I say Part I because I’m only halfway through, so my techniques might change halfway through or everything will be put into a different perspective after the final, but for anybody out there considering Arts One, I’d love to provide my input. (I love Arts One.)

I like saying that I grew up in Canada, which is not really true because I’ve only lived here for eight years of my eighteen, but most of my character-shaping did happen in Canada. I went to school with most of the same kids from grade five to grade twelve, and most of my friends were within walking distance away. My graduating class was a comfy 300 or so, and I could probably name most of them. I didn’t quite realize just how suburban I was until I came to UBC, though. At Destination UBC, we had to line up to enter the Chan Centre at some point, and the line went all the way out the door down the block to the Law building. I remember walking down the sidewalk with two of my friends, looking at all those strange faces and realizing that these people would be my schoolmates, and I didn’t know any of them. I had never felt more small town than at that moment.

On the same day, however, I met Robert Crawford and learned more about Arts One. I had received the emails, before that day, about Coordinated Arts Program and Arts One, I had looked at the YouTube videos describing the programs very briefly, and I knew that they were small(er) programs. At first, that didn’t attract me because small programs sounded scary, for some reason. Tutorials of four in which the professor and my classmates would be studying my writing in detail? Definitely scary. Then I saw the Arts One reading list for the first time, and I realized what the program actually was, and this is the structure of it, for your benefit:

1. TWO Arts One streams, with their own teaching team of five or four professors
2. 4/5 professors take their turns lecturing to the whole stream of up to 80/100 students, in which the basic ideas of the text are explained
3. those 80/100 students are split into seminars of up to TWENTY, each with a specific professor, in which the texts are discussed more deeply and complexly among peers and professors
4. those 20 students are split into tutorial groups/workshops of up to FOUR (plus your professor), in which your essays are closely examined and critiqued

And your timeline looks like this:

1. read Book A before Monday
2. Book A lecture on Monday, half of the class receives essay topics for Book A
3. write Book A essay while reading Book B before next Monday
4. Book B lecture on next Monday, other half receives essay topics for Book B

So it works out that each person ends up writing 12 essays overall, and the whole group reads ~24 texts.

I always knew that I wanted to study literature deeply and thoughtfully and complexly, but other than that, my interests were specific but not really in one place. I was interested in mathematics, French, and history, and figured I would minor in one of those. Arts One is so interdisciplinary, and I love it. I have been able to examine different kinds of literature, appreciate new and unexpected theories and philosophies, and formulate my own ideas based on discourses that I have disagreed with. I have listened to philosophy, I have glimpsed into political science, and I have studied the history of ideas. As an academic, I’ve learned how to read more complexly and to write more efficiently. The room for two electives has allowed me to continue studying math and French, just as I had wanted.

I think, even if you are not interested in English, history, or philosophy (which is what Arts One gives you credit for), the program gives you such valuable skills for the rest of your academic career in the arts. Reading, writing, and thinking are always relevant, and Arts One is such a perfect place to hone those skills. Your readings, professors, and peers will ask questions and make you ask questions that will shape you into a unique and effective thinker. One of my best friends, who entered UBC into the faculty of science but intends to transfer into arts, has wished more than once that she were in Arts One–not because she thinks she would enjoy it (although I’m sure she would have), but because Arts One without a doubt improves you as a scholar.

So you’re in Arts One–YOU GO GIRL. Best decision of life. I’m sure you’ll figure it out, or you’ll read this, attempt to do it, and then fail, but you should hear it anyway. (And so should I, for the next term.)

A 3-Step Guide to Not Losing Your Sanity in Arts One
Reading, Writing, and Thinking

1. Finish Your Reading Before Lecture 

   Or do, like, half of it before lecture. Or at the very least, take really good notes during lecture, especially if you’re not writing on it. You’re going to have to know the texts for the final exam anyway, and you’re guaranteed to not be as well versed in books you’re not writing on than books you are. So give all the texts equal love. Besides, lectures are so much more interesting and SUPER VALUABLE when you’ve actually done the reading.

2. Start Drafting Your Essay EarlyYou get a week to write this essay. When the end of term comes and people are whining about writing a 2000-word final essay within three weeks, you’re going to slap them and say that you’ve written at least five essays by the time they start whining. You’re going to be reading this in front of your peers and your professor. This isn’t something you should deadline write. Give yourself room to proofread so that you’re not reading in front of your tutorial and realizing that you wrote “the the” or something stupid like that.
3. Take Good NotesIt’s a bit different from why I, at least, am used to taking notes, because I’m used to taking notes for rote memorization and using them for tests, but I’ve found (especially with Crawford) I can’t use notes to write essays. Arts One encourages you to utilize lectures and discussions in your essays but don’t “squawk like a parrot”. Arts One notes in lectures and discussions are vital for understanding these texts more deeply, and–here’s a crazy idea–understanding your texts before you write essays about them are super helpful.

   Furthermore, take good notes in your books! Most people don’t like the idea of vandalizing textbooks because you can resell them later, but I don’t think Arts One texts are supposed to be resold. At Imagine Day, Crawford told us that we should expect to spend money on books, especially as scholars. Books are our tools. A mechanic doesn’t buy tools and prepare them for reselling later, he/she needs a wide variety of tools that will be used for the job. Write in your books, dog-ear the pages, highlight. These books are a communication of some of the most influential ideas in human history, so take part in the conversation.