Welcome to the UBCO Health and Wellness blog. I hope this blog will be a way for you to keep current on the many changes that are happening in health in this part of the world. I hope that this blog will inspire you to learn about and improve your own health; and through sharing stories, thoughts, and opinions, I also hope that it can be a way for you to get to know the staff at the Health and Wellness centre better.
School starts back in three weeks. If you are a first time student at the campus—welcome to your campus! If you are a returning student, it is good to see you again! My wish is for a rewarding and successful year for all of you.
As for me, I am a life long student. I started as an undergraduate at the University of Winnipeg prior to the computer-age when I was 17–and now I am currently working on a doctorate in clinical psychology. I hope to graduate some day but in the meantime I am enjoying my studies.
In addition to being a student, I am the Director of Health and Wellness where I oversee the day-to-day running of the unit. I feel incredibly lucky to work where I do and do what I do at UBC. I have worked at this institution for about ten years.
What I do know about school is this: you will be here for four or five years or for some of you, even longer. You will have both incredibly good and some not-so-good experiences. You will have opportunities to interact with all sorts of people while at UBC. Some of those interactions will be great and memorable and others well, you may want to file the others. I hope you will have the opportunity to start life-long friendships. To be successful at UBC you will need to step outside of your comfort zone from time to time—I highly recommend this. Be safe but try things that will challenge you and make you a stronger, better human being. Remember the UBC motto (and yes, I googled the meaning of it): “Tuum est” means “its yours” or “it is up to you.”
Now my advice for the next year from one human being to another—keep tabs on your health and take care of it. Study hard. Learn to play Bridge. Ask questions in class. Call your mom and dad or whoever is important in your life once a week to let them know how you are doing. Fall in love but don’t be afraid to walk away when you need to. Learn the names of your professors and teaching assistants and check out their office hours and greet them by name. Exercise, play fair, get plenty of sleep, and care for each other when you go out in the world.
Have courage and be kind! Expand your world! Tuum est! Welcome to UBC!
– Roger Wilson
Director, UBC Okanagan Health and Wellness