Category Archives: Involvement

#lablife: getting involved with UBC research

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Many students who seek out research positions will quickly realize the catch-22 of undergraduate research: you need lab experience in order to get lab experience. This can be frustrating to encounter this roadblock, especially when you want to try lab work in order to decide if grad school or a career in academia is for you. However, once you get that first research opportunity, doors will start to open for you. You just need to get through the hard part.

I’ve been involved quite a bit with research over my years at UBC. Last week, I started my first co-op term at the UBC Life Sciences Institute. My project over the next eight months is going to involve characterizing genes newly implicated in pancreatic beta cell development (although for the past week, as expected, I’ve mainly been doing reading on pancreas organogenesis). This is my third research position so far in my undergrad – the summer after first year I had a summer studentship in a stem cell research lab at the University of Toronto, and last summer I had a part-time UBC Work Learn position at the Child and Family Research Institute (CFRI). All of them have been excellent learning experiences and I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to get some research experience throughout my degree!

Below are a few ways to get research positions at UBC. Keep in mind I am by no means an expert on UBC research, and there are definitely more opportunities available out there. Also, this post is mainly geared towards undergraduate life sciences students – research opportunities in other disciplines may vary.

Work Learn 

What it is: Work Learn jobs are paid, part-time positions (~10-20 hours per week) available to current UBC students. If you are a Work Learn student, especially in a biomedical lab, you should expect to be doing a lot of laboratory maintenance work – cleaning glassware, defrosting fridges, making dilutions, etc. Many supervisors will also have you work on a small project on the size. For example, when I was a Work Learn student at CFRI I looked at the epigenetics of neural tube defects as a part of a PhD student’s thesis project.

How to apply:Look for jobs postings on the UBC Careers website. Work Learn positions usually come out before the start of each Winter and Summer session.

Summer Studentships

What it is: Many different universities and research institutes offer summer studentships for undergrads, allowing students to spend the summer working on a specific, pre-determined project. These tend to be extremely competitive, as most are open to applicants from universities across Canada, and some require you to have a supervisor chosen prior to application. That being said, if you have prior experience working in a lab and strong grades, you can potentially be a good candidate for one of these placements.

How to apply: There are a ton of different studentships out there, all of which have their own application process. A couple examples are the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum summer program (which I was a part of in 2012) and the CFRI Summer Studentship. Do a little bit of digging around on various university websites and see if you can find one that interests you! Applications and decisions usually happen early (by January most positions have been filled) so start looking into it early.

Co-op

What it is: Co-op is paid work experience in your field of study. For up to 4 four-month academic terms, you work a job full time, almost like a real adult, but with all the perks of still being a student (like a U-Pass). The co-op office maintains an online database of jobs to which students are able to apply. Although they do not guarantee that you will get a job through the co-op program, their advisors provide a lot of guidance and resources to help make you the strongest applicant possible. Life science co-op students tend to work either in research or in industry. If you have no prior research experience you probably won’t be able to get your dream placement right off the bat, but your second or third placement will give you more selection. Also, keep in mind that co-op will extend your degree by one year.

How to apply: The timeline for co-op applications varies depending on your program. In order to apply, you must meet minimum academic requirements and submit a resume and cover letter. Co-op also is not available for every major. For more information on the timelines and specific requirements, see the Science Co-op website (or the co-op website for your faculty).

Directed Studies

What it is: Gain three academic credits by taking on a research project under a UBC professor. It is a course, so you get assigned a grade, typically based on a paper you submit summarizing your research. Directed Studies is an unpaid position – in fact, you’ll actually be paying for it, since you . This is a great way to get some initial lab experience, or just take on more ownership over a particular project. You will also get some experience in scientific writing when you submit your final paper.

How to apply: You need to find a supervisor to take you on (usually through personal connections or some Googling), then complete the Directed Studies application form for your specific major. You also need to register in the Directed Studies course on the SSC.

Honours

What is it: As an honours student, you take on six-credit senior thesis project in your area of study. This usually happens in your final year of study, and it is generally up to you to find your own supervisor. You will need to write a thesis and defend your thesis to a committee of UBC academics.

