Category Archives: Campus Life

April 22, 2012 · 9:49 pm

UBC Botanical Gardens

Vancouver is a stunning place in the spring time, and nowhere is that clearer than in the UBC Botanical Gardens.  My parents were here this weekend to help me pack up my dorm room (which I’ll make a post on later), so for fun we went to the Botanical Gardens.  Rhododendron in all the colours of the rainbow, giant magnolia blossoms, and those iconic BC conifers that reach high into the sky.  And boy, does the air smell fantastic!

Admission to the UBC Botanical Gardens is free for UBC students, but if you’re willing to pay a little more, I would definitely recommend paying the extra fee to go on the Greenheart Canopy Walkway. At its highest point it goes up to 70 feet above the ground, and walking across the swinging bridge is fun! Believe me, I’m afraid of heights and I enjoyed myself!  Plus if you get the guided tour (at no extra cost) you get a lot of great information and insight into the forest around you and the walkway itself.

2 Comments

Filed under Campus Life

Tagged as , , , ,

April 13, 2012 · 7:15 pm

Fave Places to Eat On Campus

I’m no foodie, but as a first year living in residence, you can’t eat in the cafeteria EVERY night.  I mean, it’s good as far as cafeterias go, but there are definitely nights when you walk in and you’re not in the mood for anything they’re serving.  So as a non-food-expert, here are my top five places to get some noms on campus.

5. Subway in Pacific Spirit Place.  What can I say, I love Subway.  Conveniently located in the SUB, I can just go get me a good six inch sandwich. Omnomnom. And y’know, they happen to take your meal plan dollars there, if you happen to be a student living in a first year residence.

 

4. Booster Juice.  I don’t normally go here for actual meal-type food, but I sure do love me a Booster Juice smoothie.  (I realize it’s in the Village and not REALLY on campus, but it’s close enough.) Real fruit and healthiness and boosters with more nutrients in them… Ah.  So nice.  (And yes, they take the UBC Card/flex dollars!)

 

3. The Honour Roll.  Well, when you want sushi, you want sushi.  Many experienced sushi eaters I know have told me that the Honour Roll isn’t the greatest and is over priced, but for me, well hey, it’s pretty good.  I mean, yeah I have had better sushi, but it was in a higher end sit-down restaurant.  And this stuff sure beats the boxed sushi they sell in the dining hall.  And as an added bonus for students on the meal plan, they accept the meal plan flex dollars, so you don’t need to pay anymore than the couple thousand dollars you already have.

 

2. Pie R Squared.  When it comes to pizza on campus, this is where I like to eat.  Heck, when it comes to pizza anywhere, this is where I like to eat.  I used to be a Fresh Slice fanatic, but I’ve made the switch to Pie R Squared; there’s just something about their dough and their ingredients that makes the pizza lover in me happy.

 

1. Blue Chip Cookies.  Okay, it isn’t a place where you’d get a substantial meal, but dude!  Those cookies just make life a whole lot sweeter.  The Marbelous just makes my world go round.  And the muffins are pretty great too.  And you can use your meal plan flex dollars there, which if you couldn’t tell is a huge plus for me!

3 Comments

Filed under Campus Life, Wellness

Tagged as ,

April 10, 2012 · 11:15 pm

The Undie Run

Only a few moments ago, I was peacefully lying on my dorm room bed doing a word search with a crayon when from outside in the Totem courtyard I heard shouts of “Olay, olay olay olay…”

Yep, if you’re on campus you know tonight is the third annual Undie Run, when students stressed from exams ditch their clothes on the knoll and parade around campus in their tightie whities.  (The aforementioned ditched clothing is collected and given to charity, of course.) Apparently it has become a new campus tradition to de-stress by de-clothing, and a pretty hilarious one at that.  I decided not to go, since I prefer to keep my underwear colour a secret between me and my dresser drawer, but it was amusing to see a crowd of mostly-naked people running into the commonsblock.  I hope they had fun!

