Category Archives: Pre-UBC

Freshman Year – Weeks 7 & 8

I’ve been so busy this week, that I’ve had no time to write a blog post until now, so this post will be about the past two weeks! It was the same routine as usual – eat. Sleep. Study. Repeat cycle. But it wasn’t so bad, There were two events this week that I thought would be worth mentioning:

Firstly, I got in the PATH Leadership Program! It’s really chill so far, and the first session was really fun. Our group is really small, so it was a good setting and everyone felt comfortable with each other. It’s only been the first session, but I’m excited about the different things that I’m gonna do in this program and what I’m going to be learning about leadership! So far, all I’ve been hearing from other people I know who have taken the program before is that it’s a really good learning experience, especially if you aspire to be a leader or gain the qualities of one.

Secondly, UBC’s Vancouver Campus held a session here in UBCO about their Pharmacy school. Although my main career focus is to go into Nursing, I told myself that I had to keep myself open to other options while I was still in Sciences. So I decided to check it out, and it was pretty interesting. Pharmacy School is just as competitive as med school and nursing school, maybe even more competitive than the latter. I was planning on taking the PCAT exam in January, but then I realized that I didn’t have enough English credits to even apply anyways. If I don’t get into Nursing School, then maybe next year? 😉

It was Halloween on-campus too! I didn’t really go out in a costume, just cause I didn’t wanna have to spend money to buy one, especially since I’m probably only gonna end up wearing it once. There were events that were held for us living on-campus though, like there was a Harry Potter theme party at the EME, and there was an event called Humans vs. Zombies, which is kinda like a less-intense version of the Sock Wars back at UBC Vancouver. I didn’t have time to participate in the events, though I wish I did! The closest thing that I did to celebrate Halloween on Halloween night is probably watch a scary movie on Halloween night. LOL 😀

The end of October come the start of November (obviously), and I guess people get over Halloween pretty quickly, since the Orchard Park Mall has already put up their Christmas Decorations. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas and I do get in the mood for it, but not as early as more than a month before the actual holiday. But I did get extremely excited when the UBCO Starbucks at Fipke decided to put out the holiday latees – guess who’s going to be at Starbucks drinking a Caramel Brûlée Latte every morning for the next month in a half? (Though I’m pretty sure my meal plan is gonna take a huge hit for it :P)

I have a Biology midterm on Thursday, then a 4 day weekend since there will be no school on Monday and Tuesday next week! So while other people are going back home to Vancouver, I have to be a hermit and study in my room – I have a Math and Physics midterm the day after the long weekend ends. Yup, they’re on the same day. One hour apart from each other. Hooray :’(

By the way, expect a lot of Taylor Swift songs for songs for the week – I recently bought RED (her latest album) and it’s been on replay for a while now.

SONGS OF THE WEEK(S): Extra songs since it’s for 2 weeks!
Missing – Ayumi Hamasaki

Song 4 u – Ayumi Hamasaki

Damage – Namie Amuro

UZA – AKB48

Come Back…Be Here – Taylor Swift

Red – Taylor Swift

The Moment I Knew – Taylor Swift

State of Grace (Acoustic Version) – Taylor Swift

UBCcard and UBCO Campus Tour

My brand new UBCcard!

I have finally arrived! I don’t move in residence until September 2nd, but I thought it would be nice to see the UBC Okanagan campus before I move in since I’ve never been there before, so I went on a campus tour! To all those who are planning to book a UBC Campus tour – book them early! Spots fill up like crazy – I booked my campus tour for today (August 22nd) in June, and it was full when I checked a few weeks later. Just letting people know 😛

Anyways, the UBCO campus really is an amazing place! Pictures really don’t do the place justice, cause seeing it in real life along with the beautiful Kelowna sunshine (and California-like heat) is really something else! The campus is extremely small as compared to the UBC Vancouver campus (well no duh LOL) but it’s not as small as I thought it would be. The buildings and lecture halls are exceptionally nice, and one of the lecture halls our tour group went into is actually the lecture hall for my CHEM 121, MATH 100, and PHYS 112 classes, so it was good to see where 3/4 of my classes will take place 🙂 I really was impressed, and now I’m really excited to start my first year experience! My mom and I took pictures around campus (Like the Asian tourists we are) since the new buildings looked so amazing. Although I’m not in Engineering/Management/Education, I can see myself going into the EME building a lot to study just cause the building is so quiet. And pretty 🙂

