Sarah Wilde
McKay Student Ambassador
Special Education (Severe Emphasis)
Majoring in education helps you grow into a better person. I have had so many perspective shifts from my various classes that I know will help me be a better student, community member, and friend. As you appreciate differences, manage your time well, take care of yourself, and be self-aware, you will grow into a better educator for your future students and a better person for those around you.
Appreciating Differences
As an educator, you will work with lots of different students with lots of different needs. My education classes have opened my mind to the idea that while something may help me learn, it may not help someone else. I have found that this doesn't just apply to the way we learn, it applies to the way we do everything! Everyone has different routines and habits.
If everyone did everything the same, the community wouldn't thrive. At the same time, if no one can work together, we would have the same problem. In the same ways I have learned to work with different types of learners, we must all work with different types of people in our day to day lives.
Time Management/Prioritizing
While education may seem like an easy major at first glance, the homework load is quite a bit! Add on the unpaid practicum or student teaching, and you barely have time for a job or social life. Especially during midterms and finals, it is important to prioritize your to-do list in the time you have.
And of course it wouldn't be the BYU experience without all the activities and social events! There's clubs, ward events, parties, and school events galore. Don't forget to take time for yourself to enjoy these activities. Homework is important, but so are you! For myself, I will try to plan when I work or do homework around my other, more fun, events. Over the past three-day weekend, I was going home to visit my family. I knew I didn't want to do homework when I was home, so I made sure to do all my homework earlier in the week. I wasn't able to attend certain other events that I would have usually gone to, but I was able to have a care free weekend! Pick what is important to you and do what you can to get there.
Self Care
Along those same lines, it is important to take care of yourself. I'm going to be honest, this is the one I struggle with the most. I have first hand experience of what happens when you push yourself super hard without taking time to take care of yourself. I have found that when I spend 12 hours on campus, I don't always make it to my 8:00 class the next morning. If you're not taking the time to make sure you get enough food, sleep, and mental rest, nothing on your to-do list will get done.
Some things I have tried to take care of myself are to take SWELL classes to get myself moving, take classes I enjoy such as band or ASL to socialize and grow skills outside my major, and meal planning/prepping on the weekends to help myself eat healthier.
Understanding of Self
The more classes I take, the more I get to know myself. I learn areas where I thrive and where I can grow. I've learned that I work better when I have someone else in the room or when I'm listening to instrumental music. When I understand these things about myself, I am better able to help myself to succeed. This doesn't just help me in my classes, but I am more productive in my calling, in my housework and in anything else I do!
You will learn to do all of these things as an education major. As you appreciate the differences of others, manage your time, take care of yourself, and seek to understand yourself better, you will be more successful in school and in every other part of your life.
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