Author Archives: krystalv

An Ode to the Dining Hall

By: Mason (Residence Coordinator – Salish)

Oh, Dining Hall, how I do love thee. Every time I ascend those stairs and cross the threshold unto the glory of your many culinary options my heart is uplifted. From the consistently delicious wraps to the vibrantly coloured Jello cups I have not yet once been disappointed.

Many times I have thought to myself, ‘Whatever am I to dine on tonight?’ only to be wonderfully surprised by a mystery dish of which I was previously unaware. How was I to know the glorious brilliance of warm stew with pork and bok choi for lunch on a cold, rainy day? The plethora of pasta with cheese, local veggies, assortments of meats and sauces, and garnished with a lovely salad from the consistently reliable salad bar.

On weekends I treat myself to the specials coming from the grill. Plates piled high with chicken tenders, special hot dogs, burgers on pretzel buns, and springy curly fries wrap me in a blanket of the comfort foods of my childhood. Let’s not forget the side bar, where you can get all the potato and vegetable options that you could ever want. There’s cereal, bagels, cookies, muffins, veges galore, fresh carved meats, pastas from around the world, wraps and sandwiches for those looking to go simple, pizza for when the mood strikes, and all served by some of the friendliest people you will ever meet.

Not every time that I’ve walked into the Dining Hall have I gotten what I’ve wanted, but I’ve always gotten what I needed, and for that I have to show my deepest thanks for the wonderful people who help me with my favourite part of the day.

The Low Down on Student Health Insurance

By: Saskia (həm’ləsəm’ Residence Advisor)

What does your student health insurance get you?

Have you ever logged into your student account and wondered what your $214.37 AMS/GSS Health and Dental Plan fee actually pays for? Or maybe you clicked “pay fees” and never noticed, but are taking an interest now. I’ll give away my spoiler from the start: it’s probably better than you think.

This year is the first time that I am not eligible to opt out of coverage. I will admit that I was a little bummed at having to pay. So the other night I decided to procrastinate on my Webwork, open up my BFF Google, and investigate what benefits I can claim. It turns out that it is not so bad of a deal after all. The buying power of 650,000 students from across the country makes the plan less expense than any private one for what it offers. Hear me out.

Your plan covers the basics – namely 50-90% of dental fees and $100 towards the cost of eyeglasses or contact lenses- but also a lot more. If you need to take medications, eligible prescription drugs are subsidized at 80% with no deductible. Air or land ambulance services are also free when an emergency requires immediate medical attention. Suffering from a nagging muscle injury? Try $20 dollars towards your physiotherapy appointment. Subsidies are also available for visits to psychologists, massage therapists, chiropractors, naturopaths, physiologists and registered dieticians. Not only that, and this is my personal favourite, medical equipment such as orthotics are 100% covered. Oh, and about that exchange you are planning or that backpacking trip across Europe that you have been saving up for … your AMS/GSS Health and Dental Plan offers travel coverage for up to 120 days per trip. Vaccinations are free too. They’ve got your back for more than just sparkling teeth and lecture-ready vision.

If you need to get a refund, Pacific Blue Cross must receive health and dental claims no later than 90 days after the end of your coverage. Remember that you need Canadian provincial health-care coverage or equivalent coverage to make a claim. Just check out the website for more details: http://www.ihaveaplan.ca/rte/en/UniversityofBritishColumbiaAMSGSS_Home

Now you know what that $214.37 can get you. Like it or lump it, it’s already gone from your bank account.

The Things I Wish I Knew in First Year

By: Kyle (Residence Advisor – Dene)

It probably feels like aeons since you submitted your transcripts to UBC’s academic offices and wrote essays about why you wanted to study here.

And yet… here you are now: a full-fledged University Student! And everything is so… new. Right down to the small things, like doing your laundry for the first time, or being introduced to people from a myriad different backgrounds and walks of life; the beauty of it all being that these students often live just down the hall from you.