How to apply: In order to be in an Honours program in the Faculty of Science, you must take a full course load each year and maintain a minimum of 75% standing. You can usually apply to the Honours program following your second year of study. To view all the degree requirements for Honours, see the UBC Calendar.

These are only a few ways of getting involved with research in the biological sciences. If you are looking to find out more, there are many great resources such as the Undergraduate Research Opportunities club, SciTeam’s annual Get Into Research event, and the Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference (MURC). If you know of any other ways to get involved with research, particularly in other disciplines, please post them in the comments below!

 

A Face in the Crowd

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For the last couple of days, I’ve been thinking. (I know, an abnormal occurrence at a university.) On Saturday I attended the March Welcome Event for MUG Leaders, and there were two things that happened that made me reflect on how I’ve been spending my time at UBC. The first was when one of the coordinators said: “Think back to August before you came to UBC. What were you excited about? What were you afraid of?” The second one was re-watching old Imagine Day pep rally videos.

These things reminded me of when I entered UBC: inspired and wanting to pack each day as full as I could with new experiences so I could really make this amazing campus mine, and so that I would be someone who was a part of UBC, not just a face in the crowd. I think I did a pretty good job of that last year; I attended lots of events, got pretty involved, met lots of people, did lots of exploring, and really delved into my studies. It was easier then, though; I lived on campus and everything was right outside my bedroom door.

Now, in my second year, though I practically am still living on campus, not living in residence can make it more of a challenge to be involved and become part of a community on campus. The beginning of the year was new and exciting, with new courses, and living in a new situation and responsibilities to learn to navigate. However, this year I feel like I settled in after a while. I didn’t go to as many events, and though I am involved in a couple of clubs and am continuing to blog, I didn’t take on anything really new and I’ve spent way less time exploring campus. I’ve become a little bit of a commuter student who wants to get home as soon as possible.

I recognize that I am an introverted person and that being the next chair of the SLC is not something that I would enjoy, but next year I resolve to try at least one new thing. Whether it’s a volunteering position or a new club (sailing sounds interesting?) or a work-study position, I want to do something more to be part of my university. After all, I’ve only got two more years left!

I realize that it’s a bit late for me to do much this year, but I have taken the step of running for (and winning) the position of treasurer of the Knitting and Sewing Club. It’s a fairly small club so I don’t think it should take so much time that I can’t get involved in other activities, but it’ll be one more thing I’m actively involved in.

For the remaining month or so before summer, I’ll be heading over to our campus’s lovely gardens – the Nitobe and Botanical Gardens! I’m particularly excited for the Botanical Garden – the rhododendrons are blooming and they’re my favourite flower 🙂 And maybe in between exams I’ll find some time to explore Vancouver, as well. I still haven’t done the Grouse Grind or the Capilano Suspension Bridge! Samantha, time to get your butt in gear!

Sometimes I rap about Storm on the Internet

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Photo by Carter Brundage, UBC REC Media

I know, I’ve been notably absent from the blogosphere this term. This semester has been particularly crazy for me, and between balancing all my involvements and my crazy intense course load, there has not been much time for blogging. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I am going to try and pick it up in the last few weeks of class, giving a rundown of the highlights of this past term and offering some hopefully useful information for prospective students during this exciting time.

One of the involvements that has been taking up all my time lately has been my Assistant Director position with UBC REC. I had wanted to be a part of REC since first year, but did not end up applying at first because of the demand of SLC and RezLife. But when some spots opened up at the beginning of this term, I jumped at the opportunity and found myself sporting a spiffy green REC raincoat around campus. I’m now a part of The Point, REC’s online magazine (you should read it and stuff. It’s pretty good).

This is a particularly exciting time to be a part of REC: Storm the Wall is happening this week. As the largest intramural event in Canada and one of the Ubyssey’s 93 Things to Do Before You Graduate, this is a mandatory event for your the UBC bucket list. Here is a video of me and my director, Jill, rapping about Storm. We’re kinda stoked. You should be too.

If you want to catch the action, the wall-storming will be happening in the North Plaza by the SUB. Not on campus? Fear not, you can watch Storm LIVE all week on The Point’s Storm social page! I storm the wall at 11:20 tomorrow (provided my team can find a sprinter ). Hope to see you there!