Leave a Comment

Filed under Campus Life

Tagged as , ,

April 2, 2012 · 8:08 pm

Take a Second to Appreciate

Today as I was hurrying from the music building to my next class in the chemistry building (it’s actually a philosophy course; I don’t know why it’s in there), I sort of had a little magic moment.  As I walked past Koerner Library onto that big lovely square looking out at Irving, I was struck by how awesome UBC is.  I walked up to the railing that overlooked the mini-valley between Irving and Koerner, and watched as three friends lay sprawled out on the grass, eating their lunch; a man was practicing yoga on the pavement not far from them, and all around me people were walking, talking, laughing, rushing off to their next class; across from me people were puring in and out of Irving, and over my shoulder construction workers were getting on with their work, contributing to our ever-changing campus.

I took in a big breath of cool spring moment-of-sunshine-between-rain air, and thought:

Wow.

I thought, right in front of me, there is so much; there is beauty, there is friendship, there is happiness, there is progress, there is energy, there is innovation and love and opportunity and so much energy, oh my goodness, isn’t it so amazing?

You know when you go to recruitment and welcome events?  When you went to a campus tour?  When you went to Imagine Day, do you remember how you felt?  When they played that slide show, that movie, didn’t you feel so incredibly inspired?  Didn’t it all feel so magical?

That’s how it felt for me.  And I think that sometimes we get so caught up in homework and tests and trying to pay our tuition and making plans for the weekend or for the summer that we kind of forget how incredibly amazing this place is we live in every day.

UBC is a really awesome and magical place, and I really encourage you to just take a second to breathe it in and appreciate it, because it’s still as magical as it was when you were sitting in the stadium on Imagine Day.

1 Comment

Filed under Campus Life

Tagged as , , , ,

March 26, 2012 · 7:24 pm

Stress Less: Pet Visits by Healthy Minds at UBC

Apparently, next week on April 4th, pet and owner teams will be coming to UBC as part of a pilot project aimed at reducing stress for students.  Students will be able to spend 30 minutes with a cat or dog and their owner to reduce stress and anxiety.  Did I mention it’s free?  I really want to go, but all the sessions are already full!  I wish I’d known about it sooner, but maybe if the project is a success I’ll be able to do it next year!  I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

 

This is the adorable one-eyed kitty my family fostered over reading week. I love cats! :D

Leave a Comment

Filed under Campus Life, Wellness

Tagged as , , , , ,

February 10, 2012 · 10:03 pm

Residence Lottery Results

Around campus, in the dorms, on the buses – all people are talking about are the results of the residence lottery.

It is well known that here at UBC, first year students are guaranteed a place in residence – it’s a nice, secure feeling, as a freshman coming in.  However, once first year is over, it’s gamble everyone from 2nd year students up have to take part in if they want to live on campus.  The lottery is about as fair as they can make it, but the majority of people I’ve talked to or heard talking didn’t get in.  I didn’t.

It’s fine, I’m not panicking (unlike some of my friends).  There will be plenty of places off campus I can look into closer to fall, and I’m not too high up on the wait list for year round housing.  Honestly, I’d rather not live in year round housing, because it’s a lot more expensive than many off campus sites, but if everything else falls through, there’s a chance I could be in Thunderbird or Marine next year.  I have an idea of where I want to live off campus, but I won’t know if it’s possible until late May or early June.

Either way, I’m not about to freak out and get upset.  My friends and I (probably) won’t spilt up just because we aren’t living together. (Who knows, it could actually be better for our relationships.)  I won’t die if I have to take a long-ish commute.  Getting to know new people won’t be so bad.

If anyone else is in the same position as me, I mean, I’m not experienced in this situation, but I feel safe in saying that everything will be all right. :)

-Samantha

1 Comment

Filed under Campus Life, Residence

Tagged as , , ,

January 24, 2012 · 10:23 pm

Things You Can do FREE with your UBC Card

As a UBC student, you have a ton of opportunities available to you – many of them for free, on your own campus!  Here is a list of some things you can do on the Vancouver campus for free with your UBC student card.

