I can’t believe the past four years are coming to an end. Even though I’m not walking the stage today, most of my friends are and it is wonderful to see all of their hard work being celebrated by families and friends. I still remember the day when it all began, Frosh 2008. I hopped on the 99 B-line to UBC with my small luggage to get ready for a weekend away from home to experience some “Sauder” orientation. We all know what happened during that weekend. After party at that ghetto East Van skateboard building, yup. From that day on, I met an amazing group of friends – people who shared long hours, tears, worries, laughter and most of all, stories with each other. Thank you everyone for all the lessons, memories and inspirations. Knowing that I have a great support system of friends to bounce off ideas and opinions with is beyond awesome and I am forever grateful. As this chapter of our lives closes, I am looking forward to seeing and hearing from you all as our “real life” world opens. Even though we are not in the same building/place as we continue on with our life journey, we are always just a Facebook, Twitter status and photo updates apart. Keep in touch, Sauder Grads 2012!
To round it up, I leave you with 5 tips that I have accumulated from my past four years at UBC and Sauder School of Business. Enjoy!
1. 5 is the new 4. It’s OK to graduate in 5 years. I wish I knew about this earlier because I would have planned things better and took opportunities that being a student can have. Having more time also gives you the opportunity to try different things and see which ones you have a strong passion for.
2. Exchange – heck yes! I cannot stop raving how much my exchange mean to me because it is still so surreal how much I have grown just in 4 months. Exchange is all about experiential learning. It gives you the chance to learn outside the classroom and learn from different situations you are thrown into every single day. Plus, you gain a bunch of friends from all over the world, which gives you an excuse to travel and visit them.
3. Get out of your own bubble. Be involved in other clubs/organizations outside your faculty. It’s a great way to meet other people who have different interests and experiences than you during university life.
4. Explore the most beautiful campus on earth. Living at home did not give me much of a chance to experience university life at UBC but seriously we have the best campus ever – the mountains, the water, the gardens. My favorite view is the one facing the mountains and water with the rose garden. Morning walks to Anthropology building for a 10am class was a sweet way to end this semester.
5. Spend time with your university friends! Everyone is leaving and is off to their new adventure and honestly, it is going to be hard to schedule a lunch or even a dinner date with everyone together (having the same problem right now :P). Make sure to spend time with them as much as you can while you’re still in school together. For me, this past semester was the best because not only did I reconnect with some of my friends whom I have not talked to since first year, it also helped me to continue building the strong friendship that I already have with them as the years come.
Congratulations Sauder Grad 2012! The butterflies must be running endlessly in your stomach today as you cross the stage. I can’t wait to experience it next year and share the moment with the rest of the graduates.
“Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” – Richard Bach.