What is it? I’ll post a new (or old) song every Saturday. (pretty self explanatory if you ask me)
I’m a huge fan of these acoustic-type sounds and male vocalists. This week’s song isn’t anything particularly out of the ordinary, but it brings back good memories because it’s the same type of music that I’ve always loved. (It reminds me of a specific song but I can’t remember what song that is, which is really bothersome)
I’m hoping that you guys will be able to get to know me a little better through the kind of music I listen to.
I mostly listen to the same songs over and over again (which drives my friends a little mad because when they walk into my room it’s always the same songs playing).
I’m a huge fan of “coffee shop” type music. I guess that’s the kind of vibe that I’m trying to go for in my room. It’s relaxing and warm feelings and vibes.
(Pre apologies for the likely relative incoherence of this blog post)
This is a very literal mental miscellany, so I guess I’ll attempt to organize my thoughts in a sort of numerical order..
(Course Chronicles are still in progress! Expect another one – probably going over Phys 157, by the end of this weekend)
1. Somebody on my floor is probably making toast, and the smoke alarm has gone off (they’re probably making toast or something – FUN FACT: toaster ovens are allowed in first year res!). It seems as though (at least in the new Totem buildings) that our smoke alarms are extremely sensitive. In the building across from mine, their actual fire alarm for the entire building has gone off countless times (luckily, there have been no actual fires)
2. I’ve forgotten how foggy it can get in the winter. The last two days have been incredibly foggy (it’s so thick that it’s almost difficult to see). I love it.
3. On the UBC used books group (or something like that), I noticed that somebody was selling Cloud Atlas because it was required reading for an ENG 110 class (which I believe is intro to literature). That’s a tough book to read (I never had a chance to finish it, but it was incredible.. I’ll have to actually read it).
4. School has already become relatively insane, in terms of stuff to do. Well, not that bad. It’s just a lot of readings and introductory assignments. It’s nice starting class later, but I feel as though I’m being lulled into a false sense of security because there aren’t any labs or tutorials in the first week of school.
Well, that’s all for now folks.
(Props to Parks and Rec fans who recognized this creepy Orin reference – If you don’t watch Parks and Rec, I highly suggest that you do because you won’t be disappointed)
I hope everyone is doing well and surviving school 🙂
And let’s be real here, the weather is a little bit .. dreary
(The view from my window on res)
But that being said, I’m optimistic about school this term! New year, new me, right?
My question for you (readers) is this:
Do you get super anxious before the first day of classes?
Because for some reason.. it always happens. Don’t ask me why. It’s no fun and seemingly unwarranted.
This post is kind of all over the place, but please bear with me (I’m kind of all over the place..)
Good luck to everyone starting classes today (or soon!) and good luck to all of the future UBC students who have submitted (or will soon submit) their applications 🙂
More course chronicles will be coming up in the next few days!
I’m gonna give you a low down on English 112 (specifically Dr. Paul Endo’s sections). I was in his 9:00 AM class (if that’s of any significance), and to my knowledge, Dr. Endo taught two classes this term.
English 112, described as “techniques for university writing” is really different depending on the prof that you have.
Certain profs give a lot of at home work, prereadings, and the
writing assignments do vary from prof to prof.
For my class, Dr. Endo told us that his focus for Eng 112 is to improve our critical thinking, which I discovered was mostly through in class discussions based on a few prereadings of articles (these were almost all economics based, for example, the relationship between money and happiness, and the gift giving economy).
Assignments:
In my class, we only had a few assignments:
– In class summary (from a paragraph in the prereading – I was able to prep for this the night before by taking notes)
– Take home research essay (basically a summary of other research essays – subject of your choice, but we had to check to make sure it was okay before writing about it)
– Take home argumentative essay (6 different prompts to choose from)
– In class rhetorical analysis (essay to analyse was given on the day of the in class write, it was quite short, easy to understand)
A few times, we also did some in class, group work (not for marks), where we would do a shorter version of the assignment, and then he would go over every groups and point out things that were good and things that could be improved. I found this to be pretty helpful when it came to actually writing my papers.
Final Exam
All Eng 112 classes have final exams, which also differ from prof to prof. You have three hours to write the exam, and Dr. Endo’s exam was composed of two parts:
1. Rhetorical Analysis
For the Rhetorical Analysis we were given an essay about the increasing popularity of cosplay and what it tells us about the declining American economy (pretty interesting if you ask me.. though I’m still not entirely convinced that it’s a logical connection).
2. Argumentative Essay
For this, we were given two options to discuss:
The first was something to do with the gift giving economy (based on an essay we read.. I don’t entirely remember the prompt because I didn’t choose to write about it)
And the other was about the “fairness” in sports, and what we define to be “fair” when it comes to genetic ability, high tech training facilities and performance enhancing drugs. We read a short essay about this and discussed it for a class.