With so much going on, sometimes it can be hard to keep track of everything, let alone reflect on how you can make the most out of your years here. Contained herein are some nuggets of wisdom I wish I knew as a freshman. Considering that some of the most important moments of our lives can be measured in seconds, just imagine what roughly eighteen-thousand odd days could amount to!

Thus, I pass these on to you. May your first year be awesome to the nth degree!

Academics

Do a little bit of work every day. It’s a lot easier than leaving everything until the night before.
Be very, very nice to your T.A’s.
Read to understand. Understanding takes a lot less time and effort than reading blindly. Ask yourself lots of questions about the material.
Stay balanced and take care of yourself. It’s a cliché but it’s true. You’re a human being; not a robot. You’ll miss out on a large part of your life if you only care about your GPA. You’ll get way better marks in school if you’re actually happy. Make time for hobbies, exercise, friends, nights-out, relationships, etc.
If you’re not happy in your program, be honest with yourself. Follow your heart, and transfer NOW. The earlier the better, and you’re in first year. Life’s too short. Everyone has different gifts. What are yours? Don’t cheat us of your contribution.

Totem Park

Leave your door open, and people will approach you (*Note from the Editors: only do this if you’re comfortable; remember: safety first!)
Go to the events your Residence Advisor organizes; they’re great opportunities for you to meet other like-minded people and make friends.
It’s perfectly acceptable in Totem Park to sit down with people you don’t know, introduce yourself, and strike up a conversation.

Campus Life

Asking out that cute person who smiled at you in your lab/discussion group is actually a good idea. Trust me on that one.
Clubs are your best friend. There are loads of groups on campus. Join one that you are genuinely interested in, and I guarantee that you will meet people and be able to build a great life around that.

Financial

Make a budget sheet and track your expenses. You’d be surprised where that money goes. Save money. Don’t lose it.
Credit Cards and Tax-Free Savings Accounts are critical for building your future. Start now, but use them responsibly
Think about getting a job on-campus. You’d be surprised at how much more connected you’ll feel to the UBC community. The money doesn’t hurt either.

Yourself

Fully accepting and loving yourself for who you really are is the key to true fulfillment and happiness.
Talk to yourself positively, and treat yourself as if you were an honoured guest. Monitor that inner-voice in your head; is it positive or negative? Ask yourself: would you talk to a friend this way?
Every day is your chance to be who you really want to be; to say what you really want to say; to do what you really want to do.

Explore Vancouver – The Low Budget Way!

By: Katie (Residence Advisor – Kwakiutl)

Want to get off campus and get to know the beautiful city that we live in? There are plenty of things that you can do that are a great time AND that are free or very low cost. So, gather up some friends and get out there! Here is a list of some of the “must-dos” of Vancouver:

Stanley Park

Stanley Park: Stanley Park is a designated Canadian national historic site with almost 30 km of secluded, scenic trails. Spend an afternoon walking, running, or biking around this beautiful destination! You’ll get to stretch your legs and get a feel for one of the largest urban parks in the world!

Granville Island: Check out this trendy island in the middle of the city if you want to explore artisan shops, visit free art galleries, and watch buskers on weekends. It will definitely get your creative juices flowing and is just a short walk from Vanier Park!

G. M. Observatory: Do some serious star-gazing at the Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory—right beside the H. R. MacMillan Space Centre. Open on Saturday nights from 8pm until midnight, staff will help you explore the night sky with a 1/2m Cassegrain telescope and answer your questions! Admission is by donation.

G. M. Observatory

Vancouver Art Gallery: Located in downtown Vancouver, get your art fix at the largest art museum in Western Canada. Admission is by donation on Tuesdays from 5:00pm-9:00pm.

Hiking Trails: Beautiful hikes of all difficulties and lengths are just outside of the city. Get to the top of mountains for a spectacular view or take a scenic route through temperate rainforest. Many trails are accessible by public transit so you can head out with some friends or come with our very own hiking group in residence: Totem Plays Outdoors!

