Gray gives us the rundown on his exchange to Slovenia, and thoughts as a senior.
Basics:
Name: Gray MorfopoulosÂ
Year: SeniorÂ
Hometown: Vancouver, BCÂ
Birthday: February 9th, 1996
Major: International RelationsÂ
UBC Life:Â
Involvement on Campus: Residential Advisor, UBC Vice: peer support for students struggling with addictionÂ
Best Class: Poli 240 with EriksonÂ
Worst Class: History 105Â
Favourite Place to Eat on Campus: Mercante for the pizza, Koerner’s Pub for the drinks and vibeÂ
Experience as an Exchange student in Slovenia last year:
Why did you choose to go on an exchange?
I’ve always liked to travel and I wanted to see and experience the culture of Europe, including the differences in academics between Canada and Europe and all the cliches, like broadening my horizons and meeting new people.Â
Was Slovenia your top choice? Why or Why not? Â
Yes, for three reasons: one, it’s central, which makes travel easy between Western and Eastern Europe; two, it’s not a big tourist destination, which meant it was mostly locals; three, I wanted to experience the academics of a post-communist country…it was interesting.Â
Did you have any other choices?Â
I was also interested in Barcelona and Copenhagen.Â
What was the best thing about the exchange?Â
The variety of people I met. There was a couple thousand exchange students which I was not expecting. Everyone had their own perspectives and cultures, which made it really interesting.Â
What was the worst thing?
UBC gave me high expectations on student services and academics, and the accommodations [in Slovenia] were nothing like here…the overall academic experience was not of the same caliber…it made me really appreciate the facilities at UBC.Â
What was the biggest culture shock?Â
The party culture…it was interesting to see. It was a much more laid back lifestyle…more of a work-life balance.Â
Senior Year Thoughts:
What are your plans for postgrad?Â
Taking the LSAT, applying to law school, and possibly doing a masters in public policy.
What is your dream job?
I’d really like to work as either a practicing lawyer, or in public policy.Â
What are you most looking forward to this year?Â
Being back at UBC and participating in as many student initiatives that I can…making the most out of my last year!Â
Advice for Freshman?
Don’t be afraid to get involved on campus. I wish I had done that sooner…UBC is a really big place and it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. Also, don’t neglect academics, and take classes that you are interested in because you will naturally do better. Â