Coffee on Campus: Mercante

Hello! I’m proud to introduce a new series on the blog: Coffee on Campus! I will be exploring and reporting on all the hidden gems and coffee stops on campus, so you don’t have to waste any precious time or money. You know, just to help you out. First up in the series is: Mercante!

Mercante

Location: A bit out of the way for the typical ” direct from bus-loop to Nest” go-er, Mercante is tucked away in the corner of Ponderosa Commons, at 6488 University Boulevard.

Hours: On weekdays, you can grab your latte as early as 7:30, and as late as midnight. The hours change up a bit on weekends, when they are open 10 AM – 10 PM.

Staff: The very friendly and hardworking staff are adamant on keeping the line moving and making sure you get your order as fast as possible. Just remember your number (it will be on your receipt or told to you) and you will have no problems whatsoever.

Food: Mercante is best known for its food, has some of the best on campus. The pizzas (cooked in a stone pizza oven!) and pastas are the affordable comfort food that dreams are made of. They also serve breakfast and have a variety of adult beverages for you to enjoy.

Drink: Mercante has one of the best lattes on campus, hands down. Don’t let the extra foam and light colour fool you, the strong espresso has a deep taste with a hint of chocolate, which makes it seem as if the tiramisu became a decadent drink. There’s no bitter aftertaste which makes it a smooth latte that you can enjoy. Another easy-sipping factor is that the milk isn’t brought to a high temperature. Downside: The latte goes cold more quickly than some of its counterparts. Upside: you can drink it as quickly as you want, without fear of losing your tongue in a terrible scalding hot coffee related accident.

Price: A small 14 oz. latte will take $3.62 out of your pocket.

Find out all the info you’ll need at: http://www.food.ubc.ca/place/mercante/

Be sure to follow along on Twitter and Instagram @elizabethlately, or at #ubccoffeeoncanpus for pictures, and which coffee will be featured next!

Welcome Back! Crush 2017 with UBC

Happy New Year, you fine UBC champ! The start of the new semester is always a fresh start, and whether you know it or not, that fresh start is exactly what you need. We’ve all been there: making resolutions that you stay for about a week, and then slowly life gets back to what it was before. Creating new habits for yourself is hard, there’s no denying it, but there are countless services, people, and activities that can help you take baby steps in your personal and professional goals. Whether you made resolutions or are just interested in better yourself, a good start is to make sure to utilize UBC for all the resources it can offer. Surprisingly, there are a lot of them.

If you want to get more social, check out Frosh Fest:
AMS presents Frosh Fest, from January 9th – 13th, and you’re going to want to get to some of the events. If you like Wine and Painting, then “Pastels and Pinot” is for you! Is Hockey more your style? The week ends with a bang, with UBC’s Winter Classic game on January 13th. There’s a pre and after party, so the night is sure to be filled with the opportunities to make new friends.
Also remember to pop by the Student Life and Sustainability Centre to check out club events. It’s the best way to not only make new friends and hone those social skills is by joining a club on campus.

Slay those health Goals! Try some free fitness classes:
Every semester, UBC REC offers a free week of fitness classes so you can try and see what interests you, all while you get healthier and have fun doing it. Everything from yoga to kickboxing to dance classes are offered. http://www.recreation.ubc.ca/home-page/free-week/

Stay sane this semester with the Health and Wellness Crew:
Pay a visit to the Student Services Centre, located at 1874 East Mall. They have resources to help you with every factor of your life, whether it be mental health, financial freedom, or just getting more balance into your life. As a student, they understand that there can be what seems to be overwhelming amounts of doubt and stress; and they are here to help you deal with that. The friendly staff will definitely help you get in touch with the best services UBC has to offer.

Get your Career on track!
First, make sure to get your academic goals on track. Your grades and major help to lay the foundation for your career. An academic advisor can help you find interesting and valuable courses, as well as send you along your way with connections into the faculty. After you’ve got that on track, your next step is to get your career into high gear.

Welcome back, and remember to have fun in 2017!

Club Days 2016 = Days of Fun!

