Parynaz

I know it’s a horrifying title for most, but we’re all either thinking it or trying not to think it. I think it’s always best to face the fact that finals are near at least a week before they begin. I know that some may scoff at that and claim that a week is too late, but I know many people who don’t even look at their final exam schedule until lectures end.

So why the fear? I’m assuming it’s fear, because no one is careless enough not to look at their final exam schedule so late. Unless, of course, they are those geniuses that don’t have to study for anything… which by the way I have not met any. The ‘smartest’ (in this case, smart = good grades, but obviously never in all cases) people that I’ve met at UBC study their butts off and are often the first ones to know when their final exam schedules are!

So this would lead to a suspicion that perhaps it really is fear. The fear to look at that last opportunity to get the grade we want in the course, which sometimes weighs a horrifying %50 or more towards our final grade. That’s quite a lot of pressure, obviously, but if there’s one thing that I’ve learnt in my time in University, it’s that it’s always best to look ahead. Always plan ahead, because being in university means that you’re constantly thinking about what you have to study, where to study, how to study, where to get help, etc. If you already feel overwhelmed, maybe because you’re morbidly behind in lectures, it’s not going to get better overnight. If you can’t catch up overnight and get rid of the overwhelmed feeling, then it’s probably not going to help to leave it to ‘tomorrow’ to look at what’s coming up.

So, if you HAVE planned for your finals, just breathe and remember that you’ve gotten through them before. If you haven’t gone through them before, YOU WILL. It will not feel like they will end during the everyday-study-seshs, but they go by pretty quickly and when you are done your last exam, you will probably come out like this:

 HAPPY STUDYING! Eat, sleep, & drinks lots of water.

I’m so incredibly glad that this video went basically viral in a day! Please watch it and share it’s really important!

I already knew quite a bit about the invisible children and Kony but this video really sheds some really interesting light on it. I’m extremely impressed with the man who made this video because it’s really clever the way he went about what he did.

This video and his message gets people’s attention because it draws people in with the incredible visual footage and inspiring narrative. However, the thing that really makes what he did is that he not only made people sad with a story about ‘people in need’, but he angers the audience, makes them want to do something about it, AND TELLS THEM HOW! This is such an important factor because so many people care, but have no idea how to help. I find watching documentaries or reading stories that open eyes are GOOD, however, after being angered and upset by the atrocities done around the world, one may become extremely overwhelmed with so much hate in the world and find no hope in changing anything alone.

So that’s why I think this video is really worth the watch and we should do it justice by at least passing it on

Here’s another one guys!! But this is actually cool and soo true and I’m sure all of us can relate:

And a follow-up to that I think this may also be relative:

If you’re interested come out to STAND UBC’s Panel discussion and learn about the issues concerning trade and aid in the newly formed country of South Sudan! If you have no idea what that meant, it’s okay because you can come out and learn about it! This year’s Panel will have a UBC professor, a representative from an NGO, a South Sudanese student and a Canadian politician.

For more info visit:

http://www.facebook.com/events/280874875299609/

Always good to know more!! It’s at 5:30 pm tomorrow (tuesday Jan 24th) at Irving’s Dodson Room

Finally, it snows in Vancouver. Personally I find it very pretty, because it’s not the thick traitorous snow of Saskatchewan, but a nice soft pillowy kind of snow (before it turns into mush of course). After living in Saskatchewan, with it’s approximately 6 months of snow, I find it incredibly cute when it snows in Vancouver. I adore the locals who use an umbrella when it’s snowing, because after all, as a Vancouverian it is our best defence against the weather is it not?

