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Reasons to live in residence

By Andy Gregory on January 23, 2014

Happy young university students studying with books in library

At UBC, we’re big believers in the benefits of living in residence. And we’re not alone. Researchers back us up and the students, themselves, do too.

From the scientists

Research has shown that, compared to students who commute, residence students:

  • Are more comfortable with the campus environment and more satisfied with their university experience.
  • Have more interaction with a diversity of faculty and staff, resulting in greater opportunity for mentoring relationships, academic discussion and exploration of ideas.
  • Demonstrate greater gains in critical thinking.
  • Show more rapid development of social and interpersonal skills.
  • Experience greater personal growth and development.
  • Have higher self-esteem, feel better about themselves, their accomplishments and demonstrate more self-confidence.
  • Develop greater tolerance for different cultures and lifestyles, learning how to break down cultural biases and stereotypes.
  • Build stronger friendships, and experience a greater sense of community.
  • Are more involved in residence and campus extra-curricular and volunteer activities. In doing so, they gain “functionally transferrable” skills that will aid them throughout their lives. Skills such as:
    • Interacting/working with others in small groups.
    • Managing a budget.
    • Expressing one’s ideas in formal or informal meetings.
    • Negotiating with administration.
    • Creating and following through on projects.
    • Are more likely to graduate from university.

Best news of all? Research suggests the net effects of residence living tend to be cumulative, and may increase in magnitude over the resident’s university career.

From the students

Students love living in residence. Here are a few reasons why:

  • Residence staff make us feel welcome.
  • Making new friends from the great mix of people on my floor.
  • Quiet study hours and easy access to information.
  • Support when times are tough.
  • Planned activities help me get to know my neighbours.
  • The events—fun, fun, fun!
  • Participating in intramural sports.
  • Emphasis on respect for diversity.
  • Meeting intelligent, creative, open-minded people.
  • A good balance between academics and social activity.
  • Learning to live with different people.
  • Chances to participate and try new activities.
  • Life here is good!

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Shared Living

By Andy Gregory on January 22, 2014

By Brook Jones, UBC student

Living in residence with dozens of peers, and no parents, is probably new. And as with any new experience, there may be a few adjustments to make.

Luckily, the key to success is summed up in one word: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. That’s how Aretha Franklin spelled it, and who am I to argue with the First Lady of Soul? The only way to keep these shared living spaces from falling into utter chaos is by showing respect for your roommates, housemates and floor mates.

Different strokes

One of the great things about living in residence is being close to friends and peers. But it can sometimes be a drawback. For example, everyone has their own standard of acceptable noise levels, which can vary depending on the day, time, and whether exams are happening.

Realize that you’re a member of an academic community. You need to respect your neighbours’ noise level needs and they need to respect yours. If you can do that, and be willing to compromise, you’ll definitely be able to make residence livable.

Clean up your act

Cleanliness is another area where respect is paramount. You’ll share hallways, a lounge and, possibly, a room. And each one of you will have your own definition of acceptable cleanliness. It’s important to establish standards and cleaning responsibilities. With common areas it’s simple:

  • Be tidy.
  • Don’t let food rot in the fridge.
  • Clean your dirty dishes promptly.

Housekeeping staff tidy common areas, but only the basics. You and your neighbours are all responsible for keeping these areas clean and tidy. Leaving a large mess might result in your floor being charged for the cleanup.

Talk it out

Respect for others is the guiding principle of residence contracts, which all residents agree to before moving in. For questions, or if you feel disrespected, contact your Residence Advisor. They are there to help resolve these sorts of situations. Remember, a little Aretha goes a long way.

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Advice for parents and guardians

By IT Support on January 17, 2014

Mother and daughter looking at computer together

Parents and guardians frequently ask how they can support their adult child while at university. Every family is unique. But we’ve observed some common themes that might help.

Before they leave

In general, parents and guardians should be supportive and trusting, encourage independence and provide a safety net. Before they leave for university:

  • Familiarize yourself with campus resources and phone numbers.
  • Ask your student to share important emails from the university admissions office.
  • Check the academic year schedule for significant dates.
  • Read the Residence Contract.

