Not even a week ago, I had said that winter and spring were fighting for dominance, and I gave my prediction that spring would emerge victorious. I, apparently, should not speak so soon. On the day of the week that I spend the most time walking, I woke up to the sound of relentless pitter-pattering of rain outside my window. Winter is not going down without a fight, although one could argue that spring rains are a thing, especially in Rain-couver.
The east window of the Douglas College David Lam college, looking out onto Lafarge Lake
After my annual eye exam (it went well! My right eye has “gotten better”, and I got ~stylish~ new glasses), I made my way to Douglas College for my weekly Wednesday study sessions. As my boyfriend is a Douglas student, and I’m much closer to both Douglas campuses than I am to UBC, I like spending a few hours of my day here to get a large bulk of my studying done.
My “study sprawl” today, featuring my last Arts One text and the makings of my last Arts One essay
Actually, not only am I much closer to both Douglas College campuses, I’m also much closer to Simon Fraser University. Despite this, I chose not only to study at the University of British Columbia but to spend three hours a day commuting there so I could attend. One of my new friends remarked to me recently that I get very defensive about my commuting time, and I do. It’s probably from some deep-seated desire to be closer to campus, but logically, I really don’t mind commuting. For my first year at UBC, commuting has not only been an okay option, it was the much better option.
If any incoming first years or anyone else considering rez is reading this… take my enthusiasm for commuting with a grain of salt (obviously). There are so many good things to be said about rez, but commuting–even such long distances–is really not as bad as it might seem (or even as it might feel for you during the first few days).
The most obvious reason I’d recommend you commute is it saves you a heck of a lot of money. Having parents pay for your groceries is a wonderful thing.
For me, spending as much time as I do on transit every day has been quite productive for my schooling. Earlier in the year, I thought I couldn’t sleep on transit (ha!), so I got so much of my reading done. What with Arts One, I had a lot of reading to do in a short amount of time, and if I wasn’t on the bus during the day, my chances of getting reading done were not that high. As an avid reader (or someone who is trying very hard to be an avid reader again), the train and bus are the best places to be.
Of course, there is also sleeping on transit! I’m not brave enough to do this except when I’m riding the train or bus to the end of the route, and some of my friends have fallen asleep so deeply that the bus driver has had to wake them up, but it can be done. On particularly busy hours on particularly busy routes, getting a seat may be a problem, and when you’re on buses like the 84 (VCC-Clark to UBC)–that are almost always occupied by regular commuting students–you’re going to need to be what I call a “seat vulture”, because everyone else around you is probably going to be one, too.
Although that isn’t fair to say. There have been many polite transit-takers who have given up seats for people. (I’m ashamed to say I’m not one of them.)
On days like today, when the rain was and still is relentless, sometimes I wish I had a chauffeur or a license or a car or a parking pass, but I don’t regret not shelling out the cash to live on residence. I’m happy I stayed home, close to my parents, my dog, and my boyfriend, and I’m also happy I make the effort three days a week to go to one of the top universities in the world.