As funny it is, I totally understand and am not judging people in Vancouver who cannot handle the snow they receive here. I am originally from a warm climate country and I moved to Vancouver first, and then on to Saskatchewan. So I was a stranger to that kind of snow. I say ‘that kind of snow’ because it was a DIFFERENT kind of snow than I had ever known, fore it did not come down vertically, it flew horizontally and in whichever way it pleased. That kind of snow isn’t shy like Vancouver’s snow. It comes, awes everyone by looking fluffy and nice at first, then it stays and piles. Not to mention the ridiculous cold it brings with it (down to -50 degrees Celsius!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Now, I feel that I should mention how this kind of cold feels to a person like myself, a fellow Vancouverian. I think if it got down to -50 in Vancouver, it would feel ALOT colder than in does in Saskatchewan, because of the humidity in Vancouver vs. dry climate in Saskatchewan. However, this factor also adds to the strangeness of this kind of cold. First of all, in a weather of anywhere near -50, it’s best to just not go outside (which is what I did until I was forced to go to school… and yes btw the schools ALWAYS stay open). However, if you must, you cannot stay outside for more than a few minutes before going numb somewhere and potentially getting frostbite. No matter how many articles of clothing one may put on, the cold will hit you like thousands of sharp needles. More so, that awesome sharp-needle feeling is much more intense when felt in your nose as you breathe! Besides the amount of white everywhere, this was the most strange part of it for me, because the cold was literally in the air!

But yes, that is the kind of weather I had to endure for four years. And what I noticed about Saskatchewan and Vancouver, is that both are amazingly adapt to their regular climate. it doesn’t snow very often in Vancouver, and so understandably, it is not handled very well. However, it also does not rain very much in Saskatchewan so people don’t even own umbrellas and get soaked! Of course, most people in Vancouver will have an umbrella or two (or five..) handy. And those in Saskatchewan never leave their cars without the many devices needed to recharge a car (I’m seriously uneducated in car language) or pull someone out of the ditch (the former happened to me too many times and the latter twice). All in all, if you do use an umbrella when it snows, don’t feel bad, because it is the Vancouverian way

On another, less cold inducing, note… here’s a really funny video which I think many of us can relate to

I recently helped present a seminar at the Global Lounge called “Why do Soldiers Rape?” (represented by STAND and ACAC), which was basically about the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo bringing about an alarming rate of rape on women in the form of a ‘weapon of war’. Using rape as a weapon of war is not unusual, and rape in general is not unusual, however, the numbers are unusually out of hand. I won’t bombard you with statistics, but it’s so out of hand that the location has become the most unsafe place for women to be in the world. To get a sense of the situation, here is a moving documentary:

The seminar presented the point of view of the soldiers that rape and the point of view of the survivors of rape. It was a good seminar, followed by a discussion which got really intense. I’m glad I didn’t know what I was getting myself into because people picked out things I had actually mentioned and argued with it. I guess that was a really new experience for me because it felt good that they had listened to me speak and it mattered (unlike most class presentations, where you know half the class isn’t listening) even though they tore me down sometimes it still felt great that what I said created discussion!

The discussion itself was, of course, sensitive and informative. I learned a lot from other people’s points of view and overall people felt like they could express themselves I think. A few people were upset with the presentation itself, because of its focus on such a bad issue on one region of Africa. Almost as if presenting the issue in such a ‘this is terrible see?’ kind of manner shed a bad light on the Congo in general. I personally understand this, because rape as a weapon is not new and it doesn’t only happen in the Congo. No matter how true any issue is, it usually doesn’t shed a fair light as a whole, not just for the Congo but also for countries like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, etc. There are far worst things happening in other countries than in Africa, people suffer everywhere, but it also doesn’t represent the country, people, and their culture as a whole. Therefore, I would find it hard to also sit by and let people feed into such shallow perspectives of places. However, the point of this seminar was to educate and learn about the Congo and sexual violence against the women, because it cannot be denied that it is happening at an extremely high rate. The people who showed up, I would assume, wanted to learn, educate, and express their views as individuals who cared for this issue. That is why I think I would prefer having a room full of people concentrate on a specific issue in a specific place, because it’s better than having the issue ignored, but be reasonable and educated enough to know that this isn’t a new issue and that we don’t completely understand it.

On another note, as everyone knows it’s 11/11/11 tomorrow so have a good Remembrance Day and MAKE A SUPER WISH AT 11!

