Tips For First Time Transit Users

As someone that commutes frequently, I know how difficult it can be to deal with transit. The first few times I used it, I panicked and relied on my friends and family for guidance every step of the way. While they can be a great resource, not everyone knows where to begin, and that’s okay! Using transit can feel like a maze no matter how experienced you are. So, here are some tips from a transit pro for your first trip and beyond!

What is a Compass Card and how do I use it?

First things first: a Compass Card will likely be your main form of payment, so it’s probably best to know what it is. There are other forms of fare (eg. tickets, cash…), however if you’ll be in Vancouver for over a week, a Compass Card will likely be the most convenient option. So, what is it?

Well, it’s a type of fare that can be bought for $6 AND reloaded through these options:

• The Compass website
• Any Compass Vending Machine (locations here)
• Over the phone at 604-398-2042
• In-person: here and at the UBC Bookstore

U-Pass or regular fare

As a student, certain universities (including UBC) will provide a monthly U-Pass, which can be accessed here:

1. Select your school
2. Access with your institution’s login information
3. Link a Compass Card

Request (monthly) email/text reminders if desired!

Another option is to opt out of the provided passes and instead load money onto the card as:

• Stored Value: a set amount of money that can be loaded onto the card to be used at any time – best for infrequent commuters!
• Day/Monthly Passes: a purchased (or pre-purchased) pass for the day or month – best for frequent commuters!

Zones and tapping in/out

When purchasing Day/Monthly Passes, it’s important to note the zones. But what does that mean? In short, zones are a way to calculate the price of a trip depending on the geographical location (one-zone or two-zone).
– Zone 1 outlines the border of Vancouver
– Zone 2 outlines the borders of Richmond, New Westminster, and Burnaby
– Zone 3 runs along the entire North Shore.
To learn more about zones, TransLink has all the nitty gritty details here!

Another thing to note is where to tap your card, and when. In BC, the tapping stations will be marked by the blue Compass logo–just gently place the card on top and wait for the green checkmark. While getting on a bus, one tap is enough; for the SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express, tap both in AND out.

Didn’t buy a Compass Card? Tap a credit card instead! A single tap also lasts for 90 minutes, so don’t worry! It won’t charge again within the timeframe. And finally, after thanking the driver, your first trip is complete! I like to plan ahead using Google Maps and the Transit app. Another helpful tip for your first trip is to check for any delays or reroutes! A lot to process, I know, but hopefully this will make your first ride a breeze. Let us know about your transit adventures in the comments below!

The beginning of a term is always an exciting time for me – it’s like a breath of fresh air to start learning new, interesting topics and doing this after reflecting on how the last term went. However, all the new information can be a bit overwhelming. 

After experiencing many “beginning of the term” times throughout my years at UBC, here are the things that I keep in mind to ensure that I have an amazing term! 

Prepare before the first day 

Many courses require that students enter with previous knowledge from past courses. Sometimes, I remember everything well, so I only do a quick review of a section or two. If I require more preparation, I review the main topics and ideas of a past course with old textbooks and assignments. The professor might also share material and exercises by email or on Canvas, such as a ‘math refresher’ to brush up on your math skills or past assignments and exams from a prerequisite course. 

Read the Syllabus

It is important to read the entire syllabus since it contains tons of essential information about the course! Here are the sections I especially find important: 

Course Description and Objectives  

This is a great summary of the content and learning goals. It also indicates the most important concepts and aspects, which can help you study better and provide insight on how to approach assignments. 

Grading Breakdown 

This list shows each graded component (e.g. midterm, assignment) and how much each one weighs for the final grade. 

This is useful to know how much time and resources to put into each component. For example, if an assignment is worth 50% of the final grade, I make sure to spend a lot of time working on it! 

This is also a great place to quickly check that you aren’t forgetting about any graded components. For example, sometimes participation in class is graded. 

Course Schedule / Structure 

The section includes important dates and lists the course contents and activities. 

• I recommend writing down the dates! I use a calendar to write down all the exam dates and assignment deadlines. 
• Check if the contents and pace of the course match your learning style and goals. See if the course is right for you or, in the case that it’s mandatory, if a section with another professor who has a different approach might be a better option. 
• If I miss class, I use this section to see what was taught that day’s lecture. The content list is also helpful for knowing what to study for the exam. 

I hope these tips help make the first few days of your term less hectic! Do you have other tips to prep for the term? Share them below.

This blog post is part of a series! Come back next week to check out part 2 for even more tips. 