I’ll be a MUG Leader Next Year!

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I opened my email Friday afternoon, saw the subject line pop up in my inbox and hurriedly scrolled down the message to see

“Congratulations! 

We believe that you would be an excellent addition to our program this year, and we would like to offer you the position of:

Music MUG Leader”

Yay!

In two weeks I’ll get to attend a “March Welcome Event” and meet my fellow MUG Leaders, and I’m sure it’ll be one of those fun and spirited days that become one of your UBC experiences you’ll always remember. I’m looking forward to it!

I’m super pumped for next year’s Imagine Day already. This past year, I wasn’t a MUG Leader, so I kind of wandered around campus, feeling the energy of the day but not directly being a part of it, and I kind of regretted not applying to be a MUG Leader last spring. But next year will be different! I’m already excited to meet new music students and get to know them a bit and be a part of their first year (first day, even) at UBC.

I remember Imagine Day as being incredibly energized and inspiring, and the first day that I really felt as though I belonged on this campus. If I can be part of that again, and also create that experience for someone else, you can count me in!

Saving the planet, one shower at a time

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I feel like I’m in the 1800s, writing a letter with quill by candlelight. That’s how little light I am using to read my EOSC 114 textbook right now.

Why am I putting myself and my poor, squinting eyes through this?

The answer: Do It In The Dark.

No, this isn’t the punchline to a dirty joke (although if you can turn it into one, more power to you). Every year, all the houses in Totem Park and Place Vanier participate in a residence-wide energy-saving competition. We compete against other residence areas in UBC as well as over 39 other universities and colleges to reduce your electricity and water consumption as much as possible. In return, you get cool stuff and the bragging rights of being the most sustainable residence building.

Kwak has been slacking a little on the DIITD front so far, but today I badgered everyone to take the stairs, turn off the lights in the bathrooms, and air dry their laundry (I followed my own advice – every surface in my room is currently covered in drying clothes). I also put up these super cool 5-minute mini hourglass timers to help people reduce their shower times. One Salish RA has gotten his shower down to 30 seconds, so try and beat his record y’all.

Why go to all this trouble? In case you haven’t heard, UBC is huge on sustainability. Not only did it coin the phrase “ecological footprint” and build the greenest building in North America–UBC offers 30 degree programs related to sustainability and tons of classes with a sustainable focus. Plus, frequent events like DIITD are especially great because they help students to become more conscious of their energy usage and think about the global impact their actions can have. Which is pretty cool, if you ask me (and you obviously do, since you’re reading my blog right now).

Want to learn more about sustainability initiatives at UBC? Check out the Sustainability website. Also, if you’re a current student interested in sustainability issues, you should think about getting involved with Common Energy or the Sustainability Ambassadors Peer Program. And if not, at the very least turn off the light when you’re done in the bathroom (I’m looking at you, Kwak 6th ladies!).

The Value of Involvement

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This afternoon I had the pleasure of being part of a workshop brainstorming ideas about how UBC should organize its approach to getting more students involved on campus. A lot of great discussion was had, and I really want to comment here on how different kinds of involvement are valued.

First of all, I think it’s important to broaden what we define as “involvement.” Yes, starting your own club or heading a committee is an involvement, a huge one, but sometimes it can feel like if you aren’t doing a BIG thing, it doesn’t count.  Something like going to one of the gardens on campus, seeing a play, attending an event, or just showing up for a recreational club meeting (you don’t have to be on the exec!) all count, in my books.  There is a broad spectrum of depth of involvement, ie. how much time and commitment an activity takes, but all should be counted and valued equally.  For example, someone commuting and taking six courses is probably not going to have the same amount of time to spend doing extracurriculars as someone taking three courses and living on campus. If the six-course commuter gets involved by attending the occasional AMS event or club meeting, there is nothing “less” about that in any way than the three-course rezzie being an SLC co-chair. They’re just different experiences, and both are important.

