Category Archives: Moments Like This

1st Term Thoughts

About a week ago from today, I was supposed to have finished my last final of the term. (Except it was a snow day, so finals got cancelled and now I have to write a final the first week back from winter break – I’m totally bitter but no matter)

Marks were released last Thursday (seriously December is so stressful for so many different reasons), and that marked (heh) the end of my first term attending UBC.

Ohhhh man were the last 4 months a wild ride.

I took 5 courses last term, despite many people suggesting first years only take 4 courses to ease into the ways of uni. There were some times that I wish I had listened to their advice, but I would think about my friends in the Engineering department and convince myself this is better than taking 7+ courses (respect to you people).  Continue reading →

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Letter to my Printer

Dear Printer:

I guess it’s true that people don’t realise what they have until it’s gone.

I am formally apologising right now: I’m sorry for always being mad at you. In retrospect, I may have overreacted. Everyone messes up occasionally, I guess everyone has to malfunction and spew out papers with only one line of gibberish instead of my homework. Heck, I even forgive you for refusing to listen to me and not print at all.

Remember all the good times we’ve had together? I’ll never forget those late nights I spent sitting on the floor, slumped against the wall next to you, exhausted, slightly delirious, waiting for you to give me my Chem lab report. What about the time you finally printed out my sheet music a week after my performance ended? And the multiple occasions where I had to force shut you down for attacking my brother by spraying paper at him? Good times.

Jokes aside, beyond my impatience, you were alright I guess. Even if it took an hour to print 3 pages, it’s still better than no paper at all.

The truth is, I’ve been taking you for granted, and that was terrible of me. I need you. I really do. Without you I can’t get anything done; it’s like part of me is missing (the part where I’ve handed in my reports).

By the looks of it now, you’re not doing too well. Did I do anything wrong? What did I do to deserve this? I’m sorry for always complaining about you, I really am.

Now please don’t die on me please please please I have a paper due tomorrow.

*Update: It actually stopped functioning this should have been a eulogy instead

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Saying Thank You

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, which meant school was closed.

It also meant that I got to sleep in past 10 am for the first time in 3 weeks. REJOICE. I got the day off to hang out with my friends downtown and just have genuine fun goofing off as we used to in high school. We also had ramen for lunch, which is always welcome~

Our family never really celebrated Thanksgiving in the sense where we made it a big deal of preparing a turkey dinner and all that, but the sentiment was always there. Instead of turkey dinner we had macaroni and cheese, roast beef and cinnamon rolls. In my family, this combo is super rare and is basically as special as turkey dinner. (my family is weird but I love it)

Coincidentally enough, October the 10th is also Taiwan Day, so having two holidays on one day was kind of cool.

This Thanksgiving is the first one that I spent as a university student. (This year is just full of firsts wow how exciting) Putting all the school-induced angst aside, which I have been accumulating exponentially in the past week, I really do have many many things to be thankful for this year. Continue reading →

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Review on My First Month of Uni

Last week was my first week of midterms. Oh what a hellish ride that was.

I don’t think I was satisfied with how I did on any of the midterms I wrote. I was disappointed and quite angry at myself for not working as hard as I should have. These were MIDTERMS. I really should have done many things differently. Now that I think of it, I am not satisfied with how I faced my first month of uni.

It was not until I finished my Chem 121 midterm last Thursday did I realize that I have gone through a month of being a university student. I never clearly noticed my transition into university mode-it kind of just happened as it did, and that makes me concerned if I’m even getting used to university properly. From navigating Connect to figuring out my schedules to writing my first 10 minute quiz to doing my first lab, I’ve been struggling to some extent.

Thinking about it, I find myself quite pathetic.

Here I am, surrounded by hundreds of my peers at a time, surrounded by so much confidence and purpose, and I myself don’t know what I’m doing. I know that I should be working harder to keep up, but somehow I always fall short from my goals. There’s no one else to blame that disaster on but me, and I’ve learned that the hard way.

For the past few days I’ve been thinking about how my approach to things could have been improved, and I’ve come up with a list of things I should improve as soon as possible. Learning from my mistakes involves addressing those mistakes head on, and here I am attempting to do just that.

Things I’ve learned: Continue reading →

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