Most students think failing a course is the end of the world. However, the reality is that failing a course is not uncommon, especially given the challenges we faced, like: the pandemic, inflation, food security issues, technical difficulties, and more. Like many others, I failed a course during this difficult time but I did not give up on myself. Instead, I took it as an opportunity to reflect and grow and I believe it served as a turning point in my life. I’d like to share my experience with you and walk through the steps I took and the resources I used to help myself move forward. 

The Impact of Failing 

Failing a course means receiving a final grade lower than 50%, which comes with many impacts. First, I received no credit for the course and had to take it again to meet my graduation requirements. This translated into paying tuition again and putting an extra financial burden on myself and my parents. Worse still, I had to re-plan my course schedule and possibly delay graduation. Secondly, the “F” standing stays on my transcript even if I repeat and pass the course. This “F” disqualified me from receiving many scholarships that could have potentially supported me in my academic journey. Lastly, the failing mark I received dragged my GPA down by a lot. This put me at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to course registration and applying for graduate school in the future. 

How I Bounced Back 

Failing a course is not a signal that I don’t belong at UBC but instead, a lesson for me to grow from. Rather than giving up on myself, I sought resources around me and at UBC to help me. 

First, I told everything to my best friend. It’s definitely uncomfortable to talk about; however, talking to others can really help relieve stress, anxiety, and fear. More importantly, my best friend stayed when I had emotional rough patches and supported me in every way. He also helped me reposition myself and gave me valuable advice. Looking back, it would have been impossible for me to figure out everything on my own! 

Second, I went to my faculty academic advisor. I explained my situation to her and asked for suggestions on how I could revise my course plan so that the impacts were minimized. Fortunately, she told me that first-year and second-year courses shouldn’t greatly affect my academic standing or future applications to graduate school! 

Lastly, I went to my enrollment advisor for help with my scholarships and awards. Unfortunately, she told me that students with an “F” standing could lose their eligibility to be considered for scholarships in that academic year. However, she provided me with alternative financial support solutions such as: applying to the Co-op Program, Work Learn job opportunities, as well as the bursary program at UBC. 

Resources

Here are a few other resources that can be helpful when faced with difficulties: the UBC Wellness Center, UBC Wellbeing, UBC Thrive 5, UBC Student Health Service, UBC Counselling and UBC Mental Health Awareness Club. We’re often faced with challenges in our journey, but we don’t have to face them alone! 

ChatGPT has become a popular language model that generates coherent responses to a wide range of questions. From improving your writing skills to helping enhance your creativity, ChatGPT can be a great tool for any student. Here are a few ways I like to use ChatGPT!

Before starting a project or assignment, read up on UBC’s academic integrity policy or talk to an instructor! Currently, the use of AI tools at UBC is a course-level decision and may be prohibited by your instructor. Be aware of your course policy before using ChatGPT, otherwise it’s use could be considered academic misconduct.

1) Projects

In my experience, ChatGPT can be useful in brainstorming, creating a schedule for completing a project, or providing feedback. Staying on track helps me to avoid procrastinating. To help create a project schedule for myself, I ask ChatGPT:

• “I am creating a project that focuses on the effects of climate change on biodiversity. Create a schedule I can follow to stay on track to complete my project in 3 weeks.”

Another great use of ChatGPT is providing feedback on your work:

• “Can you please review my paper on the use of symbolism in ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald and provide feedback on the strength of my arguments and the clarity of my writing? Specifically, can you highlight areas where I could improve my analysis of the symbolism used in the novel?”

2) Studying

Preparing for exams is tough; creating a plan to follow during this time can make it less stressful. ChatGPT can break down topics into subtopics to study, outline main topics to focus on, and create a timeline.

• “Help me create a study timeline for three exams in the next two weeks. I have one on Monday morning, one on Monday afternoon, and the last one on Tuesday. I need a plan to allocate my time effectively and ensure I cover all the material. Can you assist me in creating a study schedule?”

Another great way to use ChatGPT for studying is to generate practice problems that focus on areas you may have difficulty understanding. I use practice problems to ensure I can apply the skills and knowledge I gained in class.

• “Can you generate 10 practice problems on probability and provide solutions for each problem?”

3) Group Work

ChatGPT can help facilitate communication and collaboration during group work. It can help provide a structure to assign individuals topics and portion out the work evenly so that everyone does their part.

• “In our group of three working on a project about postmodern feminist art history, how can we ensure equal workload distribution? Provide strategies for allocating tasks fairly while leveraging individual skills and maintaining project quality.”

ChatGPT can also provide ways to avoid and/or settle disputes between group members (i.e. individuals who are not completing their tasks).

• “Our group is dealing with a team member who consistently fails to complete their assigned work. How can we effectively resolve this dispute and motivate them to fulfill their responsibilities? Provide practical strategies for open communication, accountability, and conflict resolution to restore productivity within our group.”
  

