It’s been almost three years since I moved to Vancouver and started at UBC. After two years of living off-campus, I’ve taken the offer to live in Marine Drive in my last full year at school, and will be returning to residence life come September 1st.
This prospective move back on campus has got me reflecting upon all that has passed since first year; I feel like I’m retracing the steps of the past—with differences, of course.
When I first went to UBC, I attended the ASSIST—now Jump Start—international students orientation and stayed at Gage while we learned to familiarise ourselves with the campus. Back then, the campus felt So Big—walking from Gage to the Shoppers drugstore on campus was an adventure, and I was one of those people who had to stop at the Rec Centre to ask where the Student Union Building was (right next door). I remember one rainy night I got lost with another student on the way from International House to Gage, and thought, ‘I wonder when I’ll ever know all the shortcuts on this campus.’
In a few weeks, would be my answer to my first-year self. For anyone who’s going to UBC, there’s nothing like the Wayfinding at UBC site to help you wend your way around campus. Print off two of their maps and keep them on you at all times in separate places, so that you’ll still have something even if you lose one. Learn where the Student Union Building (commonly referred to as the SUB) is), so that you can also pick up another map from the Speakeasy Peer Support and Information desk on the north side of the ground floor if you manage to lose both of your own and have no idea how to get to your next class. Take the time to explore campus during your free hours, particularly in the first couple of weeks before school gets busy. You’ll find your favourite spots and routes before a month has passed.
On another note, I’ve decided to blog about my UBC experiences here instead of on my UBC blog because that one was getting far too many spam comments, and I was getting increasingly tired of sorting them out. In addition, WordPress.com has more themes and features than the UBC version, so it won me over.
I’m also probably going to be moving some of my projects (e.g. Day Zero, Resident Tourist) over from my other blog, as I want to give my blogs a tighter focus. I haven’t quite decided what the other one will look like, but this is definitely going to be my new place for living and studying in what I truly think is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
