Category — Involvement/Leadership

Yesterday morning I woke up at 6:30am after only a few dismal hours of sleep, and walked my butt to the Student Rec Centre (SRC) for 7:15am. Why? For Day of the Longboat, of course. I made a team with my friends from first year residence (OK*anagan 2nd, whadddup?!, doesn’t our team name make sense now? ), and our team captain wanted us there at 7:15am. I showed up with my friend Lisa at 7:16am….I thought we were late. Little did we know that we were the only ones that had even left their houses yet. My friends at Gage? Still at Gage. My friends at Fraser Hall (see Wesbrook Mall)? Still at Fraser. We were supposed to catch the 7:30am shuttle. Did we? No. The fact that we made it to our 8:20am run at Jericho Beach is by shear luck, I swear.

After missing our shuttle, most of us were ready to pack it in, call it a day and get breakfast. Instead we head to get the number 4, get on the 14 instead and head to Alma. By absolute divine luck, I’m sure, we get the community shuttle en route to Spanish Banks and make it into Jericho Beach five minutes, yes five minutes, before our start time. We were supposed to be there 35 minutes before. We all dash through registration, grab our paddles and life jackets and book it. Alas, we made it. And totally dominated!

With a run time of 13:55, the team that was ready to call it a day back at the SRC, came in first in their heat. Boo yaaahh! I definitely slept for six hours after, even waking up at one point thinking it was Sunday and I had missed our semi final. Total panic for a while there.

Okanagan 2nd after our win on Saturday

And so today we headed back to secure our championship. You would think that after yesterday’s transportation fiasco, we would get our act together and all be there on time. I mean, it was only at 11:40am, almost three hours after our run yesterday. Did we? Nope, not at all. This time, half my team was so late that the other teams were already getting into their boats and we were rushing through registration and were frantically grabbing paddles and lifejackets. We came in second, and it was onto finals, the last stretch to claiming our championship shirts. Well…we kind of failed epically and came in last in the finals.

Although we were not successful in taking home a championship shirt to brag and show off to all our friends, our last race was probably the most hilarious, body-numbing, and the best time we had for the entire event. In the end, victory wasn’t ours. But there’s always next year!

Hope everyone had a successful (however you define it), Day of the Longboat 2011!

So where has Krystal been since her heartfelt, nerdy Harry Potter post? Well, I was working at a candy store, completing a summer course at York University, heading up to Muskoka for a couple of weekends and showing my wonderful family around Vancouver. Oh, and I also moved back to UBC, attended Residence Advisor training, participated in Imagine Day as a MUG leader and started classes, and, and, and…

Phew! Fall hasn’t even arrived yet, but change is definitely in the air. As always, another September and another school term means new living arrangements, class schedules and thing to be involved in and with on/off campus.

I am currently writing this from my room in Vanier, my snazzy new room as a Residence Advisor! Yes, ladies and gents, I’m back at good ol’ Place Vanier but this time, with way more responsibilities and some awesome cool friends. I’m beyond excited for the upcoming year and the possibilities it holds. I wish however, I could say I was more excited than nervous, but both emotions seem to be pretty balanced at the moment.

I’m excited to start something new, add new friends to my ever growing list of amazing people I’ve met at UBC in the past year, but at the same time, slightly worried (yes, I know, worrying is as affective as chewing bubblegum to solve an algebra equation (bonus points for whoever recognizes the reference)) about the relationships I made and solidified since last September. My closest friends from residence are all spread out over other residence areas this year: a few of us in Vanier, the rest in Fraser Hall, Gage and Marine Drive. I’m already feeling the withdrawal symptoms of not having my closest girlfriends just steps away and down the hall for me to hang out with. No more late night chats that ignored quiet hours, 20+ person dinners, candy parties in the hallway or just simply raiding each other’s wardrobes. Now I have to schedule time to make the trek out to Fraser and work around my in/out and duty nights here at Vanier. So much lies ahead…

And let’s not forget school! I’m super excited for all my classes, and not to brag really, but my class schedule kicks major ass. But then again, there comes that nervousness about course loads and time management. Will I be able to balance everything? Between advising, classes, extracurricular activities both on and off campus and all my friendships (both old and new), how will I keep my head from spinning right off into another orbit? Will I manage?  To be honest: I have no freaking clue! And for the first time, I’m really trying to be okay with that.

