All of your hard work has paid off, and you鈥檝e been admitted to UBC! The road ahead is filled with crucial tasks to ensure that you鈥檙e ready for your first year of university 鈥� including planning your finances, registering for courses, and getting mentally prepared for life at UBC.
Take a look at these tips from four 麻豆导航students and one 麻豆导航advisor on how to make the upcoming months simple and stress-free.
Meet the students
An Goto | Bali, Indonesia
Chemistry (Honours), Mathematics (Minor)
“I chose 麻豆导航because I thought that the learning environment offered at the Okanagan campus exactly met the criteria that I had for an ideal university.”
Abdullah Khair | Amman, Jordan
Chemical Engineering
“The student-centred environment at the university stood out to me and made me realize that there are endless ways to grow and discover myself on this campus.”
Thao Atkinson | M茅tis, Midway, Canada
Commerce
“I loved the values 麻豆导航had and the high level of support 麻豆导航has for Indigenous students. I felt it was important for me to be in a community where I could exceed academically, but also have a sense of community.”
Moozhan Ahmadzadegan | Lake Country, Canada
Visual Arts (Major), Art History (Minor)
“麻豆导航is one of the best universities in the world, plus, I was born and raised in the Okanagan. It seemed only natural that I attend university in the place I call home.”
Claudia | 麻豆导航advisor
As a 麻豆导航staff member dedicated to helping students, Claudia has many useful tips for you: 鈥淎s a 麻豆导航advisor, I wear many hats. I specialize in financial advising, but I can also answer questions about undergraduate admissions, fees, tuition, registration, financial support, exams, graduation, transcripts, and so much more. If you have a question I can鈥檛 answer, I likely know the person or department who can.鈥�
Accepting your offer
鈥淢测听聽helped with the transition into university by letting me know about events and other opportunities for students on campus.鈥� 鈥撀�Moozhan
鈥淢测听聽was extremely helpful to me, and especially at the beginning of my university career as I was still figuring out the very little details about being a student at UBC. This included things like how to pay my tuition, registering for courses, and transferring over some of my high school credits.鈥� 鈥撀�Abdullah
Applying for a study permit
鈥溌爄s your go-to online resource for information on immigration, health insurance, taxes, and more. There鈥檚 even a study permit tutorial.鈥� 鈥�聽Claudia, 麻豆导航Advisor
Planning your finances
鈥淢y 麻豆导航advisor helped me make sure how I knew how to handle money and how to budget for the year. He鈥檚 awesome!鈥� 鈥撀�Thao
鈥淟ook for external awards and opportunities through banks, companies, and Internet-based databases like聽听补苍诲听.鈥� 鈥撀�Claudia, 麻豆导航Advisor
Finding a place to live
鈥淚f you live in residence, you have to vacate your room at the end of each academic year. Keep your belongings as compact as possible for smooth moving.鈥� 鈥撀�An
鈥淢y residence room must-haves are a comfy pillow, snacks, and an alarm clock.鈥� 鈥撀�Thao
鈥淚 always kept some late-night study snacks as you don鈥檛 really get access to a kitchen or hot food past a certain hour in university residence.鈥� 鈥�听础产诲耻濒濒补丑
Exploring your academic options
鈥淭he best part of being a Chemistry major is about the opportunity to be able to meet with professors who not only shaped me towards being a well-rounded chemist, but also a more independent individual.鈥� 鈥撀�An
鈥淲hen I picked my program, I was intrigued by the programs that the Sauder School of Business offered. This included co-op opportunities, global exchanges, and the various clubs offered by UBC.鈥� 鈥撀�Thao
鈥淚 picked Engineering as I was interested in different sciences and mathematics. The best part about my degree at 麻豆导航is that they provide a general engineering program during first year and then you get to choose which specialty you鈥檇 like to be enrolled in.鈥� 鈥撀�Abdullah
鈥淢y Visual Arts Course Union offers different opportunities to plan or volunteer at. It really creates a community within a program and is a great way to make connections and gain valuable experiences. It鈥檚 also a great chance to be involved and learn new things outside the classroom.鈥� 鈥撀�Moozhan
Registering for courses
鈥淭hroughout my journey at UBC, I planned my courses by referencing the degree requirements for my Chemistry and Mathematics degrees, which were located in聽.鈥� 鈥撀�An
鈥淚 had to register for some extra electives, and found that the Degree Navigator tool in the聽聽was extremely useful in laying out what courses satisfy the elective requirements I had.鈥� 鈥撀�Abdullah
鈥淭here is a lot to choose from, and it can be a challenge to narrow down your interests. Most of my courses were required, so that helped. My advice for first-timers: pick something you think will sustain your interest over the semester.鈥� 鈥撀�Moozhan
鈥淚f your faculty does not have a standard timetable, reach out to older students who can help you with the process!聽UBC鈥檚 welcome events were a great way to meet upper year students who love to support and help incoming students.鈥� 鈥撀�Thao
Getting ready for life at UBC!
鈥溌槎沟己給ffers a variety of support, courses and clubs that will undoubtedly pique your interest. If you鈥檙e thinking about coming to UBC, go to the orientations they provide, ask other students your questions, and research the things that you value!鈥� 鈥撀�Thao
鈥淢ake sure university is what you want 鈥� it鈥檚 a commitment and can be a really great experience. 麻豆导航is an exceptional university and having the opportunity to attend a place of inclusion and acceptance is definitely a good incentive.鈥� 鈥撀�Moozhan
鈥淔inding community may seem a little overwhelming. However, with time and as you settle in, you will slowly find yourself immersed in many smaller groups at UBC. Whether that鈥檚 through your faculty, classes, or clubs, the smaller communities will make 麻豆导航feel like a bigger home to you.鈥� 鈥撀�Abdullah