good laugh. (Anonymous, 2014)
Fair. (Josh, 2012-2017)
Theft is common: don’t leave your stuff unattended! Don’t walk alone at night and pack heat, just in case. (Oliver, 2012-2017)
Good if you’re a man. (Amanda, 2012-2016)
Very safe! But people know we’re too trusting, so don’t be an idiot. Still lock your doors, and take your laptop with you when you go to the bathroom. (Erin, 2012-2016)
Pretty safe – I never had any problems or felt unsafe. (Anna, 2012-2015)
Safe? I don’t know… it is Provo… definitely safe. (Danny, 2012-2015)
Very good in most locations during the day. Don’t run alone. (Tanner, 2012-2015)
Very safe. Sometimes people go around during moving week and steal stuff from cars because they know everyone has their stuff in their cars, but it never happened to me. (Preston, 2011-2015)
As a woman, I have never lived somewhere where I have felt this safe at all times. (Anonymous, 2010-2018)
Crime low, safety high. Unless you’re a female. No female is completely safe. (B., 2010-2015)
It is really safe for the most part, but it can be very dangerous for women. BYU has an abnormally high rate of rape/gropings, and most of the time the offenders get off easy. If you are a member of the LBGTQIA+ community… be prepared for anything. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
Pretty safe. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
Under reported. (Christina, 2010-2014)
Personally, I always felt safe at BYU. I know that some people have different experiences than me, but I never had a problem with safety. As far as crime goes… I left my wallet by a printer in the HFAC once. I checked the lost and found every day for a week, never doubting that it would be turned in. However, whoever picked it up kept it, along with the $150 cash I had inside, and used my student ID to buy food from vending machines several times. I was shocked that a fellow BYU student would be so dishonest. It was a wakeup call to me that although we’ve all signed an Honor Code and are mostly all Mormon, there are less-than-honorable people on campus. Don’t let being surrounded by a bunch of cheerful young adults on a spiritual high lull you into a false sense of security. I never had any other issues with crime, but… it’s there. (Kristine, 2010-2014)
Great. (Amy, 2010-2013)
I think it’s good, but I don’t think rape is talked about enough. (Jenna, 2009-2016)
I never felt unsafe, but I’m also male. (Jon, 2009-2016)
Don’t leave your bike unlocked. (Chanel, 2009-2014)
Very low crime/high safety. Lock your bike up, though. (Cameron, 2008-2014)
pretty safe. (Steph, 2008-2014)
On campus, fine. (Kelsey, 2008-2012)
Very safe. (Valeria, 2008/2011)
Pretty safe. Practice safe habits and you’ll be fine. (Samantha W., 2007-2012)
I felt very safe at BYU. During my time at BYU I overheard a couple students swear, saw a few poor attitudes, but I didn’t see really any violence or illegal drugs that I can remember. I know it can be dangerous for young women to be alone outside after dark in certain areas, like the south hill of campus, or near the Provo River trail. I feel like if anyone crazy tried to do something at BYU, a ton of people would jump in and take care of the situation. Because so many people share the same Christian values of kindness, selflessness, service, etc. I felt like everyone had my back, and like I had others’ backs. (Alex B., 2006-2013)
Much goes unreported. (Landon, 2004-2009)

BYU: Cool Facts

Any other cool facts about BYU?

