A Student's Perspective: University Living

Hello Monroe! First, I just wanted to say that I hope everyone is safe and sound in the wake of Hurricane Irene. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that power is restored to the town and to you all as quickly as possible!

As for the long span of time since I wrote my last article, I left Monroe on the 12th of August and am currently residing in the Totem Park Residence, Shuswap House at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Needless to say, it's been a very hectic few weeks, but it's also been a great amount of fun and very informative as well. I absolutely miss being at home in Monroe, but I'm very honored and very excited to be studying and living here, and I'm looking forward to the challenges to come. For this entry, I'm going to focus in on orientation and my "first week" experience of living on campus.

I arrived in Vancouver early to attend an intensive two-week international orientation program called "Jump Start", along side a few hundred other students from every  corner of the globe. The program consisted of an introduction to living in Residence for the two-week span, and included about a dozen different lectures from various faculties on campus, workshops that covered financial, academic, and social aspects of living in Canada and at university, as well as different social events throughout the city and on campus. Also part of the program was a once-daily preparation class that reviewed strategies to succeed while at university, culminating with a large "TED Talks" group presentation on a given aspect of UBC's core mission to get a flair for what the collegial work ethic is like. We also were introduced to all the different clubs, services, and opportunities that UBC and the surrounding Vancouver community have to offer, which was a great resource to have before the start of classes. Overall, attending this orientation has really helped to pave a clearer path to how to succeed.

Of course, there were (and are) many things that I'm getting used to.The first hurdle that came up was with dorm style living. UBC has two 1st year Residences, Place Vanier and Totem Park. Both areas have about 10 to 15 buildings each with a Commonsblock in the center that has meeting areas and a cafeteria. Each of the buildings has a mixture between double, single, single connected with a bathroom, or single rooms with a single bathroom. For those who were not lucky enough to be placed in the two latter accommodations, we have a traditional shared bathroom. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does become problematic at some points. Case in point, my floor only has one toilet for the men and two for the women. We also only have two showers for the men spit between about 10-20 guys. There can be a lineup at times, but the key to remember is this: This is dorm living, not the Ritz. Students have survived on this campus in these dorms for nearly 50 years, so can everyone else (myself included.)

Second experience to get used to is the cafeteria. There is such a thing as the Freshman 15, and it's something that can be prevented by making some wiser choices. A good example would be dinner time. At Totem, we get a nice variety of options from salad, to soup, to entree dishes, and deserts. For some people, they choose to get the same thing every evening which usually consists of pasta, more pasta, a piece of bread, and maybe a slice of cheesecake. For obvious reasons, this is not healthy. Choose food wisely that covers basic nutrition (grains, dairy, fruits, veggies, meat, etc., and no, Ramen is not a food group.), even if it may be more expansive than less healthier options. That doesn't mean that you should go out and buy a salad every night, but be cautious about what you put in your body, because that is what will be fueling you at 12AM when you're cramming to write an essay that was left overdue.

While the whole focus of school is to learn, relationships and being social are equally as important. Being here for the first few days were daunting because you are in a foreign environment where there is not a friendly face to turn to. It can be depressing for a while, which is why you need to make that effort to find people to talk to. One day when I was eating in the cafe, I started into a conversation with a few people sitting next to me, and that group has become my core group of friends. We've "hung out" together, we usually eat together, and just by doing that and having those connections, it makes the transition to university life much smoother.

Here are some other important tips from my recent experiences:

Finances: Don't buy what you don't need. Common sense, right? Be wary of what is in your wallet, and if something looks tempting to buy, ask yourself if you really need it, if you can really afford it, and if there is a cheaper option or a cheaper store to buy it at.

Time Management: Waking up on time is important, as is being timely walking to class. if you know that your dorm is 20 minutes away from a class, budget your time wisely. Don't show up half way through the lecture or you might miss something important.

Corny Activities Aren't So Corny: You know those icebreaker games you play sometimes? In orientation, they become really useful, no matter how corny they are. You learn how to network with people, and you never know when that connection may help you in the future.

Transportation: UBC is a city unto itself. My faculty building (Buchanan) is about 20 minutes from where I'm living currently, and walking isn't always the fastest way. Bikes are much faster and much more convenient, especially if there are no buss routes to your building. Want to get off campus? Bus systems are great, especially if you have a transit pass. Trust me, even though I've been here for only two weeks, I need to get off campus sometimes for a change of scenery.

Crazy College Parties: Funny story. On the move out night when I was preparing to leave my first dorm room, there was a wild party thrown on my floor( if my parents are reading this, I DID NOT attend said party.) Alcohol was present, and the night ended up with three people in the hospital having their stomachs pumped. Sounds like fun right? If you're going to party, party with some sense.

Today I'm off to a second international orientation called "GALA", but I will certainly keep posting updates as the school year progresses!

Once again, stay safe everyone!