Club days 2016 is fast approaching, and if you are anything like me, you’re pumped! From September 21st – 23rd, the clubs of UBC will be on display on Main Mall and The Nest, ready to welcome you. Representatives will be there ready to answer any and all questions. Not only is checking out some clubs a great opportunity to get to make some new friends with like minded people. Whatever you are passionate about, identify with, or want to start a new outlet with, you’ll be able to find a club that represents a safe space on campus for you. Club days is also your chance to try something new! Have you ever been interested in playing the piano, but never got around to it? There’s a club for that. Do you love craft beer? There’s a club for that, too! Here are some tips to prepare yourself for the upcoming fun, and to make sure you get the most out of Club Days!

Research. The Big List of Clubs is available online, so do yourself a favour and check some out before. The clubs are categorized and alphabetical, so you will be able to find just the club you are looking for. If you see anything that interests you, or anything you’d like to know more about, write down some questions. Whenever you get a chance to check out the dozens of booths (really, there will be tons), you will already have an advantage. A lot of the clubs also have websites and Facebook pages, so you have check out some previous events and posts to see if it’s a club you’d want to join.

Bring Cash. A lot of the clubs on campus are free to join, but more than a few will require a small membership fee, anywhere from $5 – $15. The fee will go towards awesome events, but make sure that you have cash on you to pay. It will make your life a lot easier.

Talk to them! The representatives at the booths are passionate about what they do, and they are more than happy to tell you everything you’d want to know. Even just asking about them, (what year they are in, faculty, their name) makes a great impression.

Get outside of your Faculty. Some of the clubs at UBC may seem like they are specifically for certain faculties, or geared towards Business or Arts students only, but that’s not true! Well, yes, they may be geared towards them, but clubs are happy to include everyone from every faculty. Most of the clubs on campus will host events within their clubs, and it’s these events that can be applied to anything. The Marketing Association, for example, not only does marketing events, but they’ll have panel discussions and socials that any Arts student will no doubt be interested in. If that is really too far out of your comfort zone, the faculty that you are majoring in will no doubt have a club to represent them.

Lastly, here are some questions that you can get away with asking on Club Days 2016:

“Are you guys drunk all the time?” to The UBC Brewing Club. They are most likely not, but join the club and find out for yourself!

“I really don’t think a Debate Society is necessary.” to the UBC Debate Society. This will put their skills to the test right in front of you.

Club Days will run from September 21st – 23rd on campus.

 

Transfer Tales: The First Steps

Ah, all hail the mighty transfer student! You are not just any student, you are a confident, mature, and awesome transfer student who not only wants to get their degree from UBC, but is here to make friends, grow, and network along the way. I understand ya, friend. Everyone was new to university at some point, but being a transfer student means that you get to do make a fresh start again, with all the knowledge that you didn’t have at your previous school. This time you will go to the orientation, you will study weekly, and you will finally know where the best seat in lecture halls are (third row from the back, BTW). Here are some of the best tips for the starting month, from one transfer student to another.

1. Don’t worry about being the oldest student in the class. A lot of people (mostly me) have this irrational fear. It’s almost like somehow, the professor will bring up how everyone thought Y2K would be the end of the world, and the rest of the 17 year-olds will turn to you, because you’re the only one who lived through it. That will not happen, so just get it out of your head. The advantage is on your side, anyway. You know how to stay on top of your work, and . Best way to find people your own age is to join a club. There will no doubt be members from across the years.

2. Don’t be afraid to make the first move when trying to make friends. A simple “Hey, where do you guys usually go for coffee around here?” is my go-to for breaking the ice. It isn’t as hard as it seems.

3. You already do have some new best friends: your counselors. You have an ESP, a faculty advisor, and an academic advisor for that reason alone. Send an email to them, even if it’s just to say hello. Not only will it make a good ice-breaker for when you meet in person, but it also is a great way to let them know you are a transfer student ready to establish yourself on campus. Seeing an advisor will only take ten minutes, and is the best way to address any concerns quickly. They are paid to help you, so make sure to use up your supportive resources

4. The most important thing to do is just be yourself. Wow, who asked their mom for advice, am I right?! But the reason why this advice is over-used so much because it really is true. Once you get settled in, you will find your groove, get comfortable, and soon, you will be the captain on campus! It’s always important to remember that life is what you make it, so you have to go into school with a positive, open, and healthy attitude, because that’s what you’ll get in return. And remember there is no shame in asking for help along the way!

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