Category Archives: Academic

The Final Stretch!

Less than a week left before the school year is officially over.

Such mixed feelings, especially when I think of how I felt at the beginning of the year.

I was afraid of moving to a new place without my friends, afraid of not making friends as close as my old ones. I panicked every time the slightest thing went wrong (and of course things always go wrong). When classes didn’t turn out the way I expected, I thought I’d made a huge mistake in coming to UBC. I didn’t feel like I belonged. I seriously considered leaving. I was bored out of my wits and simultaneously stressed out all of the time. I was desperately homesick and hung onto everything that reminded me of the way things used to be.

Now I’ve moved from juggling papers and exams to studying and packing. I felt my first wave of homesickness in the longest time today. I discovered T&T sells the same shrimp crackers that I smuggled over from HK. (Although I swear these are smaller, they’re better than nothing.) I’m envious of the people who are going home already. I’m sad to say goodbye to people I’ve met and befriended over the past nine months, as I’ve found out that you can go a long time without seeing someone these days, but it’s also so easy to bump into someone months later and chat anyway. I’m excited about moving out myself, though I’ll miss being able to walk right out of my door to knock on someone else’s and get dinner together. I’m anxious about travelling to Herstmonceux but also hoping that I’ll make the most of the experience. I’m a little regretful that I’m only home for two weeks this summer, but looking forward to that short, precious time so much. I have so many plans for the rest of my summer back here and even more for all the things I’m going to do next year.

I can no longer imagine doing my degree in only three years. Three years is simply not enough for all the things I want to accomplish by the end of my time here.

Yay :) x2

I’ve just received an official email that I’m offered admission into Herstmonceux for May and June. Hurray!

And I received another email with the unofficial announcement that all four AMS referenda questions passed, which means we are going to pay more money to renew the SUB, the bylaws are passed, we’re supporting refugee students and we’re keeping the U-Pass.

Three cheers for us (that is, you).

Sick = Bad Bad Bad

Today, I’m going to give a few lessons. How exciting to be in front of the metaphorical blackboard!

Health
Have conversations with your body. If it’s telling you that something is wrong, then something probably is, no matter what the doctor said the first time. My turtle syndrome was not correctly diagnosed the first time, so I now have a case of bronchitis and maybe pneumonia as well. No wonder that I’ve been feeling less than snazzy for the past week. I’m now on medication which is working beautifully. The only drawback is my state of constant drowsiness — but it’s far better than my state of constant hacking and wheezing.

Maths (and yes, that “s” is deliberate)
Sickness + (research paper within these two weeks x 4) = upset, stressed-out and overly-emotional child.

I slaved my weekend away and finished one paper which I handed in today. Still three to go — but the plans I’d made for when to do what are in a shambles, and frankly, so am I. With various applications due after my papers, and exams after the applications, asking for extensions wouldn’t help — or so I thought.

Listen to your professors’ advice. This is the best thing I have done all week. One told me I should let my other profs know that I’m ill — this I did. Apparently, I’m in more of a shambles than I thought because I had a mini-breakdown in front of one prof who is even more sick than I am. How incredibly embarrassing.

She gave me a two-week extension on one paper. I wasn’t expecting one, but you know what? It does help. Forget what I said before. Thus enlightened, I asked and was granted a two-day extension on another paper as well. Now no longer excessively emotional, and with realistic timetables once more, I can actually concentrate on getting better faster. It’s very relieving. I may not deserve extensions (because everyone knows you should start working on papers as soon as the assignment is set), but I’m very grateful to my profs for being so kind regardless. I now want very badly to do as well as I possibly can on these papers, to make it up to them.

But to do as well as I can while sleeping a sane number of hours. I never want to feel this overwhelmed again.

College Videos

MacKenzie mentioned one of these in her latest post and while I’ve linked it there, I always like to promote it a bit more.

Firstly, though, another speech that I read before:

Steve Jobs’s Commencement Address at Stanford: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish (text)
Video of this on Youtube

And finally, the best one of all:

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture

(If that link doesn’t work, try this one.)

It’s 100 minutes long but well worth watching.

Summer School Registration!

Remember to register for your summer school courses (if you’re planning to do them)! Many are already full. I’m not sure if there is a way of getting into these courses anyway — are there add/drop forms? Do people drop out for summer term? I’m not sure since you’d think people would have to plan their summer a bit, but I always have hope for the fickleness of university students…

Fortunately for me, the course I do want to be in had some openings left, but if it hadn’t been for one particularly thoughtful friend who reminded me, I wouldn’t have remembered. My turtleness is getting the better of me. Most likely, it would’ve been full by the time I remembered — so thank you, thoughtful friend!

And everyone, remember to vote yes for the U-Pass on the SSC, WebVote link. Voting yes hurts no one as you can opt out and it makes a lot of commuting students happy!

P.S. To my voice: Please do not leave me like you are threatening to do. I love you quite a lot, really.