Monthly Archives: January 2014

Leadership & Involvement as a Thunderbird

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Almost everywhere you look at UBC you’ll see some form of advertising for getting involved on your campus or “giving back” to your future alma mater. While the options may seem like a lot of work or not interesting, I firmly believe there’s something for every Thunderbird. As I’ve mentioned in past blogs, there’s a niche’ for a variety of individuals and interests. While these opportunities may only focus on this idea of “giving back” to your school, there’s equal opportunities for you to also gain something from the experience. I found my opportunities through various leadership positions on campus.

My second year of university began the same way my first year did – with the unforgettable Imagine Day. Except, this time around, I was a student leader in charge of a group of new –to-UBC students. It was a good chance for me to practice being in a leadership role while simultaneously re-living one of my personal favourite memories from freshman year. Now, in the second half of my second year, I am taking this same role a step further. After an application and interview process, I was given the opportunity to be an Imagine Day Orientation Squad Leader. In this position I would be observing not one, but about 10 new-to-UBC student groups which each contain anywhere from 5 and up in people. It seems like a huge responsibility but leadership is a learning and ever-growing process.

This particular volunteer job has given me the chance to strengthen the leadership abilities I already possess as well as learn new ones. The orientation leader position required me to attend the UBC Student Leadership Conference (The SLC) and partake in a weekend long retreat in the stunningly beautiful Chehalis. This is just the beginning of my role and I’ve already gained more than I’ve given. I’ve made new connections, found new friends, learned more about my community, and more all in the process of giving back to UBC. These are just a few of the things my opportunities have given to me. I encourage you to find your own whether it be a leadership role, within extracurriculars, or even a club – the options are diverse and numerous. If my experience seems like something you would also enjoy, please apply to be an orientation leader here: http://students.ubc.ca/fun/give-back

Feel free to leave any question, comments, or even your own personal stories on involvement and/or leadership in the comments section below. Happy studying!

Oh Hey There…It Has Been Awhile…

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Hi all!

It has been awhile – and by awhile I mean like a semester and some change. Whoops. I didn’t intend to be neglectful, but you know life gets in the way and by life I mean university. I can easily say that my first term of sophomore year hasn’t been the most graceful in terms of excelling at school. As difficult as it has been, I have learned so much! University is a learning experience that expands well past what you discover and study in the classroom.

I have found myself here.

Who I am, what I stand for, and what I want in life – I have discovered all of that here. I can’t say that all of these discoveries are set in stone, but it’s a start. I can’t help but think that with each passing year in university I change a bit more but become more concrete in who I am as a person. It’s a beautiful occurrence that I think you won’t understand unless you undergo it yourself. And I hope you do.

I’ve gained a lot from my time here and I want to be better at sharing it with you. I’m going to attempt to commit more time to this, not only for readers, but for myself as well. It’s always entertaining to look at where you have been and where you are. This is my documentation of my experience and I hope you enjoy it.

Before I leave you I have compiled some short bullet points to essentially sum up where I am currently in my ever fascinating life here at UBC.

– I’m entering second term of my sophomore year

-I volunteer as a psychology research assistant

-I live off-campus

-I work as a barista part-time

-I switched my major from Cognitive Systems to Psychology

-I’m still in a long distance relationship with my wonderful Marine boyfriend (Over a year strong, hooray!)

-I’m attempting (and somewhat failing) at spending less time on Netflix and more time learning to be a functional adult

 

So, that’s pretty much it in a nutshell. I’m going to do my best to cover some of these topics and more over the next few weeks to give you an idea of not only what life at UBC is like, but what life as a student in Vancouver is like. If you have any questions, comments, or would like to suggest a topic for me to write about, feel free to comment below! Thanks! Happy belated holidays and happy New Year!