BYU has the best foreign language program of any other school. (Jason, 2016-2019)
There are vending machines in almost every building. (Emily, 2016-2017)
HBLL is waaay cooler than it seems. (Parker, 2016-2017)
Sometimes you can get a free doughnut in the Wilk! (Britney, 2015-2017)
President Worthen is the shiz! (Nathan, 2015-2017)
You can get really good advice at the financial center if you ask for help! (Sarah, 2015-2017)
There is a BYU outdoor gear rental place that has pretty much anything you can imagine for really cheap! Take advantage of that and go explore all the nature that Utah has to offer! (Kaitlin, 2014-2017)
BYU acoustics has a world class anechoic chamber. (Anonymous, 2014)
Devotionals are great. (Josh, 2012-2017)
Giant worms live in the maintenance tunnels, don’t wander underground unless you plan to die a slow and terrible death. (Oliver, 2012-2017)
They’re a bunch of Pharisees who claim to believe in the Atonement. (Amanda, 2012-2016)
Don’t forget about the cool acoustics circles outside the JFSB. (Anna, 2012-2015)
Slowly developing a bicycle culture… slowly… (Danny, 2012-2015)
Football games, women’s soccer, men’s volleyball, and basketball were my favorite events to attend. There are also a bunch of clubs that meet on Tuesday (?) nights. (Preston, 2011-2015)
Hike the Y once to check it off – but if you do, go early in the morning to watch the sunrise over the valley (or just not in the heat of summer). (Anonymous, 2010-2018)
The Creamery ice cream will make you cry, it’s so good. (B., 2010-2015)
The testing center line was a mile long last winter. (Christina, 2010-2014)
Usually, the door to access the roof of the SWKT building is kept locked. However, if you do some sleuthing, and keep a close eye out for exclusive opportunities, you can go on the roof! I checked that off my BYU Bucket List during my freshman year. It was cool to be so high in the middle of campus – the view was awesome! (Kristine, 2010-2014)
The really big building across from the Provo library used to be the gym! (Jenna, 2009-2016)
One of the best rugby teams in the nation – men’s and women’s. (Chanel, 2009-2014)
I really enjoy the heated vents you can find around campus =). (Steph, 2008-2014)
Cool internarional people. (Valeria, 2008/2011)
There’s a quick cut through to the parking lot through the first floor of the student athlete building when it’s too cold or rainy. (Samantha W., 2007-2012)
It’s crazy cheap in comparison with colleges/universities back East where I’m from (especially if you’re LDS). Also, there is a TON of musical and dance talent at BYU. World class. BYU is probably the best university in the world in a lot of ways- cheap, clean, fun, wholesome, productive, talented, great place to meet your spouse, etc. (Alex B., 2006-2013)

BYU: Advice For Freshmen

Advice for a new Freshman:

Realize that what made you special before is what made each BYU student special. You really have to know who you are, and not rely on your talents to make you stand out and be liked. (Erin, 2017)
Take 1 credit seminar classes for majors you might be interested in. You don’t have to decide what to do right away, but the sooner, the better. (Jason, 2016-2019)
Don’t take 17 credits your first semester, and don’t take Econ 110 with Kearl then either. You’re basically just set up for disaster. Trust me. No matter how smart you think you are, take your first semester easy to adjust to the college life, and take 12 credits. And if you’re freaking out reading this because you signed up for 17 credits and Kearl’s class, don’t worry. You can drop classes the first week without any penalty. Also don’t be afraid to drop classes that might be too time consuming at the time. It’s not a sign of weakness, but reason. (Anna, 2016-2017)
STUDY. (Emily, 2016-2017)
Go to sporting events, volunteer with Y-Serve, attend clubs night, and get involved. But don’t forget that you are here to learn as well, study, and spend time on grades. (Jessica, 2016-2017)
Use all the resources available to you. Study. (Parker, 2016-2017)
Make your graduation plan early. (Britney, 2015-2017)
Figure out your balance between school and social. BUT YOU MUST SLEEP. NEVER COMPROMISE SLEEP TIME. (Nathan, 2015-2017)
Work hard, but don’t overwhelm yourself. You still need to take care of your health, and have fun. (Sarah, 2015-2017)
Take easy classes that start after 10! (Anonymous, 2015)
Figure out a major quickly, but don’t be afraid to change your mind. Try new things and meet new people, and do things that aren’t in your comfort zone! Work hard, but not too hard. Don’t take too many classes, and don’t take 8 AM classes for your first year. You can’t get the same experience you get at BYU-Provo anywhere else in the world. It’s unique and it’s incredible, and not many people get to experience it. Take advantage of it. (Kaitlin, 2014-2017)
Don’t skip meals or forget to eat. Get sleep and learn how to learn. You’re here for school, not a party. (Anonymous, 2014)
I don’t really recommend the dining plan. (Rachel, 2013-2017)
You’re not going to be a doctor in a semester, so chill out and relax. (Josh, 2012-2017)
Make sincere, lasting friends. If your roommates or complex is awful, move! Don’t suffer in silence, take control of your life. I wish that I had known that earlier. | If you can’t get a job that you love, then love the job you get. Starting at the bottom is hard, but it’s necessary. Earn that raise and promotion, move up. (Oliver, 2012-2017)
Don’t get raped, and transfer to the U before it’s too late. Just go to institute instead. Institute teachers actually teach by the spirit instead of putting their effort into creating hard test questions for fun to get you to fail their classes. (Amanda, 2012-2016)
Don’t buy a sports pass. Your whole freshman ward will, but not everyone will ever go. You can ALWAYS borrow a pass for free. (Erin, 2012-2016)
BYU isn’t like the real world in a lot of ways – both good and bad. (Anna, 2012-2015)
Transfer to a different school unless you really love your current program. (Danny, 2012-2015)
Go to the counseling center in the Wilk if you’re having a hard time. (Tanner, 2012-2015)
Get your freshman energy out early so you don’t ruin your grades. (Preston, 2011-2015)
Find stress relievers that work for you in your new environment. Embrace this new beginning- it is a blessing, not a curse. (Anonymous, 2010-2018)
Just because you were a star student in high school doesn’t mean you’re a star at BYU. Everybody at BYU was a star high school student. You’re going to have to learn more, and work harder than you thought you would to get the grades you think you deserve. Get over yourself, and get to work. (I TA’ed 9 semesters of freshman level classes.) (B., 2010-2015)
Work hard, and love it while you are there. Get an on campus job. If you feel different from those around you, don’t just give up. There are a variety of people at BYU and if you look, you’ll be able to find your crowd. If the culture is too much for you to bear after your first year, I high suggest transferring somewhere else. It’s a hard choice, but it’s better for you in the long run. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
Buy your books through a Facebook page. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
Figure out who you are before you find a spouse. (Christina, 2010-2014)
Soak everything in. Take every opportunity. You’re only a BYU Freshman once, and there’s nothing like it. On a different note, take advantage of the counseling offices, especially career advise! They’ll help you figure out what direction to take in your schooling, if you’re not sure, and help you find resources for your chosen field of study. The Counseling and Psychological Services office on the bottom floor of the Wilk is handy too, and anonymous. Let’s face is… college is tough and stressful. Don’t think for one moment that you need to tackle it all without a little help. Take care of your mental state. Whether you’re simply stressed or full-out depressed, take a visit to that office. It will help. Make an appointment online first, I can’t remember what their walk-in policy is. (Kristine, 2010-2014)
Make sure you sleep. You’ll do much better in school and personal life. (Amy, 2010-2013)
Live in Heritage or Helaman, but eat healthy. You’ll regret it if you don’t. Be yourself, because you’ll find people who like the same things you like, promise!! (Jenna, 2009-2016)
Failure to subscribe to your ward and/or building culture does NOT make you a bad person/Mormon. Be you, with total abandon. (Jon, 2009-2016)
Find good study friends. (Chanel, 2009-2014)
Don’t sit in your dorm all day. Go out and meet people. (Cameron, 2008-2014)
Explore, meet lots of people, go to dances and social activities, take advantage of the close temples. (Steph, 2008-2014)
Get out and do things! Make friends, and make an effort to meet new people. (Kelsey, 2008-2012)
Use all the resources to enhance the study experience, we don’t have all of them in other countries. (Valeria, 2008/2011)
Meet people! You’ll make lifelong friends. College is so much better than high school. (Samantha W., 2007-2012)
Take easy classes your first year to boost your GPA. Take easy professors- a professor who’s hard isn’t going to improve your learning, studying and applying yourself is going to help your learning (reading your textbooks, etc.). Buy your textbooks used well before the semester begins, read them through and return them to the BYU bookstore during the first couple weeks of class to receive a free refund. Doing this could save you a few hundred dollars/semester. Participate in the service clubs. Don’t be so rushed that you don’t take time to visit with people you meet. TALK TO PEOPLE! In line at Subway, on the UTA bus, in the elevator, walking to your next class, waiting for your class to begin, talk to people! You won’t regret it. And you may just meet your wife, like I did! 🙂 (Alex B., 2006-2013)
Use ratemyprofessor.com. (Landon, 2004-2009)

BYU: Stories

Share an experience you had at BYU (interesting/funny/crazy/dangerous, etc.):