Vancouver Art Gallery

He for She Campaign

By: Tanner (Residence Advisor in Salish)

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines feminism as “The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes”. It is not the singular promotion of women’s rights over all others or the demotion of men’s rights. On September 20^th, Emma Watson gave a quivering, yet passionate speech at the United Nations Headquarters about eradicating the notion that man-hating and feminism where one and the same. This speech by Watson, a U.N. Women Global Goodwill Ambassador, was to launch the “HeForShe” campaign, which advocates for the involvement of men and boys in ending gender inequality. So far 158,730 men worldwide have signed on to take a stand for gender equality, 10,474 of which are from Canada. While this is a good start there is still a very long way to go, and as it stands there is no country in the world that can claim that it has reached gender equality.

Canada itself has a very long way to go before it is anywhere near to reaching gender equality. According to the government of Canada, women are still much less likely to be employed than men, and if they are employed it is much more likely to be in part-time positions. Canada lags drastically behind many other countries when it comes to representation of women in politics, with a mere 25% of the parliament being made up of women. If Canada continues to progress at the same rate that it is currently progressing it will take women a staggering 228 years to reach equality with men. If Canadians embrace the concept of men assisting to break down gender barriers that the “He For She” campaign promotes, then reaching gender equality will be much a quicker process.

How to Make the Most of Your Time

By: Brian (Residence Advisor in q’ələχən)

The school year is finally here, and now with a couple of weeks already gone, I am going to discuss the importance of good time management and the benefits of scheduling and prioritizing your tasks. I remember the first month of my first year being somewhat overwhelming, mainly because not only did I have a new academic environment to deal with, but I also was living on my own for the first time and being bombarded with a variety of awesome extracurricular opportunities to take part in.

First things first, if you are reading this, you most likely came to university to get a degree. If this is the case, school is a very important priority. However, university is quite a different environment than most high schools, since you may notice you spend a lot less time in class and seem to have significantly more unfilled time. This can feel quite freeing for the first couple of weeks of September, but the reality is for every hour you spend in lecture, you should be spending two to three hours studying the material on your own. Not doing so is one of the easiest ways to fall behind. A great way to avoid falling behind for this reason is to schedule in study time during your week. One good way to do this is to print a copy of your timetable and fill in some of the empty spaces during the week with the appropriate study time for each course. Remember, weekends are also a prime time to study!

However, university life is way more than just academics; living on your own for the first time can be a very rewarding experience. Nonetheless, you still have to remember to take care of yourself. What do I mean by take care of yourself? Some of these things may seem obvious, but it is important to eat healthy and regularly, get enough sleep, and maintain good personal hygiene habits and cleanliness. Even though early morning classes can be a drag at times, they become easier to live with if you develop a regular sleep routine and make time to eat breakfast before class. Eating breakfast before class helps wake up your brain, and I think almost everyone can agree it is hard to learn when your brain is asleep! It is also important to maintain a degree of cleanliness in your living space. A super easy way to ensure this happens is to slide some time into your schedule for cleaning every week or two. If you have a roommate, you can even make cleaning a fun bonding activity!

Finally, with so many neat extracurricular opportunities on campus, it can sometimes be hard to resist signing up for everything. A good way to avoid becoming overinvolved is, before taking on an extracurricular, ask how much time it takes on average. The goal here is to prevent becoming overwhelmed by school and extracurriculars, and if you can get an approximate time commitment, you can plan the extracurricular activity into your schedule accordingly.

In conclusion, regardless of your living situation, there are only twenty four hours in a day. It is important to be aware of this and plan your time accordingly so you do not find yourself with thirty hours of things to do in a twenty four hour day. Keeping a schedule is a great way to do this. However, do remember to leave some down/fun time for yourself, and know that having enough time to be flexible will also make your life easier. Hopefully these tips will help you have an awesome, healthy, and rewarding first year!