Overall, ChatGPT can be a great resource for project planning, studying and group work. These are just a few ways this AI tool can help to improve your learning experiences. Have another great way to use this resource? Feel free to share them in the comments below!

Part 1 of this series talks about food security initiatives on-campus that any UBC student can access. However, there are also food security resources throughout the metro Vancouver region that may be more convenient or better suited for one’s needs. Like the previous blog post mentioned, students are among one of the most vulnerable groups to the risk of food insecurity. Food insecurity also impacts different groups (income level, race, immigration status, etc.) very differently and since the UBC student population is so diverse, it’s important to also introduce other options outside of the bubble of campus (Polsky & Garriguet, 2022).

Food Insecurity in Canada

Prior to the pandemic, food-insecure Canadians accounted for around 10% of the population (Polsky & Garriguet, 2022). During the pandemic, food insecurity only worsened and exposed the fragility of the issue for a lot of Canadians, highlighting the lack of food access (Polsky & Garriguet, 2022). Across Canada, food insecurity rates differ significantly with race, income, immigration status, gender, and other factors like province, further highlighting the overarching inequalities in the Canadian food system (Tarasuk et al., 2019).

Food Initiative Resource Groups

Within the Vancouver Metropolitan region, there are a lot of different organizations that offer food initiative services and resources. The Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) has locations in Vancouver, Burnaby, North Vancouver, and New Westminster and offers specialized packs of food for certain age groups on top of acting as a food access point. Neighborhood houses such as South Vancouver Neighborhood House (SVNH) also offer food security programs, with SVNH currently launching a food hub program that offers a more long-term solution to food insecurity in their catchment area. Vancouver Neighborhood Food Network offers an interactive map that shows food access points from community centers, religious organizations, and other organizations. Organizations such as Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation (VUFFF) also works towards food security through teaching and exploration of integration of Indigenous- based concepts and relationships with food. They hold an annual “Neighborhood Food Week” that highlights events such as recipe workshops, food related exhibitions, introductory workshops about edible plants, planting at a community garden, and many more related to food security through education.

Getting Involved

The pursuit of food security outside of accessing a reliable and consistent source of food can also be through getting involved in the discussion of food insecurity in your own community. This can be through volunteering or working for/with a community or governmental agency focused on food like the ones mentioned above (Greater Vancouver Food Bank, South Vancouver Neighborhood House, Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation). Additionally, you can reach out to your local representatives to push for more government-based initiatives for food security. This can mean reaching out at UBC or if you live off campus you can find your representative and ask them to help address food insecurity in your neighborhood.

In addition to finding a dependable and consistent source of food, food security can also be achieved through participation in community discussions about food insecurity. This can be done by volunteering or working with community or government agencies focused on food, or by contacting local representatives to advocate for more government-based initiatives to ensure food security for all.

Of course, food insecurity continues to be an issue that cannot be solved with “band aid” or short-term solutions. Working towards food security requires long term solutions while also exploring the inequities in the current complex food system locally, federally, and on a global scale (Tarasuk et. al, 2019). On a community level, supporting local community initiatives or getting involved with discussions of food insecurity or systems continues the progress towards local food security.

References

Lee, S. D., Hanbazaza, M., Ball, G. D. C., Farmer, A., Maximova, K., & Willows, N. D. (2018). Food insecurity among postsecondary students in developed countries: A narrative review. [Food insecurity among postsecondary students] British Food Journal, 120(11), 2660-2680. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-08-2017-0450

Polsky, J., & Garriguet, D. (2022, February 16). Household food insecurity in Canada early in the COVID- 19 pandemic. Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2022002/article/00002-eng.html

Tarasuk, V., Fafard St-Germain, A. A., & Mitchell, A. (2019). Geographic and socio-demographic predictors of household food insecurity in Canada, 2011-12. BMC public health, 19(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6344-2

Photo by Duncan McHugh / LFS Learning Centre

Last semester, UBC students marched across campus denouncing the lack of food security, as well as the lack of affordability across UBC food retailers. This is not a UBC specific issue, as post-secondary students or university students are especially vulnerable to food insecurity (Lee et al., 2018)

Food security is a broad concept that can be broken down to everyone, at any time, being able to access food that is affordable, healthy, and that matches their personal or cultural preferences; access involves to both being able to afford it without worry and to have it available nearby (FAO, 2006).

Need Groceries?

Food affordability is not a new problem on UBC campus and there have been a variety of initiatives launched to lessen the ongoing problem. The Meal Share program is a food security initiative that offers meal swipes at residence dining halls, an E-gift card to a grocery store, or added value to one’s UBC card. Applications to the program are only open for a week per semester in the Fall and Winter terms due to high demand and those who can access the program are chosen through a lottery basis. Despite offering some access to food, the program can be seen as a short-term solution for a very small group of people not really serving as an effective food security measure.