So, now that I’ve written my last midterm for a while (Bio 200. Hope everyone who wrote it did alright by the way!), I’m sitting in my room with that really awkward feeling I always end up having after studying hard for a while and finally having a break. I know, it’s really odd that it should be an awkward feeling, rather than an AMAZING feeling. It is amazing, but it’s an awkward kind of good feeling, because I just don’t know what to do with myself! When I study, there are a MILLION other things that I can think of doing and wish I could be doing, but when I don’t have to study I just feel like I’m in limbo. Perhaps the intense sudden freedom is just an unfamiliar feeling that my Uni-adjusted mind cannot fathom.

Sigh, but life isn’t all about studying (I hope) because besides studying and being holed up doing it all the time, I’ve had a few opportunities to look around and realize how amazing it is that I live at a University and all I do with my life is learn. As daunting as it may seem sometimes, it really is a tremendous privilege to be here, and I think it’s important to remember that once in a while.

Speaking of living at a University, remember to lock your doors! Or else an incredibly intoxicated person will end up in your kitchen asking you where his friend is at 12 a.m. on a wednesday, while you freak out and yell at him to get out. Just sayin’. Props to my friend at Marine who threw in a bit of a motherly lecture as she dealt with the boy: “You DON’T walk into people’s apartments!”

Gotta love res life!

Everyone has that place.  The place where we feel comfortable and motivated to study.  Or maybe it doesn’t matter where it is, it’s when it is.  I personally can’t seem to focus during the afternoons, and can’t study anywhere too noisy.  I’ve tried studying in a few places on/off campus and here is what I think of them:

In your room: Usually a disaster, because there’s your bed and there’s your books, which will you pick?

Living room: Basically sitting there giving off the impression that you want to socialize, so don’t be surprised when people try to socialize with you.

Coffee shop: Seems like a good idea at first, especially when you see all the other students pouring over their books and sipping their Waves Coffee inside.  But beware, just because you’re there to study, does not stop friends who haven’t seen each other in a while from catching up with very loud and excited voices that do not match your mood at all.  And you can’t tell them to be quiet, so be prepared to blast your music and suffer from ear damage.

The Sub: I always think of underground trains when I hear the sub, and ironically enough it’s not that far off because it’s LOUD.  This is definitely not a good place to study, unless you’re rushing to finish an assignment due in 5 minutes while you eat.

Irving: Ah, good old Irving K. Barber.  What a nice and warm place to gather with friends (or alone), and study your butt off during finals/midterms.  There are many amazing things about Irving.  It has a nice view, nice rolly chairs, big tables, computers, books you will not consider taking out until you have to for an assignment, and food downstairs! Not to mention that it’s at a very convenient location.  You may love Irving, you may hate irving, but no matter how you feel about it, you will go in there, stay way too long (either 12 hours… 3 weeks..), and get tired of it.

Koerner: In contrast to Irving, Koerner is the place to go for some (or a lot of) alone study time.  It’s got really nice personal tables, which give you lots of room to put your books and what not, and it isolates you in a very cubicle-like way.  As you make your way down the floors of the building, your isolation destination becomes more and more… isolated, until you get to the ‘dungeons’.  This is a great place to be if you want to cut off all contact with the world, because you will get no service here, there are no windows, and you can avoid seeing people buy hiding out in your cubicle table.  Koerner will be awesome at first, but eventually you will develop a distaste for the disorienting feeling of seeing the outside world after being in there for too long.

Woodward: This is the library that you either stumble upon while on an Alice adventure, have to find it to write a midterm/final/Bio 140, or by some other way because it’s hidden behind trees and not everyone realizes they are passing by it all the time. Once you enter Woodward to study, you may be irritated because there is a cafeteria type place and no room in it, so you might leave.  If you come back, you might be more adventurous and go into the library part and realize there’s more and more tables. Yipee.  Woodward is a neutral territory, I just personally don’t like to go all the way there =P

While walking to exam: You will not understand anything and risk harm to yourself and others.  Don’t do it!

I can’t really think of any other general places, but feel free to share!

I think this is going to become a trend in my blogs, but whatever.  On an irrelevant note, here’s a video I’d like to share.

