12 Ways UBC Wants to Enrich Your Life

Being a college student can mean lots of things, but at UBC we want it to mean that you are loved and accepted and challenged to grow in your faith… and that we show that in very practical ways like…

1. Free food! It’s true: free food tastes better. And we want to feed you every chance we get. Your food is provided for you on campus? You do your own grocery shopping? We don’t care… we know it’s nice to have home-cooked food, so we do our best to make your tummy full and happy whenever we can.  Sometimes we do this through…
2. Adopted families. Some days you miss your family. Some days they make you crazy. Either way, we want to give you a home-away-from-home by letting a UBC family “adopt” you. Some families like to take you out to eat. Some like to have you over to their house. Some welcome your laundry. Some have kids or pets you can play with. Some like to watch you compete or perform. But every family is great… and could be greater with you as the newest member of the family.

12 Tips for New Freshman

1. It’s exciting to leave for college, but it can also be scary and lonely sometimes. If you’re going to a campus where you know no one, it can seem like you’re the only stranger around. Remember that everyone else is making new friends too; you’re not the lone outsider. Remember that old song “make new friends and keep the old; one is silver and the other gold”? It’s true.
2. Get some sleep. Maybe you’re a morning person. Maybe a night owl. Maybe naps in the middle of the day work great for you. Any of these is fine, as long as you know your body and care for it. If you have an early class, staying up until 2 or 3 am may not be so smart. Bedtimes are not just for babies. Respect your schedule and your body.
3. Reinvent yourself. Don’t like who you were in high school? This is your big chance to be your new self. Be careful to be true to who you really are though, so you don’t betray or exhaust yourself trying to be someone you’re just not.

12 Ways You CAN Cook for Yourself

So it’s time to move off-campus, and you don’t know what to eat? College students have survived for generations on cheap, quick, easy menu items, and you will too. Granted, they may not all be the healthiest options, but yes, you will survive. Here, a sampling of some proven favorites and old stand-bys, for when Mom’s leftovers just aren’t an option.

1. Kraft macaroni & cheese
2. Chunky soup
3. Tuna & crackers
4. Grilled cheese sandwich
5. Hamburger Helper
6. Frozen dinners
7. Spaghetti
8. Nachos
9. Pizza kits
10. Chicken nuggets
11. Frozen burritos
12. A banana

And we didn’t even mention Ramen noodles!

Courtesy of the UBC Staff

12 Reasons to Love Dorm Life

1. You don’t have to clean the bathroom.
2. You don’t have to go grocery shopping.
3. You don’t have to wash dishes.
4. You don’t have to find a parking place just to go to class.
5. The open door policy and the lounge offer built-in social opportunities.
6. The open door policy and the lounge offer built-in procrastination opportunities!
7. Free cable TV.
8. The on-campus computer help desk or hotline solves tech problems for you.
9. Amazing networking opportunities for advice on which professors to take or avoid.
10. The room comes furnished, making move-in and move-out that much easier.
11. The community you find there is generally not equaled in any off-campus housing options.
12. A shorter commute to class means you can sleep later in the morning.

Kathy Raines, UBC College Minister

12 Activities You Should Consider

These aren’t always your typical college brochure tips, but they are a great diversion from the academics that got you to college in the first place. There are soooo many ways to make memories and have fun; here are just a few to get your brainstorming started.

1. Opera. Don’t know if you like opera? What better way to find out than on campus? And, it turns out, if you have a friend performing in said opera, it’s a great excuse for inviting a really cute mutual friend to be your date… even if a romantic interest is never reciprocated.

2. Foreign films. Yeah, you’ve seen movies. You’ve seen flicks. But have you checked out on-campus or local art house schedules? They’re usually either free or dirt cheap, and pretty stinkin’ entertaining too.

3. Ballet.  It’s kind of like the opera thing. Find out what events your friends are involved in, then go watch them perform or compete, or whatever their activity does. You’d be surprised how many options are out there to broaden your horizons.

4. Monster trucks.Seriously, though, let’s not let the pendulum swing too far one way. You’ve got to find some balance in life. See what other “shows” are coming through town, and get some of the other kind of culture too.