It’s pretty difficult adapting to hearing the word home and realizing it’s not what I think it is; home to me for the past 15 years has been one place – same old room,  and people, and views, and streets – I got so used to this one place being home so much that once I hear the word home, or think of home, only this one idea & place comes to my mind, but it’s thousands of miles away and I have to come to terms with my new home now.

Vancouver differs greatly from my distant home – the serenity, calm beaches and the cool weather, complemented by the unending view of rain jackets and umbrellas, compared to the loud, extremely hot, busy and basic city where I’m from – how could I really adjust so quickly? The stark contrast between my distant home and my present home made me realize the importance of letting loose and getting to know people, exploring new things and being open-minded. Perhaps if I didn’t attend Jumpstart, these would have been things I would have had to sort out by myself – adapting, but Jumpstart lifted the burden and made me acclimatize to my new home much easier.

Months before Jumpstart were filled with excitement, countdowns, and overflowing eagerness, but as the days drew nearer, my eagerness turned to anxiety and nostalgia, and a subtle realization of going away from home, or rather the upcoming challenge of creating a new home for myself. None of this was difficult, but all of it was new. How will I find my niche? What should I get involved in – should I get a job or join a club? Or should I take things slow and wait till my second year? Success is what I am aspiring for, but what is the best route to take? These questions were my shadow as well as my cloud – ever-present in my head, taunting me throughout my first couple of weeks here, but the truth is there really isn’t a formula to success at college, and it’s all about being you and finding what makes you feel comfortable. It’s all about recognizing your limits and respecting your body’s capability – as much as you push yourself to achieve your aims, make sure you’re treating yourself right and achieving a balance. I aim to be extremely involved on campus without neglecting my academic duties, hence, I aim for a balance.

Of course my new home is going to bring across many different challenges, some of which I have never come across before but all of which bundle up into a great experience – one which I am stimulated to encounter. I am eager to hop over obstacles, I am challenged to succeed above my expectations, I am ready to make UBC mine.