I’m trying something new this year. It’s pretty rad, and kind of top secret, so you’ll all have to be very hush-hush about it…*drumroll*… I’m focusing on me. Yes, that’s right, me. These next couple of years are some of the only times that I can be selfish (within reason) and not worry about it, or feel bad about it. I can do exactly what I want to do, what I’m passionate about, and frankly what I really have time for without feeling guilty about not doing the things that others are pushing me to do. So this year, I’m making time for what matters to me, and what matters to me only. That event that looks really cool, but I’m only really attending to say that I attended? Yeah, not happening. That awesome potluck that my friends are organizing that I can probably only bring popcorn and hot chocolate to because I have a meal plan and eat in a dining hall? Heck yes, sign me up.

I need to focus on my wellbeing: mentally, physically, academically and emotionally.

I’ll let you know how it all works out. I hope your move-in day and first floor meetings, first classes and first new friendships made have been beyond stellar.

As the year comes to an end, I can’t help but look back and reflect on my first year of university. The ups and downs (but mostly a crap ton of ups)…

I’ve been to countless second and third floor Okanagan dinners, celebrated plenty of birthdays in style and with a lot of love, been down to Wreck Beach (the stairs really aren’t that bad), went to the Student Leadership Conference, the Arts Career Expo, graduated from the Vice Presidents, Students Emerging Leaders Program, joined house council as a floor rep for second term, watched my beautiful friend Stephanie campaign her little butt off to win house president of Okanagan 2011/2012, I’ve been to Stanley Park, had countless hangouts with the Vancouver (Mob)ilizers (mad mob love for life), experienced the power of We Day, taken incredibly courses with amazing professors, went to Langley, and Washington, and oh yeah, made the best friends family in rez a girl could ask for.

OK 2nd and 3rd at Vanier Spring Formal

I was a little afraid that I wouldn’t use my time here to its fullest, taking in every moment. It is so easy to forget to actually live, to experience things that go against the norm, outside your comfort zone and take advantage of every opportunity you have to try something new or do something you love. I didn’t want to be afraid to live, and I still don’t. Despite whatever sadness I might have experienced this year, whatever stress or anger, frustration or annoyance, I wouldn’t change one damn thing. I feel changed, not a new person but definitely an improved version of myself. Krystal 2.0. This year was absolutely everything that I dreamed it would be, and so much more. I’m currently packing up my room, figuring out where to store my stuff, studying for exams, and hanging out as much as possible with my OK fam jam before I have to say my teary goodbyes as I leave to catch my flight back to Ontario. It’s all happening so fast, and a part of my wants to return to the comfort of my home, my beautiful sister and supportive parents, but I also want to hold on as tightly as possible because I know it’s going to suck being away for three and a half months. But no big, I’ll survive…with a lot of Skype dates, visits from my BC friends in T.O., and some old-fashioned letters. If I had any doubts in September about whether UBC was the right place for me, they’ve definitely gotten the hell outta Dodge.

Now, if you are a potential first year student, whether you have chosen to come to UBC or are still deciding, if you make the decision of where to go rationally and with a lot of heart, you’ll make the right decision. Don’t let someone talk you out of achieving whatever the heck it is you want to do. If I listened to every person and every voice in my head that doubted my decisions, I wouldn’t be here, chilling in my dorm room, getting ready for exams and having the time of my life. And if you’re feeling like your choices are like falling head first right off a cliff…wait for it, cheesy line coming up…you’ll be surprised at how often you learn to fly. Or at least land gracefully at the bottom.

Oh, and if you decide that UBC is indeed the place for you, I’ll see you at Imagine Day as one of your MUG Leaders, and at the VP Student Emerging Leaders Commencement as your Pod Leader. And if you have the opportunity to live in rez, take it, take it, take it! If you let it, it’ll redefine your first year experience. I cannot stress enough how much rez life has impacted me. Plus, if you’re at Place Vanier I just might be your residence advisor. Next year will be a crazy ride, so hang in until graduation, have a kick ass summer and see you (other than in blog form) in September!

Alright so I’m not actually interested in starting my own business, at least not as a career, but some of you might be. Therefore, reporter KValentine is here to give you some much needed tips on how to get wherever you want to in your professional life. You might even find these valuable for every day life as well. You never know what you’ll learn attending a Careers Expo.

Which is exactly how I spent my Thursday night, among many alumni and hundreds of UBC students: Arts students, Science students, I-have-no-idea students. The Arts Career Expo was a night of great advice, “Big thinks” and tasty spring rolls. The night started off with Dean Gage Averill cracking some funny jokes about Arts students. I’ve heard it a few times before, and it never ceases to make me laugh. What I took away most from the Dean’s speech was that as an Arts student I will be graduating with a set of skills that students from other faculties might not be able to get. With my degree and my experiences here at UBC I am becoming a critical thinker, learning how to find new solutions to old problems, networking, building relationships and seeing the world through as many lenses as there are eyes. If there’s anything I love more about hearing Dean Averill speak is the amount of pride I feel about my faculty, and most importantly, about my degree. I’m sure other Arts students can attest to this, but there are moments when I’m not entirely sure where I’ll be going, where my degree will lead me 3-4 years from now. The answer: anywhere I want go.

