Hello! I’m Judith Chow and I’m a first year Arts student at the University of British Columbia
(Vancouver Campus)! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via email at judith.chow767@gmail.com!
When it comes to out of province schools, things can get a lot more complicated. The biggest consideration before considering being so far from home is knowing yourself. Specifically, evaluate how independent you are and your ability to stay true to yourself and what you believe in. This does not mean you have to have all the answers though, leaving home may even be your first step to getting to knowing yourself better!
About UBC
Pros:
The UBC Vancouver campus is probably one of the most beautiful campuses with mountains and the Pacific Ocean as your backyard
UBC is an extremely international school and as a result UBC constantly aims to house at least 50% of their students with guaranteed first year residence.
Public transportation in Vancouver is very convenient and your tuition covers a compass card (essentially a presto card) which really encourages you to go out and explore
Being a UBC student means you will have access to a lot of free movies, free music performances, free entrance into multiple museums/galleries, and of course a huge database for research. (There is an endless list, I just have not discovered them yet!)
Amazing support networks available in case you ever feel a little down!
Cons:
Residence can cost significantly more than other universities
It is likely that you will not have as many of your friends going with you, and you will also be a considerable distance from your family so you’ll have to learn to balance friendships back at home and new friends on campus
Flying is not always cheap and traveling can be tedious
More on UBC Arts
General considerations:
The Bachelor of Arts is meant to be a four-year degree program under the Faculty of Arts (may vary depending on how you choose to complete your program)
You spend your first two years in general arts, choosing either a pre-organized timetable or custom timetable for you to explore your interests before declaring or applying to a major. This means there is no rush in finding out what you like and there’s room to make mistakes
There are writing, literature, science, and language requirements you must meet in order to graduate. These are not meant to be intimidating and there are many specific courses created to help you accomplish these requirements
Pros:
Especially as an Arts student, living in Vancouver can be extremely enjoyable because it is like living in an art hub where you are constantly surrounded by all forms of art
There is a lot of freedom in choosing what and when you want to learn. This is also one of the only programs where you generally have the freedom to explore almost all pathways (there are A LOT of electives)
Cons:
It can become a little difficult managing all your requirements and how many credits you need to complete each year. I highly advise creating a tentative plan for entering your major sometime during your first year, especially if you have decided to create your own custom timetable
The Faculty of Arts in UBC is the largest faculty and so it can sometimes be difficult to find friends with the same interests, but it also means there are more people to meet!
Final Thoughts
UBC Arts gives you full control over what you want to accomplish and provides an endless amount of resources. I am currently working towards a Film Studies Major, which is not to be confused with Film Productions, and would be happy to share more about the process if you are interested. Again, if you have any further questions about UBC or managing the transition to out of province schools feel free to contact me via email at judith.chow767@gmail.com
Helpful Links:
First Year Arts Programs (timetable information):
Vancouver Transportation (just for giggles):
Arts Degree Requirements:
Possible specializations (majors) and program options:
Comments