Hello. This post is long overdue.  I really don’t have any justifiable excuses because everyone’s feeling overwhelmed but there is always time to write, just as there’s time to make a phone call to your mom and just like you have time to do your readings for your next class… Which, I am for sure still figuring out how to manage my time so I can do all of those things throughout my week.

Thus brings me to the topic of my post! Now, I originally said I was gonna post about entertainment in Vancouver and the music scene but then after the first couple of weeks my funds I had saved throughout the summer have depleted for various reasons** so, I currently don’t have the money to do things even if I wanted to and as for concerts go, Vancouver is strange and if you’re not 19 you can’t see a lot of shows which is unfortunate.

So yes! This post is going to be about the things I learned this month and what it has been like moving across the country. It’s about to get lengthy and very real ya’ll.

1. It is okay to feel sad and lonely. It is also okay to want to be alone sometimes. The first couple of weeks I didn’t feel so homesick. I figured I would be fine since I have family here and I can Skype my friends and family and it would be okay. And then I wasn’t seeing my family as much as I could be and friends were posting snapchats together back home and I realized I absolutely did not have the luxury to surprise visit my family back at home like other people did. So I felt sad and I felt lonely being the only one far away from everyone. That is okay. The shift from living at home and seeing your friends in school everyday to moving away and moving onto a higher education can be a lot more overwhelming than you think and it creeps up on you. It is absolutely okay to take time to yourself, to reflect on what changes have occurred and withdraw for a bit. I believe this because when I get overwhelmed by life, I have a crippling sense of uncertainty about everything and it makes me feel like everything is falling apart. I am aware that this can’t be fun for my new friends so I tend to withdraw until it eases and I have things in control. However, This isn’t always best for some people! If you’re comfortable talking to a friend about your troubles adjusting, then do it. Chances are, they could be feeling the same thing and the two of you could work on it together… and maybe you just need to know that you’re not the only one to feel a bit better.
2. Call your mom, dad and never forget the sibling! This one is very important. Call your family! It is understandable why you need to call your parents and grandparents. They are key supporters in your academics and also pretty key in your financial life until you have your life together and can support yourself. So keep them updated. As for the siblings, I personally found this one harder to do. I think if you’re an older sibling, you assume that they will be too preoccupied to miss you that much or something along those lines but its definitely not true. They probably have it the hardest because in most cases, you probably saw them more than you saw your parents or your friends and now you don’t see them at all. Make sure you Skype/call/text them on a regular basis. I can’t put the emotion into words right now but it is important. It is okay to forget sometimes, it can be troubling due to the time difference but keep on it.
3. Try and make at least one friend in your lectures (those big and scary ones with 150 people with mostly upper years). I am a pretty shy person but honestly this is also very important. Knowing at least one person in those big classes can really change the whole mood of the class. It will make you more motivated, it will make the class less boring (especially when you have someone to catch your sarcastic remarks or dramatic facial expressions in response to the prof) AND I think  a huge benefit of learning how to introduce yourself is that you eventually get better at it and it becomes less of a chore.
4. Make lots of lists! This one is primarily for people who are pretty good at time management but it is equally as useful for those who aren’t. With everything going on and all the social outings happening, it is so easy to forget your responsibilities especially since you don’t have people telling you what to do (Ah, Freedom). Everything is done on your own time or not at all. I love making lists because it is visual and its so satisfying crossing things out and feeling like you’ve accomplished a lot in your day. Here is a really good link (and blog in general) that talks about study techniques and student related stuff.  This one specifically talks about how to plan your day and get ish done. He can be a little harsh but he definitely speaks the truth.
5. If you are trying something new this year and you’re not feeling confident about it… Don’t give up! Everyone’s situation is different. I am currently taking Intensive Japanese (little miss perfectionist over here wanted to go all in to make sure she’s fluent in the end and she’s not very patients smh) And in the class there are people who seem to grasp it way easier than me and it makes me kind of sad and less confident about my progress. But everyone learns at their own speed of course but everyone has the same potential. If you’re taking a class that is very intensive and you are worried about your progress you can do several things. A) link up with a friend or someone who is strong in that subject, bring them some blue chip cookies or work something out and practice with someone. B) take advantage of your prof’s or TA’s office hours! I rarely ever did this in high school until senior year but as you know there are a ton of benefits to getting to know your prof and if you’re not getting something, definitely go see them before its too late. C) Review your lessons on the daily. This is pretty important and is proven to be a success among many. And if you can’t do it daily, then do it weekly. Just make sure you’re putting in the time and effort required, otherwise you have nobody to blame but yourself…

So those are the “heavy” parts of what I have learned this month.

The following are some tips and discoveries specific to the Vancouver campus.

• you should get a bike
• there’s no such thing as short cuts here
• you most definitely should get a bike
• point grill is the best
• although it is extremely tempting try not to order dominoes too much, your flex will run out fast
• the waffle caffe tho…
• nothing good happens on wreck after midnight (this is just personal experience)
• make your best use of the water bottle filling stations!! (!!!)
• there are tons of nooks and crannies in the nest that are perfect for studying
• look at the mountains every once in a while
• massage your feet so they don’t cramp up from walking all the time (DOES THIS HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE??)
• blue.chip.cookies. (@uppercase)(they are so good)
• Vancouver transit is terrible. (fight me)
• if you ever get really drunk and end up smashing your phone( ☑) iRevive does a good job, they come to you and take less than half an hour.

That is all for now. First year so far has been great and I have met so many amazing individuals that are actively inspiring me and making my life more rich. I am very happy to have this experience. Feel free comment or leave a little message if you have any thoughts or disagreements or anything at all. Much love and as promised, here is my song for the month: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSkZZfANxsY

https://soundcloud.com/takugotbeats/gallant-weight-in-gold-ta-ku-remix

(and a second one cause Im feeling good right now. not sure why I always lean towards ta-ku remixes and songs but… hey they good af)

**FUTURE FIRST YEARS reading this post, this is for you. You’re gonna wanna make some friends for sure and one really good way is to pitch in for alcohol!! But like, know when to chill. You will come very clutch to your new friends but it gets expensive. Don’t be TOO nice and make sure you have money left over to buy the things you need like a stapler. or some air freshers. and laundry money.