Secondly, the type of activity one is involved with can sometimes vary in value.  I am going to use myself as an example this time: personally, committees tend to drive me nuts, and while I commend those who love charity work, it’s just not for me. My life can be a hell sometimes, and I want involvement to be an escape from that, just to be fun. To be a place where I make/be with friends. I want to help myself. If that’s selfish, well, quite frankly I think that’s a rude label because all human beings are selfish at some time, so excuse me for being selfish. So I joined knitting club. Now personally, I don’t think that joining a recreational club should be any “less” than say, joining a club that fundraises for cancer research, or being a residence advisor (also not my thing).  Wanting to get involved for the sake of finding your “people” or your “home”, or just purely to have fun, does not make you a worse person, or a less important person, than someone getting involved to give back to the community or hone a skill set.

The main thing I’d like to see more of, I suppose, is all involvement in its myriad forms to be recognized equally.

Overinvolved Student Problems

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Every year since second year of university, this process always happens to me. Every. Freaking. Year. Let me explain through the magic of gifs:

1. Classes are so interesting! Way better than what I was learning last term.

2. So much free time. I should join a bajillion clubs on Clubs Day.

3. After joining a bajillion clubs and forking a lot of money to said clubs.

4. I’m so inspired to do more for other people and the community. I should apply for a position or two (or three…or four…).

5. Damn, so excited to be [insert position title] at [insert organization name] doing [insert job description]!

6. Repeat #5 2-4 times.

7. Proceed to spending all my free time doing #5 and #6.

8. Ehmegawd kill me now, I have no time.

9. Commit seppuku.

As time progresses, I’ve discovered this is what is called “Student Leader Problems.” Don’t believe me? There’s a Twitter account for that.

Now after 3 years of university, I’ve discovered what I am truly passionate about instead of doing random things because it peeks my interest just a tiny bit. Now I’ve broadened to organizations outside of UBC and they are even more exciting and incredible than the ones on campus.

So far my involvement schedule includes:

  • Two jobs: Hollister and the English Language Institute. Both of are awesome jobs and I’m really glad I’m working with great people.
  • 5 courses: 4 psychology and 1 business.
  • Involved with a few school clubs, like CVC and Right to Play.
  • 1 volunteer opportunity that is in the works, but one that I am so passionate about. I’ll blog about it as soon as I get it secured.
  • A mentorship/connectorship program with the Burnaby Board of Trade.
  • Dragonboating with Dragon Heart. So addicting, it’s crazy.

And things were going great…

Until I found out I had 9 midterms, 5 finals, and 3 papers.

At first I was like

Then I was like

And then this happened

And this is me now

That’s a total of 14 exams this semester. I’ve had midterms since late September and they last until mid-November, not to mention having 2 midterms and a paper on the same day and 2 finals on the same day. I’m just on the edge of my seat every day and my Google calendar looks a rainbow threw up on it.

The good thing about this, and this took me awhile to figure out because it felt like hell at the beginning, is that I’ve learned that I don’t procrastinate as much. Truth be told, I don’t have time to procrastinate. It’s not that I’m super efficient now, but I’ve learned to manage my time better.

Here are some tips that I’ve been doing that have pretty pretty effective:

  1. Know your limit.
    Although I would love to be working a lot with international students while making some sweet money too, I know that school is more important at this point. The first thing I did when I noticed I was falling behind was cutting back my hours at work. Then I was able to study and do homework in between classes instead of staying up until 3 in the morning. Don’t overexert yourself.
  2. Use a calendar.
    I can’t stress this enough: as much as you think you can fit you can organize your life like an Ikea catalogue in your head, it’s so much easier when it’s laid out in front of you. At first it’s stressful seeing all that you have to do, but it’s the first step to success. Then you can arrange meetings in between classes or reschedule appointments until you have a break in between exams or papers.
  3. Don’t be a party animal.
    As much as I’d love to go to all the cool events happening around me, I really can’t. I pick and choose things I find I absolutely want to go to and leave behind things that aren’t as important. It’s a hard thing to do because all your friends are going, but you have to value what you think is most important. For me, that’s school right now. Plus, you get to save some money from conference fees, entry fees, and booze money.

To everyone who’s having similar to problems or just time management in general, how do you manage it all? I’d love to hear how you are being awesome and how you deal with it. Please leave a comment below and share some ideas!

