This September, I began my second co-op work term with UVic’s co-op office. While last term, I was the only student in our hallway, this term, I share my room with another person. I was super nervous to meet her. I thought to myself, what if she’s awful? What if she’s rude and has weird particularities about the room temperature?
As it turns out, my officemate is absolutely lovely. We get along splendidly and actually have a lot in common. During one of our regular “how are you this morning” conversations, my officemate told me she was very involved in the Victoria spoken word community.
“I’ve always wanted to attend slam competitions and spoken word performances!” I told her.
“I have a show this Thursday,” she replied. “Feel free to come along and bring some friends.”
As a fourth-year student at UVic, this was a super exciting prospect for me. All of my extracurricular activities were on campus: working out at CARSA, Her Campus, and zumba. So, there was a certain thrill to doing something artistic off campus and discovering a whole new community of highly creative people.
Being invited to her spoken word night made me realize how nice it is to be involved in a community off campus because it gave me a sense of identity that diverges from “UVic student.” For such a long time, I have felt like my identity is only that of a student, which has made me feel like I’ve lost a bit of myself from high school: Carly, the ballerina; Carly, the field hockey girl; and Carly, the actress. Now, I feel like just Carly, the student who is super involved with on-campus clubs—typical.
Maybe you relate! Maybe you’re a transfer student who wants regular distance from campus during the evenings. Or, maybe you’re just a first year but you want to create an identity for yourself that goes beyond “student.” If so, here are seven activities to get involved with off campus.
1. Spoken word
There’s a prominent arts scene in Victoria with museums, theatre and even poetry! Spoken-word is not only greatly entertaining but many shows are also quite affordable to attend in comparison to other art productions. Blake Jacob, who is very involved in the spoken word community, had this to say about getting involved: “the Victoria Poetry Project, which runs Tongues of Fire, Victoria Slam, and other spoken-word poetry events, is super welcoming of new attendees. Events happen on most Wednesday nights at Caffé Fantastico on Quadra. Spoken-word artists travel from all over North America to headline!”
2. Stand-up and improv
There’s a big comedy scene in Victoria, with everything from improv troupes to stand-up shows. Sophie Crocker, President of Vikes Improv, says, “if you want to get involved in stand-up, try open mic nights, even if the event isn’t specifically for comedy—some venues welcome acts of all sorts. Stand-up is a great way to prove yourself TO yourself.”
3. Writing
Want to get more involved in the creative writing scene? It doesn’t have to be your major! Check out readings at the Copper Owl and join a writing group on meetup.com to write with like-minded individuals.
4. Field hockey
While this sport may be less commonly played in Canada, university is the time to try new things. Join one of the leagues in Victoria, get assigned to a team and start participating in weekly practices and games!
5. Yoga
Not everyone is a gym junkie. Some prefer a more calm approach to exercise. If that sounds like you, then Google the nearest yoga studio to your home and register for the first month of unlimited classes. If that type of yoga isn’t for you, try a different studio nearby to find the right fit.
6. Running
Victoria is such an active community, and with that, there are tons of races to set your goals high! Sign up for the MEC Victoria Race Series or the UrbaCity Challenge. Sign up with a friend or have your friends support you when you cross the finish line. To start training, join a running group. The Running Room and Frontrunners usually have groups organized through their stores, or you could join one on meetup.com.
7. Dance
Dancing is not only a great party trick, but also a great way to meet new people. If you are interested in a more classical style, try Tuesday night drop-in ballet classes at Ballet Victoria. If you’ve done ballet before, try the Intermediate-level ballet classes on Thursday nights (also at Ballet Victoria). If classical ballet isn’t for you, attend Red Hot Swing on Saturday nights to learn swing dance, with food offered, live music (once a month) and a beginners class at the start of the night!
All in all, no matter what activity you want to pursue off campus, what’s most important is that you are putting yourself out there and taking care of your mental well-being. Developing a sense of self that goes beyond the identity of “student” is super healthy, especially when exam season rears its ugly head.