20 Signs You Go To BYU Idaho In The Town Of Rexburg
BYU-Idaho is a very unique school in a small Idaho town, and I should give some background on it before we delve into the list. This is a private university owned and run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aka the Mormons. So things you would see on most college campuses you will not see here. There are no keg parties, no co-ed housing, you can’t wear shorts, tank tops, or flip flops on campus, and on Sunday everyone is in church. It is a very conservative university, and it’s actually really nice. You know that no shenanigans will ever happen and that everyone is on the same page. So it’s not exciting in the traditional college sense, but we still know how to have fun. And here are 10 signs you go to BYU Idaho.
McMidnight
If you go to BYU-I then you have most likely been to McMidnight. McMidnight is the Sunday night activity in Rexburg where the students descend upon the two McDonald’s in town and they turn into nightclubs. It is a super fun thing to do with your friends and roommates, and it kind of a right of passage. This is one of the signs you go to BYU Idaho!
R Mountain
Hiking R-Mountain is totally a right of passage for any incoming freshman, or if you’re like me you didn’t hike it until junior year. It is a pretty easy hike and a really fun thing to do with friends. You’ll also have great views of the local temple and the surrounding towns from the summit. Totally a way to tell you go, or went, to BYU-I.
Bridge Jumping
After a long week of finals during Spring Semester (which runs from April to July), or really anytime in the semester, students like to jump off of bridges into deep spots in local rivers. The two best spots are Fun Farm Bridge and Monkey Rock. It is super fun, and stress relieving! Just be careful when telling your friends that you’re doing that, they may get very worried about. Totally a BYU-I activity and one of the other signs you go to BYU Idaho!
(This is Fun Farm bridge)
Yellowstone National Park
This is something that really anyone who has lived in Idaho has most likely done. Yellowstone National Park is pretty darn close to campus actually, it’s only an hour and a half drive north (which for this part of the world is pretty close). And in April there is Free National Park Day, so you’ll probably see a lot of students there that day.
Met and married within 6 months
Mormons revere families and start them pretty young, and that all starts in college. And if you ask a lot of couples how long it was from meeting to marriage it’s probably around 6 months. We move quickly in the relationship department. The school has the nickname, “The BYU-I Do”.
Got Engaged at The Gardens or Mesa Falls
In keeping with the last point, let’s talk about the engagement. A lot of my married friends had the question popped to them in either the on-campus gardens (which are absolutely gorgeous) or at Mesa Falls, which is a set of waterfalls about 45 minutes north of campus. These are the classic engagement places for anyone who goes/went to BYU-I.
(One of the gardens at the school)
(This is Mesa Falls)
Karie-Anne’s
This is a summer staple in Rexburg. It’s a bright yellow trailer (very hard to miss) off of the main road in town, and at night the place is hopping! The lines can reach back to the street and then curve around. So be prepared to wait for a while. But I can say from a ton of first-hand experience that it is so worth the wait. This is a great activity to do with friends, or as a more casual date. This is totally a BYU-I summer staple. Check it out!
(This is their awesome little trailer)
Hot Springs
This is the big weekend activity here at BYU-I. The campus is situated in between 3 pretty nice hot springs. There is Green Canyon, which is about 30 minutes east of campus, Goldbug, which is about a 3.5-hour drive west of campus but totally worth it, and then there is Lava Hot Springs, which is the best around and about an hour and 45 minutes southeast of campus. This is a great activity during any semester. This is one of the most fun signs you go to BYU Idaho!
(This is an aerial view of Lava Hot Springs)
The Escape House
Oh, the escape house. A great group date activity! And chances are if you went to BYU-I, you went on at least one date there yourself. It’s a super fun activity where you and your friends/dates are stuck in a room for an hour and have to get out. Each room has a different story and different set-ups. And you follow all of the clues and have to get out before the timer stops. Super fun, and super Rexburg. This is yet another one of the signs you go to BYU Idaho if you have gone to this place.
(This is their logo)
Sand Dunes
The sand dunes. This is just as much of a right of passage as R Mountain is. And this is something that you can do all year round. In the Fall and Spring, you can have pallet fires and have fun playing in the sand. Pallet fires are way more awesome than just your run of the mill bonfire. And in the winter you can go sledding down the snow-covered dunes. This is something that I would guarantee that every student has done. This is a BYU-Idaho activity staple and it is one of the signs you go to BYU Idaho if you recognize this!
So if you are planning on attending school here, or are here and don’t really know what there is to do, I hope this is helpful.