This blog post is inspired by #whatweshouldcallubc and if it not for the genius behind that blog, I would not be able to complete this post. I have no idea what ninja skills he/she has to find all these gifs. *slow applause*

Midterm Prep: The Campbell Method

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Last night I had the dreaded CHEM 233 midterm. If you’re in science at UBC, you have probably hears the rumours about this evil course. So what did I do to prepare? Here’s a rundown of my week leading up to the midterm:

5 days before: Did some textbook problems at Blenz in between Longboat races. Blenz Belgian milk hot chocolate helps soothe the pain.

4 days before: Initiated hardcore study mode. Killed a small forest with the amount of paper I used for practice problems. Completed online acid/base assignment. Aced it.

3 days before: Switched my Monday workout to the morning so I could use my midday break for work. Studied in the Harry Potter room while the presidents of UBC looked down on me in approval. Had a zombie apocalypse social with the rest of the Totem RAs in the evening.

48 hours before: Took a study break to watch talented Totem residents rock the Totem Coffee House. Highlights included QLXN’s Liam playing the hits of the 90s on the bassoon.

36 hours before: Visited my chem prof’s office hours. Spent so much time in the Law Library that people are beginning to wonder if I live there. Bernouilli’s Bagels and coffee are my only forms of sustenance.

24 hours before: Study session in Swing with fellow science student and generally awesome dude, Aaron. Spent most of the time jamming to Kanye and speaking to each other in German accents.

12 hours before: Crammed for a forgotten biology unit test while shoveling eggs into my mouth at breakfast.

8 hours before: Did some practice midterms. Reassured myself that I do, in fact, kind of know what I’m doing.

5 hours before: Chemistry class time. Tried to ignore the looks of intense panic on my classmates’ faces.

3 hours before: Realized that I am incapable of cramming any more knowledge into my brain. Went running up and down the Wreck Beach stairs instead.

90 minutes before: Headed to the Totem caf with fellow RAs and CHEM 233 students. Ate a grilled cheese sandwich and sweet potato soup (comfort food is a must). Made science puns to lighten the mood.

30 minutes before: Began the trek to the Chemistry building. Listened to pre-exam pump up music (“Til I Collapse” by Eminem always gets me in the zone).

10 minutes before: Descended into the toasty warm dungeon of CHEM B150. Found a spot in the middle of the room right next to Melinda for moral support.

5 minutes before: Started to bubble in my information on the Scantron. Watched the clock creep closer to 7 PM. Tried not to be freaked out by how thick the midterm felt.

1 minute before: Deep breath. Let’s do this.

After: Breathed a sigh of relief. Shook off the feelings that it didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. Headed to a friend’s place in Dunbar for celebratory margaritas.

Could I have done more to prepare? Definitely. But while I may not have gotten a perfect score, I still had a pretty good week. I managed to exercise, fulfill my extracurricular responsibilities, spend time with friends, and paddle around Jericho Beach while still studying my butt off. Balance is the key to making the most out of university (although we’ll see if I am singing a different tune once I get my score back). Happy studying!

Long live Longboat

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Freezing cold water? Kwak 6th isn’t scared.

One of UBC Rec’s signature (and super fun) events, Day of the Longboat, went down over the weekend.

In first year residence, it’s pretty much tradition to make a team with your floor, head down to Jericho Beach together, and paddle your little arms off in longboats. Last year, not enough people signed up on my floor so I didn’t get to participate, so this year I was on two teams to make up for it: one with my residents and one with my KU friends.

Did I spend enough time studying for my organic chemistry midterm on Thursday? Probably not. But I had an absolutely amazing time (my floor’s team even came first in our heat!) so I say say it was worth it. Also, a team from Totem took the campus-wide Longboat crowd. Represent, yo.

UBC Rec has tons of absolutely amazing events throughout the year. Longboat and Storm the Wall are the most well-known, but there are other super cool ones like The Chase which is happening next Friday (I have a midterm, but you should do it so I can live vicariously through you). Just another of the many things that makes UBC amazing.

If you want to see the magic of Longboat firsthand, check out last year’s Longboat wrap-up video:

PS: I apologize for my lack of posts since the start of term, and I promise this will be my return to the UBC blogosphere. I’m back, y’all.