“Little boys and little girls, when they’re seven years old, in equal numbers want to be the president of the united states when they grow up. But then you ask the same question when they’re fifteen, and you see this massive gap emerging.” 

Who’s the new freshman of Mount Royal University this year? The one and only former 12 year old convicted multiple murderer known as ‘Richardson’ (her name can’t be released because she was under fourteen when convicted), who is famously known for her online nickname ‘RunawayDevil’.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/mobile/iphone/story.html?id=5397884

I remember hearing this story in 2006 and being really disturbed because it happened in such close proximity to where I was living.  She and her 23 year old boyfriend had plotted to kill her family, motive being her frustration of their disapproved of her boyfriend.  She had told many of her friends that she was going to kill her family, but no one took her seriously (who would?) and they had one day decided to go through with their plan after watching a movie that inspired them.  It was all very romanticized, a ‘you jump, I jump’ and you’re-my-soul-mate-and-I’ll-do-anything-for-you type of inspiration.  After the murder of her parents and 8 year old brother in Medicine Hat, they ran away to Leader, Saskatchewan which was 20 minutes away from where I was living.

Since she was protected under youth protection laws, her name cannot be released to the public and after serving her time, she has enrolled in Mount Royal University in Alberta.  I’m only mentioning this because I know it was big news around the people that had heard the story in 2006, because this is the kind of story that gets etched in your memory and hearing that the leading role of the story is next door to you is a bit unsettling.  I don’t really have that much of an opinion on the story because I couldn’t even begin to understand what could drive someone to watch their own parents and little brother die so that they could live a more comfortable life.  It’s good to hear stories like this once in a while, because as depressing as they can be, they can really shed some light on what humans are capable of.

On a brighter note, I found this awesome video:

93 things to do before you graduate from UBC!!

GOOD LUCK!

Ah the joys and sorrows of being back in school again; how we all love and hate this time of year.  I personally feel like I’m really starting university this year, even though it’s my second year.  Last year went by in a complete blur and I had no idea what was going on and by the time I even began to catch up, it was over.  I had heard over and over again that university was going to be a different experience than I could imagine, that it was going to be challenging, that I would meet my future best friends, that I would not get the same grades that were so easily attained in high school, and that I should look forward to many long hours of studying.  What I didn’t know was that I wouldn’t actually understand any of those advices until it actually happened.

That’s why I’m completely fascinated by the first years this year. I almost feel their excitement to finally be grown up and in university.  I’m currently taking bio 121 which most first years are taking, and I was very amused at the way students looked at the kid who said something smart.  The ‘omg I’m in class with geniuses’ looks, because I remember feeling completely inadequate next to those kids.  I noticed in my first year that many students focus too hard on other people’s apparent abilities, rather than remembering that they are just as rightfully worthy to be among everyone else. It’s much healthier to compete with yourself than with others.

Taking first year’s experiences, I’m very excited to be starting my second year.  And I repeat, I’m excited.  Not nervous, confused, or scared.  I understand why all those older kids said ‘second year is easier, trust me’, because it really does get better when you know where you’re going, what to expect, know quite a lot of people, and know how to study. It takes a few strategies to figure the way it works best for you, but the number one advice for studying is to keep up! If you’re behind, don’t try to go back and start from the start if you don’t have time.  If you fall behind and miss something, go back to it while you keep up with the lecture.  I know it’s obvious, but a lot of people make this mistake because we’re all used to being the students who had everything covered. University is going to teach you so much it’s absolutely remarkable when you realize how much you have learnt by the end of each year.

On an irrelevant, but disturbing note I took an advanced first aid course at JIBC (Justice Institute of British Columbia) in New Westminster and on the day of my exam on September 7th, I read some very alarming news:

http://www.royalcityrecord.com/news/Westminster+JIBC+students+target/5365428/story.html

So as I was heading to JIBC, I read this article that stated that ten people, all of whom were in some way connected to the institute, were victims of arson, threats, and shootings.  When I went to the school, there were several reporters and it was quite obvious security had been increased.

Thank goodness I passed and left.