Category Archives: Fun

Winter Adventures

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Bright Nights Christmas Train in Stanley Park
When: December 5, 2013 – January 5, 2014
Cost: $6-$11

Travel over trestles and through tunnels on your two-kilometre winding journey through the forest. Appreciate nature from a relaxing seat on the Miniature Train, a replica of Canadian Pacific Railway #374, famous for pulling Canada’s first transcontinental passenger train into Vancouver in the late 1880s. The Miniature Train is one of Vancouver’s most popular attractions carrying more than 200,000 passengers per year. See the Miniature Train and Plaza sparkle this winter holiday season at Bright Nights in Stanley Park. Ride the train, watch animated displays and be dazzled by three million twinkling lights. Partial proceeds go to the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.

For more information visit: http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park-miniature-train.aspx

Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden
When: December 11, 2013 – January 4, 2014
Cost: $14.25

Get into the spirit of the holiday season at the 2013 Festival of Lights. The Festival of Lights is a magical experience for everyone with over a million twinkling lights covering Van Dusen Botanical Garden from 4:30pm to 9:00pm, every evening during the holiday season except on Christmas day (December 25).

For more information visit: http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/festival-of-lights.aspx

The Robson Square Ice Rink
When: November 15, 2013 at 1pm until the end of February 2014
Cost Skating is free and rentals are available for a cost of $4

Come down, lace up your skates and enjoy the rink. This winter, renew a classic Vancouver tradition and enjoy some old-fashioned fun. Come celebrate winter in style with free skating in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Enjoy the holidays with your friends, family and loved ones.

For more information visit: http://www.robsonsquare.com/ice-rink/

The Vancouver Christmas Market
When: November 22 – December 24, 2013
Cost: $3-$6

This is an annual can’t-miss Vancouver Christmas event!! More than just a craft fair, this authentic German Christmas Market creates the perfect atmosphere to mix and mingle with friends and family, strolling through romantic rows of little wooden huts decorated in pine branches and illuminated with strings of little white lights. In each hut discover food and drinks and a wonderful array of gifts.

For more information visit: http://vancouverchristmasmarket.com/about-vancouver-christmas-market.php

Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
When: November 20, 2013 – January 4, 2014
Cost: $25.95 for Students 17+ with I.D

Capilano Suspension Bridge’s annual holiday tradition Canyon Lights always adds sparkle to the holiday season. Canyon Lights is a must-see holiday event for all ages. You will be dazzled by thousands of magical lights twinkling across the Suspension Bridge, on the Cliffwalk and throughout the park.

For more information visit: http://www.capbridge.com/explore/canyon-lights/

The Whistler Holiday Experience
When: December 20 – January 5, 2014
Cost: Varies depending on activity

In addition to snowboarding and skiing, whistler’s annual holiday experience consists of a variety of events that will fill everyone’s hearts with Holiday spirit. Come out and enjoy the Peak 2 Peak Sightseeing, the Coca-Cola Tube Park, Skating with Santa, the exciting and free Fire and Ice Show or one of the many other unique activities offered.

For a full listing of activities offered visit: http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/events-and-activities/winter-activities/christmas-season-in-whistler.aspx

Grouse Mountain – The Peak of Christmas
When: November 23, 2013 – December 24, 2013

Sleigh bells ring, choirs sing! Grouse Mountain presents a magical celebration and a multitude of festivities. Come out and explore Santa’s Workshop and meet reindeer, or take a sleigh-ride through our mystical alpine forest. You can also experience the tranquil beauty of skating on our 8,000 square foot mountaintop Ice Skating Pond, surrounded by snow-topped trees. 

For full listing of activities offered visit: http://www.grousemountain.com/events/the-peak-of-christmas-2013 or call 604.980.9311 for more information and cost details

Cypress Mountain
When: December 2013 to April 2014

Cypress Mountain, the Official Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard Venue for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Located in West Vancouver, BC, Canada. Cypress is only 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver and is proud to continue to provide skiers, riders and sliders with the most vertical drop, most terrain, most lifts and best snow conditions on the highest skiing and riding peak of Vancouver’s Legendary North Shore Mountains.

