I’m so relieved. After reading other people’s posts about their first visit to UBC, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who has never been. Though some of you are actually international students which kind of changes things since I’ve always been in the area… but whatever. It’s fine. =D
Random fact about me #1 (because at this point I don’t intend on making a real profile): I am a local commuting student… is “local” the correct term? As in opposite of “international?”
I knew that UBC is big. I just didn’t think it would be this big. My friend and I spent 5 hours just walking around exploring. It was a good way to spend our day considering we were too broke to do anything else. 5 hours sounds a little ridiculous, but we spent a good 20 minutes wandering to find the bookstore and another hour inside it playing with the Macs and looking at other random stuff.
Opinions (and facts?) of UBC:
- the bus loop is kind of far from everything
- the ocean can be seen from the Rose Garden, but the ocean is still a ways away. It is still beautiful though.
- Chapman Commons at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre looks like Hogwarts!
- Thunderbird Stadium is really far… especially on foot… we couldn’t make it.
- the chemistry building looks very uber cool in an antique sort of way in the inside
- even cooler is that there are lasers and an x-ray radiation room in the chemistry building
- Vitamin water is cheaper at UBC than SFU (according to my friend)
- there is a “Time Machine” in a glass room thing
Sadly the Swing Space slipped my mind and I have yet to find out what that is.
Another thing we learned is that the #99 bus does not check for tickets or anything when you get on. Not even if you get on at a stop in the middle. Apparently the busses at SFU, when getting on at SFU, don’t check either. I guess this knowledge would be more helpful before I got a Upass >:P… The ride from Broadway to UBC seems like it would be unbearably long if I didn’t have a buddy with me.
It seems I will have to make one, possibly two, more trips out there for textbooks. I’m not really looking forward to that. Yay the Booklist is released. The problem with buying used textbooks online seems to be that the editions are always one behind. The question is, do I really care if my page numbers match the teacher’s? It annoyed me in Science 9 and Chemistry 11 but then again, those books were free.
This is very useful: https://blogs.ubc.ca/phoebeyu/archives/selling-one-1-kidney-for-textbook-money/
Hey!
Welcome to Blog Squad. I’m also in Sauder but in my second year here. Feel free to shoot me any questions if you ever have any.
I actually work at the Chapman Learning Commons too. You should check out the bookstacks; there’s a room called the Riddington Room which is often nicknamed the Harry Potter Room. Definitely another sight to look at (it’s a quiet study place too and really good if you ever have to do any reading).
It’s a great thing you took the time to explore. There’s a lot to look forward to!
andrew
Speaking of textbooks… I have a brand-new copy of Organizational Behaviour, Fifth Canadian Edition by Langton et al. It’s completely new, still in the shrink-wraps, and comes with Pearson’s myOBlab. Let me know if you’re interested!
I’m like you–a (fairly) local commuter student who hasn’t visited UBC prior to being a student there 🙂
BTW about Vitamin Water: UBC might get rid of it this/next year. They slowly raise the price over time anyways.