My first two weeks at UBC were composed of wide variety of overwhelming events, emotions, and experiences which will be imprinted on my memory forever.  They made an impact so huge that I cannot even summarize them through my own words.

So, being the music lover that I am, I decided I would borrow phrases from some of the most famous songs in the world today. I’ll use the help of my friends (like Bruno and Taylor) to convey the feelings that define my first eight days of studying here at UBC.

 

1) “A whole new world is waiting / it’s mine for the taking /
I know I can make it, today my life begins”

These were my exact thoughts throughout the Imagine Day. When I first heard of UBC, I knew immediately that this was where my dreams would come to life. Even just being admitted into and studying at this globally-renowned university is already a dream come true. So when I hopped off the 49 bus last Tuesday and saw the genuine excitement painted on the faces of my fellow freshmen, a sudden stroke of epiphany hit me. “I am now in a place full of possibilities. This is where I will spend the next four or more years of my life, so I better make this place mine”, I thought to myself. By “place”, I was not really referring to the physical campus of the university. I was talking about the world that is waiting for me to claim, the life that I am going to make most out of, the diem that I am going to carpe.

 

2) “I’m up all night ’til the sun” (not to get lucky, though)

In spite of being really exhausted on Tuesday night because of Imagine Day (I was all-out in showing my Arts pride during the Pep Rally), it was extremely hard for me to sleep that night. I’m sure it was because of how I was feeling about the next day (the first “official” day of classes for this term). I wasn’t sure whether I was excited or nervous (maybe I was both) about it, but it sure kept me up late.

 

3) Just gonna stand there and watch me burn / That’s alright because I like the way it hurts.

Go ahead, Math 184, just stand there and watch the complexities of functions, limits, and derivatives mercilessly burn my brain. In Grade 12, I detested functions so much that I think I have developed a fear of them since my Pre-Calculus 12 final exam. Clearly, when I added Math 184 to my timetable, I was hoping that functions would play a smaller role in my life. BUT GUESS WHAT? Our Math 184 prof started his first lecture by talking about exponential and inverse functions. The funny thing is, when he started going over them, I didn’t feel scared. I was thrilled. I was positively challenged. I felt like that was my chance to finally be friends with Math.

…then newer, more complicated topics were introduced to us afterwards. My fear of functions came to haunt me down again.

 

4) We’re happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time / It’s miserable and magical

My first two weeks were layered with a steep zigzag of emotions. I must admit that these two weeks weren’t all butterflies and rainbows. Of course, I’m extremely happy to be here. Yes, I feel free that I am going through this journey independently. But it also feels lonely at times to start this journey in such a big university, where each individual seems to be focused on reaching his/her own destination.

Taylor’s right. It’s really magical and miserable at the same time. Miserable because it just hit me how time flies so fast, and now I’m afraid I might not be able to feel this exhilarating journey while I’m in it. Magical because I know that no matter what happens during my time here at UBC, it will have an enormous impact on my life.

 

5) You’ve got the words to change a nation / But you’re biting your tongue / You’ve spent a life time stuck in silence / Afraid you’ll say something wrong / If no one ever hears it how we gonna learn your song?

These are my own words of advice for myself. Honestly, I feel like I have been holding myself back a lot lately. I haven’t been participating in lectures as much as I’d want to, haven’t been introducing myself to as many classmates as I’d like to, and haven’t been attending freshmen orientation events at all. I know I should start being proactive. I know I should start taking more risks. I know I should start building my confidence again. And I promise you I will. I will have the courage to step out of my comfort zone and finally make things happen. It might just take a bit of time.

 

If you want to know more about me, don’t hesitate to check out the “Who am I?” page! 🙂