Category Archives: Campus Life

First Week

Ah yes, another first week has come and gone. For me, it is the last first week I will ever experience. But there’s plenty of time to be nostalgic later.

 

I remember during my very first week in my first year (three years ago, already…) I was so nervous I could barely eat a thing. I was scared about my classes, being on my own for the first time, and not having any friends. I felt like everyone else around me in my dorm and in my classes wasn’t feeling the same way, like they all had everything figured out already and were 100% enjoying every minute, not missing their parents, not worried about a thing. I don’t think they were. Some people might have had everything figured out, but I think most of us were just faking it.

Now that I’m a seasoned fourth-year student, first week is a breeze! Mostly it’s just a time to catch up with friends for me now. But to anyone entering their first year: remember to breathe, and it though there will be tough times, there will also be awesome times. EXTREMELY awesome times.

And to everyone else, welcome back!

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My Work Study – Ushering

This year I was fortunate enough to land a Work Study position as an usher/front of house person for the School of Music’s Wednesday Noon Hour concert series. It was a really great experience and right now I am going to tell you why in the form of a bulleted list because frankly I like bulleted lists:

  • My coworkers were lovely and my boss was incredibly kind. Many times she said to me, “Have I told you how glad I am to have you on the team?”
  • The work was enjoyable and related to my field. If I ever want to put on my own concert or help someone else put one on, or if I want to go into concert production, I know how to do it.
  • I got to listen to lots of great musicians.
  • Sometimes, if there were evening concerts, I’d get to eat reception food. Nom nom nom.
  • The hours were very manageable (on average two hours per week, for my particular position) and fit right into my class schedule.
  • The pay was good.
  • I was given plenty of opportunity to grow and to take responsibility, without feeling overwhelmed and still having support when I needed it.
  • I definitely improved my problem solving skills.

Overall a very positive experience and I look forward to going back next year!

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Some Fun Things

It occurs to me that I haven’t been blogging much this year; I think that once you’re in the third year of something, everything you do becomes somewhat commonplace and I’ve forgotten that this stuff might be interesting to people outside of my own head. That is, everyone. I promise there is no one else inside my head.

This term I’ve gotten to do some pretty fun things because of my coursework! Here are a few:

  • Trying out songwriting in my creative writing class.
  • Playing a concert at the Vancouver Convention Centre with the UBC Symphony orchestra and broadway star Elaine Page.
  • Arranging Silver Bells for a brass ensemble for my instrumentation class – and then actually getting to hear it performed.
  • Playing a percussion piece which involved hitting trash bins.
  • Playing electro-acoustic music which involves waving my arms around and hearing cool noises that I control.

I’m not actually taking that many courses right now, so here’s some fun things I’ve done outside of class:

  • Meet a world-class harpist from Belgium and attend her workshop.
  • Be a MUG leader for Imagine Day.
  • Man a booth at Clubs Days.
  • Work on campus – have I mentioned that I love my job and all my coworkers and my boss? I’ll write a post about it some time.
  • Try out a new restaurant in Vancouver pretty much every week.
  • Learn how to play Settlers of Catan.

The UBC life is a good life; the challenge now is not to get complacent about it!

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Imagine – As a MUG Leader

This year was my first time participating in Imagine Day as a MUG Leader. It was a very different experience from when I was a new student, but I’m definitely very glad I did it!

The training days on Sunday and Monday were really fun, and charged with faculty pride. Music had the best cheer! I really enjoyed the training days because it gave me a chance to get to know the other leaders from my faculty and make some connections; as a harpist, we’re sometimes a bit isolated and in the last couple years I found it difficult to make very many connections within the school. Now I have more people to wave to in the hallways!

Imagine Day itself was fantastic, as always – although we got off to a bit of a confusing start. We were told to go to rain locations, but it was only a little drizzly, and most people were just going to the sun location anyway, but eventually we found most of the people in our MUG groups and people who got mixed up were able to join up with other groups. I had a lot of fun giving the campus tour, and I think my muggies have a good knowledge of the parts of campus they’ll use often. It felt good to be able questions they had about the coming school year, to be that person with experience. I had a lovely group of mostly opera singers, and by the end of the day I felt kind of attached to them. They even gave me hugs at the end of the day! *warm fuzzies*

One thing that felt the most different to me was the pep rally. I remember it being incredibly exhilarating, hugely inspiring, and being excited and cheering as loud as I could. This time around, our faculty was kind of quiet… (come on, guys…) The main difference this time for me was the lack of awe. The speeches were moving, the presenters were great, but it didn’t have that same effect.

I think that probably this is because I knew what was coming, and also because I’ve already experienced what it’s like to be at UBC. I wasn’t the one being newly enveloped in this big magical and promising world. The way I thought of it was like a new student seeing through a straw, and then the pep rally slowly expanding their vision. This time, I already had a panoramic view, so while the pep rally was great, it didn’t feel as though I was getting a new and improved set of eyes.

However, Imagine Day left me feeling energized and excited for my own school year. The speeches given at the pep rally reminded me that UBC is really an amazing place; it’s still as amazing as I thought it was on my own Imagine Day, and that it’s up to me to make the most of my time here.

