It seems like just yesterday that I was moving into my first-year residence, but after four and a half years, I’ve finally made it to this point: the final term of my undergrad. When you’re in the middle of something as intensive as working towards a Bachelor’s degree, it can be difficult to remember to appreciate experiences that you come across, especially while they’re happening all so fast.
For me, first and second year were a blur. I had moved a few provinces away from home and didn’t know anybody at UBC or anything about Vancouver. In short, I was intimidated. I spent most of my time trying to figure out what courses to take because I was trying to decide on what I wanted to major in. The rest of my time was spent on snack runs and binge watching TV shows on Netflix.
Come third year, I was much more comfortable as a student at UBC and in my personal life as a part-time Vancouverite. Once I had finally made the decision about what I was majoring in, I devoted the year to planning the rest of my degree and tackling those major requirements. While that was all coming together, I was still trying to find a part time job, and working towards possible disciplines to minor in.
In fourth year, I set the bar for my workload and study habits. I had been accepted to pursue my chosen minor and I was focused on completing all my credits to keep on track to graduate in the following year. I had also kept the part time job that I had gotten over the summer. On top of all of that, I became more involved on campus.
Fifth year: the final lap. I had hoped it to be a more relaxed year, but it ended up a somewhat frantic experience. I was focused on making sure that I had all my credits to graduate, then I had to apply to graduate and then I continued to worry about the number of credits I had.
Despite all my worrying, I also tried to step back to realize that this is the last time that I’ll get to experience certain events and places. For example: no more crowded, morning trips on the 99 B-line, no more waiting in line for the Triple-O’s Tuesday deal, and no more late nights in the Koerner Library basement. In just four months, this term will be over and a month later I’ll be graduating on towards more new experiences. From my first day in university to right now there have been moments that I’m glad I had been a part of, moments I wish I could forget, and moments I wish that I could remember more clearly.
To reiterate a cliché … starting this final term of my undergrad has been bittersweet. I’ve learned a lot, both inside lecture halls and out, and I’m going to miss the community that I’ve created for myself here. While I’m sad that these five years of my undergrad are slowly wrapping up, I’m excited for what lies ahead.