Category Archives: Life in Res

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!

11/15/13

Feeling Like Myself Again

You know what man? University changes you.

I realize that’s stating the obvious, but after two rounds of midterms, case projects and a term paper, I am allowed to do that.

I’ve always considered myself someone who had it fairly together. But this last stressful month has made me realize that, nope, I don’t have it all together. Because, someone who was on top of things definitely wouldn’t start studying for their first math midterm the weekend before the exam.

I guess I was “lucky”; I only had three midterms this time around. But trying to juggle studying + other schoolwork + outside commitments made me realize just how important managing your mental health is, especially because it also affects your physical health. Noticing the onset of a Freshman Five was not a happy experience but it did wake me up a little to the reality that not exercising, all-nighters and constant anxiety will eventually catch up to you.

So lately, I’ve been trying to do positive things like starting homework earlier and taking the stairs (not just for the health benefits –I live on the sixth floor, this is serious business — but also because my house is totally going to win Aim to Sustain!). And yesterday, I finally felt like myself again. I’m not the old me, but I’d like to think that’s a good thing now.

10/11/13

9 Things You Learn While Living in Res

So, this  post has been a long time coming considering I’ve been here for over a month now. Eep! I think I need to make a schedule or something for when I should make posts. The past month has been … interesting … to say the least. As I write this, my floor is the quietest it has ever been on a Friday night; probably because everyone’s gone home for Thanksgiving. Alas, as an out-of-province student with no desire to drop that much cash for a 3 day weekend, I am still here. And while I’m here, I decided that there is no better time to write about all the wonderful and not-so-wonderful things I’ve learned about living in residence at UBC.

Brace yourselves.

(Also, they are not in order of importance, just the order in which they sprang from my mind.)

  1. You may or may not find your second family in residence. I don’t know about some of you, but when I decided I was going to live on campus, some people made it sound like all my neighbours were going to be my new best friends. I missed the first weekend of living here because I was at Frosh and when I came back it seemed like everyone had already buddied up. Other Froshees I talked to experienced the same thing. But the longer I’m here, the more I think that might have happened anyways. I’m saving this for a future post, but you know what is a good way to meet people? JOINING STUFF. All that aside, who knows? You very well could meet your new crew in res.
  2. If you leave your dish rag in the sink, someone will use it to clean up their dishes or their mess. Most likely their dirtiest dishes or messiest mess. Lesson learned.
  3. You will get comfortable with people seeing you lookin a hot mess in the morning. You may not be able to imagine it now, but trust, there are certain things everyone’s gotta get over when sharing a bathroom. Unless you’re one of The Lucky Ones. (AKA the kids who live in hemlesem and qelexen.)
  4. You know how every college prep article says bring flip flops for the shower?  Bring flip flops for the shower. Don’t ask questions.
  5. It’s hard to study in your room. You’re probably thinking, “obviously, Liz, that’s because it’s so loud.” But that’s what noise-cancelling headphones are for. I find it hard to study in here because it’s so much easier to distract myself. Most of my work requires my laptop which, besides being the handy homework helper it is, also has the “Internet” where one can “watch Suits” and “not do homework”. I’ve discovered that one may feel more compelled to actually do one’s homework when surrounded by people doing the same quietly say, in a library or study lounge. There are lots of places to study on campus. I prefer Irving K. Barber just because I find it hard to study in complete silence. If you’re looking for that deathly quiet space, I’ve heard Koerner is good for that. The Chapman Learning Commons on the third floor of Irving is also pretty quiet and has tons of computers to use. If you’re a Sauder student, there’s also the CLC in David Lam (no line for printers!) that can also be accessed from the second floor in Henry Angus. But they do have a no hot food rule that really is a deal breaker for me sometimes.
  6. Naps are probably the best thing about living on campus. Seriously. Mid-afternoon naps between class are thebomb.com as one of my good friends says. So are mid-afternoon outfit changes, especially when the weather can’t make up its mind.
  7. Totem Park is a far, far away land. It really does feel that way when it takes at least 15 minutes to walk anywhere on campus. Walking from my house to Buchanan D is enough vigorous exercise to actually warm me up on a rainy morning.
  8. All the afore-mentioned exercise will not stop all the pizza you’ve been eating from having some kind of effect. I eat pizza like once a week. Clubs always seem to be using free food to lure you to their events and more often than not it’s pizza. And if it isn’t free, it’s cheap. A slice at Pie R Squared is $1.25. When you have hefty student loans, you will eat there more often than you care to admit. This is probably a good time for me to start going to the gym.
  9. Having a roommate isn’t as bad as you think. At least for me. My roommate and I are friends and it turns out that we like a lot of the same stuff and we’re both from the same province. Obviously that isn’t the case for everyone. But I think as long as you both went in with a mutual expectation of respect and set some boundaries (!) in the beginning then it should be fine.

I might do another list about what I’ve learn while living in Vancouver and obviously the first point will be BRING AN UMBRELLA. ALWAYS.

P.S. Just in case you were wondering; this is what my room looked like. You know, back when it was clean.

You may notice my amazing Channing Tatum poster on the left – from the Poster Sale @ the SUB.