A year of firsts, or how I learned to stop worrying and love university
This is the first instalment in a series of blog posts by second-year Arts student, Breckin Baillie. He shares his experience as a first-year at UBCO, and gives tips about making the most of your university experience.
Hey everyone, my name’s Breckin and I just finished my first year here at UBCO. If you had told me a year ago that this year at university would have been one of my best years ever, I definitely would not have believed you at all. University felt like my Everest: this big insurmountable obstacle that I was fairly certain would chew me up and spit me out.
Chances are that some of the incoming first-years reading this may feel the same way — nervous, uncomfortable, anxious. That’s all normal, I promise, but there are ways to make the transition easier so you can make the most of your first year.
Here are some of the most important lessons I learned this year.
Lesson #1: Find your study groove
University is a big place with lots of distractions. As such, there are lots of times when you have to buckle down and ignore those distractions.
A big part of that is knowing your environment and knowing yourself. I personally tend to work best alone, which means shutting myself in my room to work for a few hours.
Luckily, my roommate is much the same way and I don’t have to ask him to quiet things down all too much. However, I know that that’s just me—some people perform a lot better studying in groups because you can bounce ideas and knowledge off each other.
Everyone’s different, so take some time to learn the best study habits for you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your peer mentor for ideas.
In the next instalment of this blog series, Breckin will talk about taking time away from schoolwork. Make sure to check it out here: Lesson #2: find time to unwind.
Are you a student at UBC’s Vancouver campus? Learn more about UBC Vancouver’s peer coaches and tutors.
About the author
Breckin Baillie is an English major, an avid singer, and a lover of dogs. He is currently in his second year of UBCO’s English program. He plans to continue his education past his undergraduate studies and eventually earn his PhD in English Literature, with an aspiration to one day become a university professor.
