Monthly Archives: July 2014

07/28/14

The Res Packing Guide

I am by nature an over-planner. When I wanted a pet hamster, I researched everything there was to know about the species for over a year before giving a  presentation complete with a contract to my parents. It took months of research before I got my first piercing, but by the time I got my second body mod it only took me a couple weeks to follow through. For all you equally neurotic overthinkers as well as you perpetually laid-back types, I want to share some information that’ll hopefully make moving into res that much easier.

First things first is lists. Lots and lots of lists. Last year, I found 3 “college packing lists” that I really liked and kinda combined them into the ultimate list. In order of helpfulness they are:

  1. http://www.gifts.com/ideas/dorm-essentials-checklist
  2.  http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/registry/CollegeChecklistPage
  3. http://www.collegepackinglist.com/

Each list has things that the others left out so you can pick and choose according to your needs. I know it’s fairly simple to Google some lists and figure out what you need so I figure it’d be more helpful if I also shared what I learned, especially what I learned not to bring.

The number one rule of packing for college is: YOU CAN ALWAYS BUY STUFF THERE. Logically, you think you know this but this is important to remember when your parents are hyperventilating at your purchase total in Bed, Bath and Beyond or when your luggage is bursting at the seams. So without further ado, here are: The Things I Wish I left at Home

  • Shampoo/Conditioner – basically any hairstyling related product. There are drugstores on/near campus. (No Walmart though, be warned)
  • Coffee/Creamer – My mom bought me a cute little coffeemaker as a going-away gift and included the same brand of nice coffee and whitener she uses at home but those things were really bulky
  • Hangers
  • Binders
  • Food Storage Containers – Didn’t use them once
  • Cutlery and Dishwashing Stuff/Dshes – You need 2 sets of cutlery max. Also, speaking from experience, dishes break while being flown across provinces.
  • Headphones – Surprisingly awkward to pack when trying to prevent damage. I’ll stick to earbuds. Even though every dorm list says bring earplugs, earbuds and great music work just fine.
  • So much clothing – I tried to pack clothes for every possible occasion. This was a bad idea. I didn’t need nearly as much formal clothing as I brought.
  • So much linen – A couple of cheap towels are great for cleaning up spills and drying dishes but that’s really all you need.
  • School Supplies – This one’s a bit tricky. Since class structure is so different than high school you’ll need to figure out your notetaking style after starting classes and whether you’ll just need a laptop, loose-leaf, binders or notebooks.

Things I’m Glad I Brought:

  • A little tray from the dollar store to put wet shoes on near the door
  • An extension cord/power adapter/surge protector combo
  • An Ethernet cable
  • Twin XL bedding
  • Hanging shoe organizer
  • Food. You will miss home-cooking very much. Trust.

I wish I had bought a router early on because the Ethernet cable becomes really annoying. Also, I forgot thumb tacks and using them with the given corkboard is a good way to minimize desk clutter. This is all the advice I can think of right now but I’ll update as I think of stuff and do my own shopping for this year. I found out that I’ll be in an apartment-style residence this year which involves a whole ‘nother level of shopping for my inner over-planner.

I’ll try and do some follow-up posts about how I managed the logistics of moving out-of-province. If you have any questions about what to bring for your first year in residence, ask away!

07/14/14

I Do Nothing

Get ready for some whining y’all.

— A part of me is sad that I feel the need to qualify a post about  feelings with that first line, but I want to look back in a couple years and know that I knew now that this is a straight up #middleclassproblemswhinefest. —

A few days ago, someone asked me what do you besides work? I am still unable to answer that question.

I totally identify with Megan in her post, because it feels like all I do is work and sleep. This summer I’ve been holding down two restaurant jobs and man, does that take up a lot of time. Having to deal with two managers means I’ve worked 7 days a week for the last three weeks. Today’s my first real day off, hence why I’m actually blogging. When I’m not at work, I’m generally being a vegetable in bed watching back episodes of Reign and eating all the breakfast I missed while at school. (Ain’t nobody got time for toast or fresh coffee with 9AM classes). I want to say this is a whole lot less depressing than it sounds. Summer’s made for relaxing, right?

But it’s really hard to relax when you’re looking at nine grand in tuition (I know int’l students have it much worse) and almost 700 bucks for rent every month plus groceries next year. Living the UBC dream is expensive. And I’m trying not to bury myself in student loans, thus the working constantly thing. The amount of money I already owe for last year is hard to picture. We students pay for everything online and you don’t actually know what that tuition, housing fees and meal plan look like till you’re sweating for it. And still, I’m lucky. I have 2 parents who work full-time and had the forethought to save up money for my siblings and I. I don’t regret choosing a school out-of-province but it is rough sometimes.

There are things that I’m passionate about and that I’d love to do more of. I want more time for soccer-playing, memory-making, poem-scribbling good times. I want to be a more interesting person and say that I’m having all these fun adventures over my summer break, but I’m not. I had the whole day off today and I didn’t even know what to do with myself. I went to the library, got a good book and spent some time reading it in a café. I started my 2014 student loan application and prepared to apply for a liquor-serving certification so I can serve tables and make more money for school. Sigh.

Even though school is more hectic, the closeness of residence and living on campus means your friends and favorite activities are more accessible. Nothing takes longer than a 30-minute walk or a bus ride. I miss that.

The question still bugs me because not-very-deep-down I know the answer is practically nothing.

Now that my pity party is over, maybe I should try and think of some things I love doing/want to try that are appropriate for the time-challenged. I can be interesting, I swear.

 

07/12/14

Getting What You Want on Registration Day

Now that I’ve successfully registered for my second year classes, I think now is a good time to check back in and let you know that I haven’t forgotten about y’all and this blog. I’m making a renewed commitment to be with you through the good times and the bad, to love and to hold, through energy drinks and all-nighters.

lady gaga I Do gif

I was a little worried about 2nd-year registration cuz I heard that we register last (which is true) and that it would be more difficult to get into classes (which turned out to be false). With a lot of careful preparation I was able to get into 10 out of the 11 classes I wanted.

To make sure I avoided the Second Year Jinx, I made multiple worklists a few weeks in advance so I’d have time to tinker with them and also so I’d have a back-up plan on registration day. For first year, I remember my chosen STT being full even though my time was first thing in the morning on the first day. Even with a backup plan I consequently spent an good hour scrambling for an alternative that was only interrupted by the fact that I was in the middle of a back-to-school hair appointment. Clearly I was not a pro at scheduling anything back then. Make time for registration and make sure you like your backup timetable(s) almost as much as your first choice.

I think that in first year you’re competing with more students, depending on your faculty, and adding more elective options only increases that. With one elective in 2nd year, I only had to face the horde of Arts students once. Also, as an upper year trying to get into 100-level electives, it’s comforting to know that professors do reserve seats for non first-years. That’s how I got into SOCI 100. (A class I highly recommend!)

Registration took 10 minutes for me this year (on a second-day time, no less.). And that was only because I had to switch into a different section for a class. The 3 days prior, I made sure to check the “seats remaining” for every class that I wanted. If it looked unlikely that I’d get in, I’d choose an alternative.

Last year, I had to pick an elective at the last minute and I watched the one I wanted change to 0 seats left. I just kept refreshing the page until one opened up. The point is if you didn’t get everything you wanted this go around, keep checking. Timetables are in a constant flux right now as people change their minds or pick up other commitments. It’s likely that you’ll be able to switch into the sections you want right up until the first few weeks of school.