The first panel I attended was Careers in Community: Careers in the Non-profit Sector. What I really loved about this panel was the range of ages and array of experience they all had. From a recently retired City Librarian to a 2010 recent graduate, they each had incredible advice for someone like myself. As I stated in my last post, I really want to work in the non-profit sector, I’m just not entirely sure what I see myself doing. Here are a few awesome tips:

1. Connect the work you do outside of school (extracurriculars, volunteering) to your academics. It’ll prepare you to use the knowledge you’re acquiring in a real-world setting.
2. Get involved! Employers are not just looking for paid work experience anymore. Internships, part-time jobs, volunteer work and extracurricular involvement help you to be engaged in your community and gain a skills set that you just won’t get through academic work. Plus, it looks great on a resume.
3. Take volunteerism and run with it. Identify the organizations that you would most like to work with, or even the field of non-profit (or any other sector) that speaks to you. Then volunteer for them. Organizations are very likely to hire within their own volunteer pool. But this means doing your research. Always research the organizations you would be interested in working with.
4. ESL training, second languages and second degrees won’t hurt your chances either.
5. Cover letters are very important. I’ll say that one more time: cover letters are very important. It’s where you have the best chance of showing yourself off. It’s where you shine.

The two most important things I took away from this panel: ask yourself what change you want to make in the world and where your passion, your heart, truly lies, it’s not a race, so don’t lose heart and your Arts degree has as much value as you are willing to give it.

Attending Choose to Shmooze: ACE-ing the Art of Networking was an incredibly wise choice for me. Networking is not easy for most people, but especially not for me. I definitely needed someone to give me great advice about how to rock this:

1. Put yourself out there. Be yourself and show your personality.
2. Conversations are not just one sided. Give the person your talking to a chance to be engaged in your conversation.
3. A firm handshake is the best way to go. It’s better to be too firm than to be too limp. Look them in the eye and a couple of pumps is best!
4. SMILE! They can be seen 30 metres away. (According to psychologist Paul Eckman).
5. Flattery is good, when it’s from the heart! No cheap compliments.
6. Lead in with questions such as What do you like about your job? and What path did you take to get your where you are?
7. Leave the conversation gracefully, and end on a high note. Long, dragged-out conversations are the worst, everyone knows that. Always thank them for their time.

My most important lesson: practice makes perfect.

I may not have figured out the exact career path for me by attending the Arts Career Expo, but I definitely feel more prepared for whatever may come next in my career journey. As Oprah says, “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity”. Hopefully after this I’ll be a little more lucky, now that I’m just a little bit more prepared.

It might be a little early to be choosing a career to pursue after I graduate, seeing as I’m barely even finished my first year of university, but I don’t think it’s too early to be thinking about it. Next Thursday, January 27th, I’ll be attending the Arts Career Expo to gain a little perspective on how to make my BA work for me. I’m actually really stoked about it because I think I’ve decided what my degree will look like  (I’m thinking something along the lines of majoring in Psychology).  Still, once I graduate, where the heck do I go from there? I want to work with at-risk youth, leadership development and maybe something to do with global issues such as sustainable development, but I have no concrete plans of what to actually do with this fabulous, Krystal-tailored degree.

So, I’m attending this fancy pants Career Expo. I get to listen to the Dean of Arts Dr. Gage Averill introduce the night and then listen to two panels discuss career topics related to my specific interests. I’ve decided to attend Careers in Community: Careers in the Non-profit Sector and Choose to shmooze: ACE-ing the Art of Networking. I’m really excited about the first one because I know I want to work within the non-profit, but I have no idea exactly what I want to do. Plus, I’ve never really networked before and as I’m learning, it’s not just for those corporate-esque Sauder kids. So wish me luck trying to get all those business cards. Does this mean I have to start making my own? Anyway, I may not have my career hand picked for me by any of the panelists, but hopefully I can get some great insight into what I can do in the future. Heck, what I can even do now.So many questions, and hopefully after Arts Career Expo, I’ll have some of the answers.

Oh, and if you are an Arts student, whether you’re first year like moi, or entering in your 5th year or whatever, come on out. Mix and mingle and figure out what to do with your shiny Bachelor of Arts. If you want to register, just hit up the Arts Career Expo website here. Hope to see you there!

Stay tuned for post-ACE awesomeness next week.