For more information visit: http://cypressmountain.com/

by Nikisha Khare

Five Activities to do on a Rainy Vancouver Day

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Five Activities to do on a Rainy Vancouver Day

1)      Vancouver Aquarium – With dolphins and belugas, as well as over 70,000 other creatures, the Vancouver Aquarium is a great way to spend a rainy day.  Keep warm inside walking through the attractions, sit down and watch an amazing 4D movie, and then pull that poncho over your head and outside for the rest of attractions!

 

2)      Vancouver Museums – Vancouver has some great museums such as the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, Science World, as well as the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) which is conveniently located directly on campus! Keep your eyes peeled for posters around Tbird and campus, MOA is a hot spot for advisors to host events.

3)      Bloedel Floral Conservatory – Situated atop of Queen Elizabeth Park, this conservatory is a great place to relieve some stress and take a stroll while bird watching and learning about ecology ( a great way to supplement your studies!)

 

5)      Vancouver Indoor Pools – If you don’t want to get wet outside, why not get wet while indoors.  Vancouver has some of the best indoor pools around, and they are a great way to get some exercise or relieve some stress in the hot tubs.  UBC has its own Aquatic Centre which is close to home, and who wouldn’t want to swim in the same water as a former World Record holder.

 

by Jason Luce

Apply now to be a Squad Leader!

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UBC Orientations is currently recruiting squad leaders who will be responsible for the coordination and delivery of integrated orientation and transition programming for our incoming class of first year students.

In an effort to align student leadership opportunities across Imagine UBC and Jump Start, we are recruiting squad leaders for both programs.

The squad leader positions for both Imagine UBC and Jump Start have many similarities. Responsibilities of the position include:

  • Building and supporting an engaged community of leaders through in person, group and online connections.
  • Providing logistical support for the planning and delivery of the first year experience, including leader recruitment, selection and training.
  • Supporting transition program planning for new to UBC students.
  • Being a positive role model and representative of UBC.

The skills and experiences students gain through the squad leader role include: awareness of the needs of students in transition, facilitation, written and verbal communication, time management, organization, active listening, problem solving, and experience working with diverse teams.

Students are invited to choose the program they apply for based on the time they can commit to the role and whether or not they’re especially interested in working with international and Aboriginal students.

While the recruitment committees will be selecting for the specific roles, students who apply to be a squad leader for one of the programs will automatically be considered for all positions with orientation programming that they are qualified for.

Application deadlines

  • Students interested in working with Imagine UBC are invited to apply by November 10.
  • Students interested in being a Squad Leader for Jump Start have until November 20 to apply.

Please feel free to contact Jasmine Khungorey jasmine.khungorey@ubc.ca with any further questions you may have about the positions.

Check out this UBC FYI blog post for more information!

Rekindling the Relationship: Living with Roommates in Term 2

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I don’t know about you, but I feel like I have just realized that second term has actually started. Even though it’s been three weeks already, something about classes starting so early just messed with my head. Now that we’re out of “Christmas mode” and back into “school mode”, it can be a great time to re-evaluate how things are going with your roommates. Many of you have new roommates this term, so it’s important to discuss your cleaning schedule and roommate agreement again so that everyone’s on the same page. Even if you have the same roommates as last term, this can be a great chance to check in and make sure that everyone’s happy with how things have been going. Here are six tips for rekindling the relationship with your roommates in term two:

  1. Start a conversation. Ask them how their break went. Actually listen. If you’ve already done this, ask about their classes this term, or what extra-curriculars they are involved in.
  2. Make a meal together. It can be fun to cook together, and you might learn some new skills too!
  3. Include new roommates. If you have new roommates this term, make sure they feel welcome in your unit. It can be hard to be the only new person in an established unit, so reach out.
  4. Make a (new) cleaning schedule. There’s nothing worse that feeling like you’re the only one doing all the cleaning. While you might be able to stand it for now, it will get worse once midterms start. Make a cleaning schedule ahead of time to prevent conflict.
  5. Revisit your roommate agreement. Take the time to talk about how your roommate agreement went last term, and make revisions if necessary. Even if it went great, it’s a good time to remind everyone what you all agreed to back in September.
  6. Deal with conflict. Conflict happens, it’s part of living with other people. If something your roommate is doing is driving you crazy, talk to them about it! Be respectful. Give them an opportunity to fix it. Chances are, they may not have even realized it was bothering you.

If you want more information or advice on living with roommates, check out the UBC Housing website (http://www.housing.ubc.ca/after-move-in/living-with-a-roommate) or talk to your Advisor. Good luck!