It was my first semester and in high school I wasn’t one to go and hang out with friends and when I did, I always had an excuse that got me home around 10pm. Well one night me and my roommate decided to go with some of the other girls in our hall to go get cupcakes somewhere. We went to ask the boys if they wanted to come, but they were going to go see a movie. We decided to go with them because it was a movie that everyone really wanted to see. Come to find out later, the movie doesn’t start until 10pm and it was a 3 hour movie. It was such a suspenseful movie, and when it finished we all just sat there for like 30 min. One of my friends even started crying because of the over – stimulus from school and the movie. We finally got home at like 2:30am that next morning. When I told my parents about what I had done they thought I had been replaced by an alien. Not super crazy, but it’s a story I always like. (Erin, 2017)
My roommate and I went disco skating, and I hurt my tailbone so bad I couldn’t walk for church the next day. (Emily, 2016-2017)
Hiked the Y while the trail was covered in snow like an idiot- nearly froze, yet it was probably my best date ever. 10/10 would recommend. (Parker, 2016-2017)
We went cliff jumping on a geology field trip. (Britney, 2015-2017)
Waking up, and walking across campus after the snow has fallen in Timpanogos is magical. (Nathan, 2015-2017)
I saw a biker get hit by a car, and we called 911. It was the freakiest thing. Wear a helmet and bright colors in the dark! (Sarah, 2015-2017)
I found a special book in the library. It’s hollowed out and has a notebook inside of it with all of the other people who have found it. (Rachel, 2013-2017)
I once was rejected by a girl because she was allergic to sugar… and her phone broke the day before I asked for her number too… (Josh, 2012-2017)
Many moons ago, my older sister was taking a self-defense class here. She decided to demonstrate some moves…on me. We were on a basket ball court, and she was suddenly throwing me around like a sock puppet. I was partly impressed, as was her crowd of friends. That class was turning my boring sister into a skilled fighter! Wow! Then I realized she’d busted my knee open on the court. Heh. But it was all in good fun. Hey, the scars fade, but the good memories will last forever. (Oliver, 2012-2017)
I got kicked out for being raped despite living the honor code perfectly. Months of PTSD therapy later, it’s still a problem. (Amanda, 2012-2016)
Too many embarrassing ones to share. My freshman year we spent two weeks collecting all the newspapers on campus. When our guy friends were out of their apartment, we snuck in, crumpled the papers, and filled their kitchen to the sealing with crumpled newspaper. It was epic and everyone was talking about it for weeks. (Erin, 2012-2016)
I almost got hit by psycho motorists cycling to school daily. (Danny, 2012-2015)
Seeing President Monson and Mitt Romney talk at BYU. (Tanner, 2012-2015)
Winning an intramural championship shirt for wallyball (it’s an actual sport look it up, haha). (Anonymous, 2010-2018)
Listen in on other people’s conversations. That’s where the real humor is at BYU. I am not making this up. (B., 2010-2015)
We used to snowboard on campus on different hills. Never got caught. (Anonymous, 2010-2015)
My apocalyptic film class was at once hilarious, fascinating and educational. (Christina, 2010-2014)
One day during my junior year, a group of us played Sardines on the second floor (one floor below ground level) of the HFAC. When it was my turn to hide, I decided to camp out in the elevator in the far southwest corner of the building. It took some people forever to locate me! Best hiding spot ever! I just sat there and rode the elevator up and down, waiting for my fellow players to find and join me. It was entertaining to see the look on the faces of people not playing the game when the doors opened and they saw half a dozen of us bunched together in the corner, giggling like kindergarteners. It was SO fun. (Kristine, 2010-2014)
They have so many good dances and activities; I LOVED the 1940’s valentine’s dinner and dance in February. As well as the Hunger Banquet in April! (Jenna, 2009-2016)
Playing rugby. (Chanel, 2009-2014)
We played a “clue” date night where we hid clues around campus and had couples go find them and prove they were there by following whatever was on the clue – then they got the next clue verbally. It was loads of fun and people found new places on campus. (Steph, 2008-2014)
I was almost attacked coming home late at night. Use the buddy system, and don’t stay out too late. (Kelsey, 2008-2012)
Funny, I always speak Spanish, thinking nobody understood, with my Latino friends, and some gringuito will understand because of serving in our countries. (Valeria, 2008/2011)
We played “cops and robbers” on campus at night one summer. Half of us were cops and the other half were robbers. You had to catch the robbers, but the fun twist was you had to avoid campus security too. (Samantha W., 2007-2012)
My first date with my wife was at Wyview Apartments, to a ward talent show. I played a CD of me singing “Battle Hymn of The Republic” on four parts, while I walked on my hands. Afterwards we took turns playing piano in a music room. My “talent” for our first date is still embarrassing to think about. 🙂 People like me, at BYU, can be peculiar sometimes! (Alex B., 2006-2013)
We stayed all night in the HFAC one night. (Landon, 2004-2009)