Don’t worry too much about the final. Prep in reading the essays that he tells you to read, go over important terminology, and go over your past assignments to review what you have to improve on, but remember: you’ve technically been studying for this exam the entire term. There’s only so much prep you can do, so don’t stress. It’s not a difficult exam, and it’s definitely doable in three hours.
Tips for English 112:
1. Take notes in class! Obviously, your prof will go over specific things that you should take notes on (for example, the logical fallacies), but when your prof is talking about an assignment, take notes on what they’re saying. You might find it to be helpful when you’ve got a writer’s block. (I found it to be really helpful to just quickly type up notes on my laptop in class.)
2. EasyBib (or any other internet bibliography formatter) is your friend. Just remember to be putting things into the correct format. I found that EasyBib always correctly cited my.. citations (redundant much? sorry), but it’s worth double checking, just in case.
3. Go to class and participate. Kinda obvious, I know. I know it’s tempting to skip an “elective” class, but you’ll really gain a lot from going to class and taking part in the in class discussions. If you ask me, I think that participating in the discussions allows the prof to give you the benefit of the doubt when it comes to marking your assignments because they have a better understanding of how you think.
All in all, I really enjoyed Paul Endo as a prof. He’s engaging and funny, but he does have very high expectations for your writing, so heed my warning (my class’ average was 67)!
(Sorry for the extremely long post, but I hope that it’s helpful!!)
Now that it’s winter break, I finally have the time to give you guys  a full and in depth look at my very first term as an engineering student.
I took seven courses first term (is it term or semester? I’m so accustomed to saying term so I guess I’ll stick with that):
Phys 157 (lecture + tutorial) – Andrzej Kotlicki
Chem 154 (lecture + lab) – Chris Addison
Math 100 – Rongrong Wang
APSC 150 (lecture + tutorials) – (Guest Lecturers)
APSC 122 – (Guest Lecturers)
(These are Standard Timetable courses)
+ English 112 – Paul Endo and German 100 – Daniela Hempen
I decided to take English and my elective first term because according to upper years, term one isn’t as difficult (in terms of new material being covered.. I’ll get back to you guys on this and tell you after term 2 what I think is better 🙂 ).
What I can tell you is that taking seven courses is a lot, but it’s not impossible, and I was still able to balance my time between all of my classes.
I’ll be posting course specific entries with more details about my experiences with first year engineering courses, so keep an eye out!
So if anyone has actually been keeping up with this blog, you’ve probably come to the conclusion that I wasn’t completely honest when I said that I would be “keeping this updated every week”. So again, you get to hear me apologize once more.
Now, segueing super smoothly (not) to my post because I’m procrastinating my Webworks…
Welcome to exam season! Where tears and stress are around every corner and procrastination is the enemy.
Fun fact: Everyone probably feels the same way that you do. Don’t fret. Most people don’t want to admit that they’re dying of stress overload.. Or if they’re like myself, they complain way too much about it.
Have no fear, friends. Well have some fear, and then conquer that fear and laugh in its face when you are victorious.
Anyways… how does one handle exams?
As a first year, I obviously don’t have any experience with uni finals (yet), but we’re just gonna roll with it, because exams are exams are exams, and why not take every piece of advice you can?
So (I say so way too much, so I’m really SO SOrry about that. Please excuse the terrible puns)
5 Studying/Life Tips
1. Remember to eat (and drink).
I don’t know about you, but when you get in the zone with studying, sometimes you just forget to eat all day.
MAKE YOURSELF EAT. Cuz eventually the hunger will hit you and you’ll get hangry and that’s no fun. Keep a balanced diet, all that good stuff. Remember that you want to be in tip top shape for your exam, so remember to eat lots of fruits and veggies. Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. Or tea. Whatever floats your boat.
2. Two words: Pomodoro Method
Basically, this is a study method with a timer. I usually go for 25 minutes of hardcore studying with no distractions and then a 5 minute break where I can check my social media or have a mini nap. It keeps you focused (and as an easily distracted person, I can definitely attest to the helpfulness of working on a timer) and apparently it helps you digest information better.
3. Remember to get out!
It’s really easy to lock yourself in your room and get depressed when you’re studying. So easy. We’ve all been there, and it just isn’t fun. You feel sorry for/bad about yourself for not being able to do something correctly and you just wanna lie on the ground and have an existential crisis. (I’m all too familiar with this feeling).
I know it definitely feels like going on a 15 minute walk is a waste of time, but I assure you that it is absolutely worth it. It’s always good to take a real break and regain perspective. While school is probably one of the most important things in your life right now, there’s still an entire world out there, and everything else is still going on while you’re in your own study world. Don’t forget that.
Yes, sometimes it is helpful to sit in your room and focus, but remember that life is all about balance.
4. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Every person is different, and if it takes a longer time for you to master a concept, that doesn’t mean that you don’t know what you’re doing or that you’re not smart. Take your time. Trust your abilities. Give yourself a break.
You got into UBC for a reason, and don’t believe that doing poorly on one thing means that you don’t have what it takes. Confidence is key. And if you aren’t confident, fake it til you make it. It works. For reals.
5. Take one thing at a time.
This is really the only way to handle things.
Especially if you’re in engineering like myself, your to do list is probably endless.. because here’s mine:
That’s probably an incomplete to do list, but it’s a work in progress. Life is a work in progress. (Am I profound yet?)
Make yourself a to do list. And work through one thing at a time. Prioritize. What assignments are worth the most? When are they due? What courses do you need to put the most time into? What courses are you having the most difficulty with?
I know that it feels nearly impossible to do, but it’s honestly doable. There were points throughout the past few months where I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make it. But here I am!
One step at a time and you’ll make it.
(Sorry, I say one step at a time way too much, and usually it leads to me breaking into mid 2000s Jordin Sparks. Forgive me, please)
Have faith that you know what you’re doing!
Remember to sleep. I forget to get sleep a lot of the time, and it really gets to me in the morning.
I’ll be posting more tips as they come to me 🙂 And expect a TON of posts throughout winter break because by then I’ll have the experience of first term under my belt. Godspeed my friends.
Can I just preface this by apologizing for my lack of appearance on here? (My sincerest apologies….)
Anyways.. It’s such a lovely fall day.. Looking out my window makes me want to just go out and enjoy the sunset while it’s still nice out.
BUT.. this is what I’m doing instead….
Exhibit A: The ever growing to do list
Exhibit B: Deadlines.. and important dates.. keeping it organized. That’s right
So, if you were to ask what I’ve been up to.. this *exaggerated arm gesture* is what I’ve been up to (I promise that I do have a life outside of school). It’s a little bit insane.. but relatively doable.
Midterms are due to start in a week for me (didn’t they just finish..?) So may the hardcore studying commence.
Look forward to some organizational tips and study tips!
Also.. it’s almost November. When did that happen (wasn’t it just move in day? Seriously.. where does the time go). My pre-November resolution is to keep this guy active (and by this guy, I mean excess thoughts). So expect to see weekly updates! (By putting this in writing, I have fully committed to owing you guys the updates). Can I also apologize for the incoherency of this post? I promise that I’ll be much more coherent in the future. And active.
So, Saturday, (Aug 31) was move in day! It’s pretty crazy that I’m now living “alone”, though, I don’t feel alone, which is good. It’s been a lot of fun (and I must admit, a little bit hectic), but nevertheless, I am here, relatively settled, and having an incredibly rad time.
So let’s backtrack to Friday and all of the prep for moving in. I had all of my clothes packed up a few days early, so I was pretty prepared in that sense. I had a full small suitcase and an overstuffed duffle bag, as well as another duffle full of shoes (as you may notice, I’m a bit of an overpacker). The packing would not have gone so smoothly without my parents’ help, as they played a tetris game of boxes and miscellaneous items so that everything was packed as efficiently as possible. I had work from 6pm to midnight (which in retrospect, wasn’t the best idea since I was so tired the next morning), but we got everything packed up into the car by 8:30 am the next day!
As you can see, it looks like I overpacked a lot, but I actually ended up having space for everything in my room!As a local student, I was lucky enough to be able to overpack and send anything that didn’t fit home.
We ended up taking two cars (the minivan above, and a small sedan), since we had a LOT of things to bring. Luckily, two of my friends (thank goodness for them), came along for the move in and helped me out.
As a local student, we made the gruelling (sarcasm) 45 minute car ride to UBC. As we got to campus, there were tons of volunteers helping us out. UBC did a great job of letting us know the schedule of what to do in advance, so we were all as (more or less) prepared as we could be.
We all went to the commons block, got our keys, had our mini orientation, and it started feeling so real. So I headed to my room (all the way up to the seventh floor) and checked it out. It’s gorgeous. I’m already super in love with Vancouver, but being able to look out and see everything is the most beautiful thing ever.
Fast forward to moving in (since this post is getting a little long), we took the elevator/made the trek up seven flights of stairs, and finally got everything in. (It took about.. 3 or 4 trips with 6 people and the volunteers!) Even though it seemed crazy full of clutter with all of the boxes, after moving everything in, I still have lots of space and an empty drawer in my dresser! It’s pretty crazy.
I’m still adjusting to living “alone”, (it’s a really weird experience, but it’s also good), and I’m really grateful for all of the new friends that I’ve made.
Huge thanks to all of the move in day volunteers for helping everyone out and making sure that our day went smoothly.
(Thinking about it, I keep asking myself why I didn’t take more photos of the whole move in process. I’ll do a little tour of my room on here soon!)
**Look forward to a post about move in that’s a little more detailed!
