
Icon made by ultimatearm from Flaticon, CC BY 4.0
Travelling is a fun and rewarding experience… at least when you are on vacation. However, moving for university can often feel completely different. You are moving to a different neighbourhood, perhaps a different city, or perhaps an entirely different country! So how should we prepare to move to university, and what should we do once we get here?
Speaking from my own experience, the move was quite daunting. For one, I was moving from my hometown (Hong Kong) to a country on the other side of the Pacific! What’s more, I have no family here (not even relatives). I would be on my own, with no friends or family by my side…
Of course the story is not all gloom and doom. Good news! I have lots of friends here and university is going pretty well (if you subtract all the COVID madness). So back to the question in the title: how did I move for university, and what was it like?
First came disorientation.
You are in a new environment with new faces and new rules. Even if you studied at a high school half an hour away from the UBC, university still functions quite differently. For one, your basic lifestyle is different. For one, you no longer live with your family, and you may even be living with a roommate (someone you did not know!). I obviously do not live around here so commuting was not an option (will consider it when teleportation becomes available!). What’s more, you’re living where you are learning (most first years are guaranteed housing on campus, which was where I lived). Balancing learning time and leisure time had never been so tricky… (to be fair, I did actually go to a boarding high school, but my high school was a lot smaller and it was the first time that I was living alone in such a large, open environment).
Then came realisation.
I realised that I was on my own to navigate this new environment. Some of us may have friends who accompany us to university, but no one from my high school ended up going to UBC… Except me… Another revelation for me was that despite being a student, you were now treated like an adult. Sure, there were orientations and information sessions that I attended, but gone were the teachers and advisors who kept reminding you to submit that piece of homework (or report, or whatever assignment you got in high school). These were now my responsibilities, and it was a bit overwhelming at first.
After a while came reorientation.
It was not before long that I began to figure out some basics of university life, and I will share some tips here that might be helpful.
For one, I made sure to familiarise myself with the physical learning space (the humongous Vancouver campus). UBC could be a city on its own, and making sure that you know what’s where could be pretty useful knowledge. Classes at university could take place in multiple buildings, some of which could be twenty minutes apart by foot. So locating key buildings is key! I know you may be reading this at a time when we are all taking online courses, so imagine that you are mapping out your online learning environment. I have found it particularly helpful to create a Zoom “map” for myself. Instructors might send their Zoom links through multiple emails, and these could get “lost” once your inbox gets flooded.

A “virtual map” of my classes this term (links censored)
I also made sure to make new friends. Luckily, UBC provides a wealth of opportunities to connect with people through various events, clubs, and gatherings. I met my closest friends at a barbeque event at my residence (Totem Park) early on in the term, and I also met many people through an MUN (Model United Nations) conference later on. Now, you may be thinking: but nothing’s in-person these days. Worry not! Many of these activities are still available online in spite of COVID. I have provided a few links below to some virtual events, feel free to check them out! Also, while you are here, you have to check out and sign up for one of the Chapman Learning Commons events (totally not shameless self-promotion).
Another thing worth mentioning is the importance of finding yourself in this new environment. This may sound like an esoteric or meditative process, but we’re not talking about any metaphysical revelations here (although I don’t mind talking about that some other time). What I mean here is the act of rediscovering yourself in relation to this new environment. For example, I was an extremely disorganised person before coming to university (still am to some extent), but because I was largely left to my own devices here, I had to start planning. When should I start preparing for class? When should I pay the bills? When should I go to this meeting? I also realised that I really like going on walks. UBC is right next to the beautiful Pacific Spirit Regional Park. Coming from Hong Kong (which we locals like to call the “concrete jungle”), being surrounded by nature was a great way to de-stress from all the schoolwork.
Finally, after reorientation came settlement.
I had finally settled down and was getting used to life at university. Enjoying everyday life with friends and a wonderful campus provided many great moments for me. I still fondly recall these moments as some of the best times in my life (seriously, it was that awesome!).
And that was my experience of moving for university. Of course, this year is a bit special, as the physical element of classroom learning is a bit lacking due to COVID-19. However, UBC still offers many opportunities during the pandemic, including learning resources. For instance, the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre (IKB) is still open to students via online registration, and so is the Student Nest (no registration required for the latter). The campus itself is open (even if some buildings are closed), and you are always welcome to explore the Pacific Spirit Regional Park (nature is never closed!).
Useful Links:
- UBC Library Events
- UBC Connects (guest lectures series)
- UBC Alumni
- Follow your faculty/department on social media (e.g. – Twitter, Facebook) or join a mailing list for more program-specific events!