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On Entering Third Year

In case you haven’t been looking at your calendar recently, OH MY GOSH THERE ARE ONLY TWO WEEKS UNTIL SCHOOL STARTS. Part of me is crazy excited for Imagine Day and all the cool stuff I get to do this year and seeing my friends again and being back in Vancouver and the other part is taken aback by how fast four months went by and sad that I’ll have to leave my friends, family, and boyfriend for several months once again.

In the midst of this swirling muck of emotion I thought I’d write down a few thoughts about entering my third year of my degree.

  • Where the heck did the time go? I feel like I just moved into first year residence. Now you’re telling me I’m halfway done?
  • I’m halfway done?!?! This means I only have two more years left before entering the real world and leaving behind this campus and the friends I made here?? So not ready for that. Not ready to think about it. Moving on to the next point.
  • I’m excited to be doing more courses that I’m enthusiastic about taking. At this point in my degree, I get to focus on playing my instrument and taking electives that interest me.
  • I feel kind of like a grown-up mentor person. Then again I don’t really have that many people to mentor so that also feels kind of irrelevant.
  • I’m feeling more responsible. I plan to take on a lot more extra-curricular activities this year (including being a club executive!) so I’ll have to step up and make sure I handle them all!
  • I’m excited to take advantages one of the best opportunities UBC has to offer: Go Global. If everything goes according to plan, next February I’ll be on a plane to Belgium!
  • I feel like I really need to experience everything at UBC before I leave. In first year I felt like I had tons of time, but now here I am two years later, and although I’ve already done a lot, I still feel like there’s a ton I want to do! Time to make a UBC and Vancouver to-do list and cross those experiences off.

Goodness, before you know it, I’ll be graduating. Wait, I’m not thinking about that. Not thinking about it.

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Things I Wish I Knew Before UBC

Looking back on my first year, I remember it well; how it felt, what I did, mistakes I made. Perhaps I can impart a little of my wisdom to those coming to UBC for the first time this fall. Here are some things I wish I knew before coming to UBC.

  • Put yourself out there. I am a shy person; I’ve said it many times. The mistake I made was always shutting myself up in my dorm room, studying for long hours (which is a good thing, I suppose) and keeping my door shut where I was beyond the reach of other humans. You’ve probably heard a million times all the reasons you should keep your dorm room door open; however I would take it a step further and say get out of your room in general more. I needed to learn how to just hang out, how to just show up at a friend’s room and just chill in there so I wasn’t always alone.
  • Stop competing. You’re entering university. It is guaranteed that there will be people who are smarter than you or better than you at some things. That doesn’t matter, so stop comparing yourself! What’s important is your own personal journey – so only race against yourself. Need more convincing? Click here.
  • Don’t blow all your money on stuff you don’t need. Although I’m generally a very frugal person, I am guilty of occasionally spending on stuff I don’t need. Ask yourself if this is something that you genuinely do need to spend your money on (like textbooks, or rain boots), or something that is just a want (like Starbucks – do you know how much you spend if you buy coffee every day?!)
  • Explore the city more. If you’re coming to UBC from outside the lower mainland, it could be that after your time at UBC is up – and time goes by fast, believe me – you won’t get to come back to Vancouver much. Campus is a big place and definitely needs to be explored, but make the trek to the bus loop and get a feel for the city as well.

Got more suggestions? Got questions? Leave them in the comments!

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Second Year in Review

It’s hard to believe I’m already done the second year of my university degree. Heck, it’s hard to believe that it’s nearly June!

Looking back on the past year, I can see that I have grown immensely in many ways. I feel like first year was for dipping my feet and testing the waters and trying to get comfortable in a totally new environment, whereas this year has been about exploring and expanding in my now-familiar community in Vancouver.

I have become a much better harpist and musician this year; pieces that would have given me headaches trying to learn before I can pick up in a few weeks! I learned a lot about how to practice properly and how not to become sabotaged by stage fright. I successfully played an opera (and the maestro said we were the best student harpists he’d ever worked with!) and greatly improved my ensemble playing skills. I was also able to join the Gamelan Ensemble and experience the music of another country while learning from of the best gamelan players in the world.

Academically, I learned a lot about the various subjects I studied and kept my grades high, and also about myself. For example, I realized that I  absolutely detest writing papers. I would rather go learn Wagner’s Magic Fire Music with a bazillion pedal changes than write another paper! I rejoice at the fact that I don’t actually have to write any more for the rest of the degree! (This is also a reason why I feel that pursuing a Masters degree might not be for me…)

This year I also gained a lot of responsibility and maturity while living on my own. I can buy my own groceries, cook, clean, pay my hydro bill, set up home internet, and unclog the toilet all on my own, while also balancing school and my social life! I’m quite proud of myself for this, actually. I really enjoyed having that kind of control over my daily life, and it feels a bit weird being at home where most of that control is in my parents’ hands. Not bad, exactly, just kind of strange.