Vist the Museum of Anthropology.  Seriously, if you haven’t been to MOA yet, go.  It is sooo cool!  Even if museums aren’t really your thing, you can still wander through the outdoor exhibit space and check out the totem poles (although the coolest ones are inside.)

Check out the Nitobe Gardens.  If you haven’t heard about them by now, where have you been?! The Nitobe Garden is a peaceful Japanese garden right next to Place Vanier that you can easily while away an afternoon inside.

Go swimming. Did you know that your UBC card will get you into the aquatics centre, absolutely free?  Now you do!  This is one opportunity you can’t miss – fun and exercise for free, in one stop! And by the way, I also heard they have a gym in their basement, so you can save on your Birdcoop membership.

View some art. Another place that your UBC card will get you free admission in the Belkin Art Gallery.  I haven’t actually been there myself yet, but I plan to really soon, and you should too!

5 Comments

Filed under Campus Life

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

December 30, 2011 · 3:44 pm

Reflections on my First UBC Term

Now that the year is coming to a close, I sit on my bed in my bedroom in Winnipeg, thinking about how I have finished my first term at UBC.  It seems like just yesterday I was walking in to my new Junior High,  scared and worried about getting lost and not knowing anyone in my class.  Just like yesterday, and yet at the same time how long ago it feels.  I remember the day my parents left me in my dorm room, the day before classes started, with that same feeling overwhelming me, fear and loneliness of a new and strange place.  If I could talk to the me of a few months ago, I think I would probably give myself a hug and say Hey, it really is going to be okay. Better than okay.  You’re going to get through this, and you’re actually going to enjoy it. Continue reading →

Leave a Comment

Filed under Academics, Campus Life, Residence, Wellness

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

November 28, 2011 · 10:55 pm

Knitting Club

Those of you who follow my blog know that I have a tendency to get homesick – I still do, and I’ll admit it.  Don’t get me wrong; I love UBC.  I love the atmosphere, my professors, what I’m learning, all the opportunities that are opening up to me.  But up til now, I was missing the people.  I miss having a huge group of friends who know me super well and seeing them every day and getting hugs all the time (I’m a huggy person but I’m too shy to ask for them here and the only hugs I’ve gotten out here are from drunk people, go figure.)

However, a few weeks back, some people on the fourth floor of my building decided to create a knitting club, and being a knitter myself, I decided to join with a friend from my floor.  I went, and had the most fun I think I’ve had since I got here.  These people are hilarious!  I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time.  These people actually pay attention to me and I like being around them. Every Monday I look forward to knitting club and the way it uplifts me.

So I suppose that what I’m trying to say by this is that, it’s true, you will find a niche where you fit in. Even if you’re shy.  Even if you’re lonely. It may not happen right away.  But you do have to look for it; sitting in your room with the door closed won’t get you there.  Join a group you’re genuinely interested in, not something you think you should be interested in.  Try it out, and if you don’t like the way it feels, you don’t have to stay.  And when you do find your place, well then, you’re set. :)

 

Edit: (Sept. 2012) there is now an official AMS Knitting and Sewing Club. Visit the website at http://knittingsewingatubc.blogspot.ca.

 

-XO Samantha

9 Comments

Filed under Campus Life, Residence

Tagged as , , ,

October 24, 2011 · 4:38 pm

This is why I love Vancouver

 

The knoll outside the SUB in autumn.

 

Walking home from buying groceries at the village today, I wandered into this gorgeous scene – the knoll outside the SUB, painted in all the colours of autumn: red, gold, green.  Campus in the sunshine is just about as good as pick-me-ups get.  The air is fresh, and everything is brighter and clearer and all around more cheerful.  It’s so much easier to appreciate the architecture and style everything here is constructed with.  It isn’t fall in Winnipeg, but it’s amazing and beautiful in its own right.

And hey, who says Vancouver is too soggy for crunchy leaves?

Leave a Comment

Filed under Campus Life, Pictures of Campus

Tagged as ,