After the campus tour, there was still enough time for me to get my student ID and UPass, and so I did! The building to get your student ID (called the UBCcard) is located at the UNC building, just go up the first set of stairs you see and turn right. There’s a large counter there where you can not only get your UBCcard, but you can also get your tuition paid there as well! For those with BC Provincial Exam Scholarships, you can also get the voucher signed there 🙂

Well, that’s done and over with hahaha! I’m really excited for first year to start! 😀

 

Booklists/Textbook Stress!

Thank goodness I don’t have to buy this much textbooks – at least I don’t think I have to…

Oh, I remember back in June after highschool ended – I had anticipated textbook shopping would be one of the funnest experiences in terms of university preparation. Everything would go smoothly, and I would be able to quickly enjoy my textbooks and the smell of their new-ness (or used-ness).

Boy, was I wrong. I don’t have my textbooks yet either 🙁

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Room Assignments and Meal Plans!

I finally got my room assignment today! After learning what room I’ll be living in, feelings of actually going to university are starting to kick in!

I’ll be living on the Valhalla Residence! I won’t be saying my room number –  no stalkers allowed!

My residence building for first year - Valhalla!

But I’m still a bit iffy about the whole sharing a bathroom with someone else idea… but maybe it’s better than sharing a bathroom with the whole floor? I have yet to contact the person I will be sharing a bathroom with for the next year, but I hope things will turn out well!

Then there’s the Meal Plan due on August 15. More expenses, great :'( I got the Bronze Plan, so my first payment was around $620, and the second payment is around $2200 (due on October). Now I just have to find a way to live with that much money from September to April. This is where my budgeting skills come into play! 🙂

There’s also a Silver and Gold Plan, but I got the Bronze since it was the cheapest option, plus I can just add more money on my plan just in case I run out of money  after spending all my money on Starbucks and Tim Hortons 😛

Bookists also came out today, August 13th. But since the UBCO Online Bookstore is being a pain and not showing me my booklist, I might have to wait until tomorrow. I think I can wait though – the insanely high textbook prices will probably drive me nuts. Maybe I’ll do the book rental program?

Around 3 more weeks until I go to Kelowna (AKA K-Town) !!! It’s gonna be such an adventure, but I’m gonna enjoy Vancouver with the little time I have left :'(

 

BC Student Loans

If some are not fully aware, applications for BC Student Loans have been out since the beginning of June (I think?). I just finished my application… I think UBC Okanagan says that applications should be sent in by July 15 in order for the money to come in time to pay for the first installment of tuition payments.

Speaking of tuition payments, I saw my financial summary through my SSC account. WOW. Over $4,000 for first year courses alone. That doesn’t include housing, textbooks, and other fees. I should’ve anticipated this when I was using the UBC Cost Calculator, but I don’t think the reality set in until now. SO MUCH MONEY. But that’s the harsh reality when you go to university, I guess. I also find it to be good motivation – if you’re paying to go to school, might as well work hard so you don’t waste your money… or in this case, the government’s money 😛

Anyways, back to Student Loans…

At first, the application looked extremely difficult due to the tons of financial information I had to fill out, but it turns out that many of it didn’t apply to me, so I basically spent half an hour filling everything out with $0.00 😀 There was one part where it asked me how much I had in my bank acount, so that was a bit embarrasing since I have less than $40 in it… but not too bad of a process overall.

Now all I need to do is get my parents to fill out the Parent Appendix form in order to fully complete the application… that could take a while :S

To anyone who needs to apply for Student Loans and haven’t yet, here’s the link!http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/studentaidbc/apply-online/student-loan

Winter Session 2012-2013 Timetable

Registration was a relatively… painless process? Not what I had anticipated, I expected to find all my desired sections full and me having a panic attack at 8 in the morning. But that wasn’t the case at all! I actually got most of the lectures I wanted at the times I wanted! Considering my registration was the last day for first-years, I was pleasantly surprised. It also helped that I woke up 2 hours before my registration time, made 5 different worklists, and monitored the SSC constantly ;D

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