Year-round options include the AMS Food Bank and the re-opened Food Hub Market. AMS Food Bank is an on-campus food bank UBC students can visit up to 16 times per semester to fill up a bag. The Food Hub Market re-opened after a pilot run in the first half of 2022. The
student-run market is located on the main floor of the CIRS building and offers a variety of produce, dairy products/nondairy alternatives, laundry items and other general groceries at affordable prices. You can find their current operating hours here!

Just Looking for a Quick Meal?

There are also a few on-campus retailers that offer food at reduced prices such as Sprouts in the Life Building basement and Agora Café on the basement floor of McMillian. Sprouts strictly offers vegan options while Agora offers a vegetarian-based menu. If you’re on campus later in the day, LFSUS (Land and Food Systems Undergrad Society) also has Wednesday Night Dinners which offers a vegetarian dinner at $5 for non-LFS UBC students and $4 for LFS students and staff, with an additional $2 charge to rent utensils and plates instead of bringing personal Tupperware. Hillel House offers $5 vegetarian lunch every Wednesday from 11:30 to 1:30 pm. Unfortunately, many of these retailers and events don’t run during the summer term. Some clubs and other groups on campus may host events with free or reduced-price food, which may be an opportunity to get some food while also meeting others on campus! A lot of these events are promoted through club social media pages, mostly Instagram!

Joining the Fight!

Pursuing food security on campus can also mean engaging in the discussion. Throughout both terms, different organizations and clubs hold events to discuss food security. A lot of clubs and organizations located on and off campus also have volunteer opportunities for those who want to get involved. If you want to start a project or research the impact of food security on campus, AMS offers multiple grants to fund student-led projects.

Of course, food insecurity and the food-related issues on campus are not just going to get better in an instant, but hopefully, some of these resources can ease part of the accessibility pressure.

References

Lee, S. D., Hanbazaza, M., Ball, G. D. C., Farmer, A., Maximova, K., & Willows, N. D. (2018). Food insecurity among postsecondary students in developed countries: A narrative review. [Food insecurity among postsecondary students] British Food Journal, 120(11), 2660-2680. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-08-2017-0450

“I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them” -Emma Thompson 

Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash 

Reading is an investment of time and energy, resources that are in short supply for the average student. Finding time to read can be difficult for even bibliophiles! Here are some tips that have helped me explore more books while still balancing school. 

1. Have a reading buddy 

I find it easier to complete a book when I share the journey with someone else.  

Have you ever struggled to finish a book? Have you ever read a wonderful story or witty line that you couldn’t wait to share? Good reading buddies bring accountability and fun – just like having study buddies can help with sticking to a study schedule, reading buddies can help keep you on track! As a bonus: reading buddies can turn into long lasting friendships. 

2. Try an audiobook 

After finding out my reading buddy is a speed reader, I discovered a way to keep pace with him: I can listen to a book faster than he can read one. It’s not just me: there is anecdotal evidence of students watching lecture recordings at 2-3x speed during the pandemic. There are lots of perks of listening to a book: you can multitask by cooking, going to the gym, or even taking a shower while “reading” at the same time! Most importantly, listening is not as energy sapping as reading. 

When I think of audiobooks, I think of burgers. If literature is food, then audiobooks are fast food burgers. They can keep you alive, but are they “nutritious” enough to be dependable for the long run? The evidence is mixed, but some researchers have speculated that information retention is lower for audiobooks than printed books (Heid, 2018). However, faced with the prospect of book-starvation, audiobooks are still a good compromise for busy students. Interested in learning more about audiobooks? Here are some more tips, including our favourite listening apps! 

3. Choose the right books 

In my experience, picking the right book is equally as important as preparing to sit down and read. Books, like humans, have different “personalities”. When I find myself bored with a book, it’s not because it’s lacking in content, but rather it’s incompatible with my interests. My favorite technique for finding good books  is to stick to an author I’ve liked in the past. The science behind this approach is simple: each author has a style which influences the “personality” of their books. Another way I like to pick books is to get recommendations from friends. For example, I often consult my co-workers’ recommended books. And it works! 

If a book looks particularly intimidating, consider listening to it rather than reading it; and get a reading buddy to share the journey with. Let us know in the comments below what strategies you use to keep in touch with your favorite books.   

References

Heid, M. (2018, September 6th ). Are Audiobooks As Good For You As Reading? Here’s What Experts Say. Retrieved from Time: https://time.com/5388681/audiobooks-reading-books/