The friends I made in first year became even closer friends this year. It was slightly more effort to see each other since I had to hop on a bus to see most of them instead of walking down the hall, but we made it work. My friends and I also started playing Dungeons and Dragons in second term (because yes, we are nerds, although I prefer the term “awesome”) and it was a blast – it’s like playing pretend for grownups and it meant that we got together regularly to hang out!

One of the best things I did for myself this year was take Mindfulness classes through counselling services in Brock Hall. It helped me a lot in how I deal with stressful situations (no more meltdowns!) and has actually improved my general outlook in my day-to-day life.

In terms of involvement, I feel like I slacked a little. I was part of the Knitting and Sewing Club and I also joined the Yoga Club (which has helped my fitness in no small way), I took part in some promotional photo shoots, and attend the Student Leadership Conference, but I feel like I could have done more. I didn’t feel quite as connected, so next year I plan to try to find another involvement activity that will make me feel more of a part of the UBC community.

Overall, this year was amazing. It passed in a blur that simultaneously felt like an incredibly long time and just a few weeks.  It was not without challenges, but when we are challenged is when we grow the most and realize how strong we actually are. This year was rewarding and special, and I can’t believe I only get two more of them.

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Pet Snuggles

Want to know something great about UBC? Before exam time, to help you de-stress, UBC Healthy Minds organizes a pet visitation day where you can sign up for a slot to hang out with some adorable dogs and just snuggle your stress away.

I managed to sign up in time this year (slots fill up fast! Last year I found out about it too late) so I was very excited today to go pet some puppies. Okay, they were actually full grown dogs but I wanted the alliteration. It was pretty busy, but if you’re a dog lover with no means of having your own pet at home, this day would be really great! There’s something about stroking a dog’s soft fur that makes stress just melt away…

If you missed it this year, make sure to follow @UBChealthy on Twitter to find out when they’ll be doing it next year!

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Performances This Week

I was just going to tweet about it, but I just couldn’t squeeze everything into 140 characters.

 

Tuesday, April 2, 7 pm: String Divisional Concert. (Roy Barnett Recital Hall)

Chamber groups in the string department will be performing; I’m tenth on the program, performing with my harp trio. We’ll be playing a medley of ballet music, and Great Fairy’s Fountain from The Legend of Zelda (arranged by yours truly!) I am so psyched to be allowed to play Zelda music for a school performance, and it is going to sound AMAZING in the hall! Come check it out!

Wednesday, April 3, 12 pm: Balinese Gamelan Concert. (Plaza/Recital Hall)

The student Gamelan Ensemble will be performing the pieces we’ve been learning all year, including a piece by a UBC student composer, and one by our teacher. It’s very different from music you’re used to hearing, and very interesting and full of energy! If it’s nice out, we’ll be playing on the plaza outside the Music Building, and if not we’ll be inside in the Roy Barnett Recital Hall. If it is outside, come drop by for a few minutes! It will be a treat!

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A Face in the Crowd

For the last couple of days, I’ve been thinking. (I know, an abnormal occurrence at a university.) On Saturday I attended the March Welcome Event for MUG Leaders, and there were two things that happened that made me reflect on how I’ve been spending my time at UBC. The first was when one of the coordinators said: “Think back to August before you came to UBC. What were you excited about? What were you afraid of?” The second one was re-watching old Imagine Day pep rally videos.

These things reminded me of when I entered UBC: inspired and wanting to pack each day as full as I could with new experiences so I could really make this amazing campus mine, and so that I would be someone who was a part of UBC, not just a face in the crowd. I think I did a pretty good job of that last year; I attended lots of events, got pretty involved, met lots of people, did lots of exploring, and really delved into my studies. It was easier then, though; I lived on campus and everything was right outside my bedroom door.

Now, in my second year, though I practically am still living on campus, not living in residence can make it more of a challenge to be involved and become part of a community on campus. The beginning of the year was new and exciting, with new courses, and living in a new situation and responsibilities to learn to navigate. However, this year I feel like I settled in after a while. I didn’t go to as many events, and though I am involved in a couple of clubs and am continuing to blog, I didn’t take on anything really new and I’ve spent way less time exploring campus. I’ve become a little bit of a commuter student who wants to get home as soon as possible.

I recognize that I am an introverted person and that being the next chair of the SLC is not something that I would enjoy, but next year I resolve to try at least one new thing. Whether it’s a volunteering position or a new club (sailing sounds interesting?) or a work-study position, I want to do something more to be part of my university. After all, I’ve only got two more years left!

I realize that it’s a bit late for me to do much this year, but I have taken the step of running for (and winning) the position of treasurer of the Knitting and Sewing Club. It’s a fairly small club so I don’t think it should take so much time that I can’t get involved in other activities, but it’ll be one more thing I’m actively involved in.

For the remaining month or so before summer, I’ll be heading over to our campus’s lovely gardens – the Nitobe and Botanical Gardens! I’m particularly excited for the Botanical Garden – the rhododendrons are blooming and they’re my favourite flower :) And maybe in between exams I’ll find some time to explore Vancouver, as well. I still haven’t done the Grouse Grind or the Capilano Suspension Bridge! Samantha, time to get your butt in gear!

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