Additional tip: Pick up a copy of Don’t Tell Me What To Do, Just Send Money—The Essential Parenting Guide to the College Years, by Helen Johnson and Christine Schelhas-Miller. It offers a clear, current look at issues students and parents will face. If you only have time to read one book as your student starts university, make it this one.

While they’re away

It’s important to email or call. But, don’t wait by your laptop or phone to hear back. Students may want to know more about what’s going on at home and be less inclined to let you know what’s going on with them. Accept that you won’t know every detail of your child’s life. Show concern about how they’re doing, ask questions, but try not to invade their privacy. Often students want to let you know what is happening at their own pace.

Be prepared for “the phone call.” Often it comes just after midterms or near the end of first term. At that point, work is piling up, marks aren’t what they’d expected, they’re feeling overwhelmed and their coping skills begin to fail. They’re upset and, chances are, they’re going to call you. Don’t panic. Remember that this is normal and, as much as you’d like to alleviate their stress, you cannot (and should not) fix their problems. They will rely on you to reassure them they can successfully work through the challenges.

When they come home

Understand that your student may have difficulties returning home for holidays. For the several months they’ve been concerned about only their daily routine and lived without family rules. When they come home, it’s a transition for everyone.

Stock up on favourite foods for your visiting student and have plenty of laundry detergent on hand. Even though student life might be great, avoid rhapsodizing about university as the best years of one’s life. For students struggling with exams, papers and career worries, your fond memories can be of little comfort.

The academic expectations at UBC are rigorous. It’s normal for students with high marks in high school to get far lower grades at UBC. This may come as a shock to both you and your student. Don’t let him or her get down about it, but encourage them to get help. Students who seek assistance typically get back on track and do just fine.

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Take care of your health

By Andy Gregory on January 22, 2014

Young woman resting in bed

By Guy Robertson, contributor

Communal living can be challenging. You’ve got to accommodate other people and their (sometimes) annoying habits. They can be noisy and untidy. Occasionally they make you sick. And vice versa. Consider following a few simple rules to make residence life healthier for everyone.

1. Moderation

Your university years are a great time to eat, drink, exercise, study and celebrate – all in moderation. Exercise is good for you until you overdo it and injure yourself. Study is essential, but sleep-deprived study sessions can weaken academic performance. Partying can be fun, but too many late nights leads to exhaustion and poor grades.

2. Cleanliness

One of the best ways to avoid colds and flu is to wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water and dry them using a clean towel. When? Before eating, after using the washroom, and after working in a lab, kitchen or high-traffic area such as a lecture theatre or study hall.

  • Avoid sharing towels, washcloths, toothbrushes and razors with others.
  • Dispose immediately of tissues, dental floss and bandages.
  • Don’t spit in public places. It’s a health risk and just plain disgusting.

3. Rest

Nobody wants to share your germs. If you’re sick, stay in bed and get rest. Most of your professors, teammates and friends will forgive your absence. Learn the symptomatic differences between a cold and flu and take your doctor’s advice to get better.

4. Vaccines

One of the best ways to avoid the flu is by getting an annual flu shot. Consider updating other common vaccines before moving into residence, especially the vaccine for meningococcal menin­gitis. Check B.C.’s immunization website for information about which vaccines are advised and for whom. 

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How to live green

By Andy Gregory on January 22, 2014

Young people planting a tree

By Kai Okazaki, sustainability student coordinator

Sustainability is a university value that continues to grow in importance, thanks in part, to student leaders who care. Sustainable food systems and targets for reducing greenhouse gases, waste and water use are all areas in which our university wants to lead. Here’s where you come in!

Recycle

UBC aspires to be a campus where all unwanted products and materials will be treated as resources to be used again. UBC residents play a huge role in helping us achieve our goals. Residences are equipped with sorting areas for recyclables, e-waste, and trash.

Smart choices

Living in residence means making daily choices that help reduce waste and energy consumption. Make a difference by being a leader in your personal life and among roommates. Here are a few tips:

  • Turn off unnecessary lights.
  • Unplug electronic equipment.
  • Wash clothes in cold water.
  • Take shorter showers (save up to 20 litres per minute).
  • Aim to buy or cook organic and local produce.

Mindful move

Moving sustainably means donating, trading and recycling materials you don’t plan to take home with you. When moving out of residence, follow the five steps of a mindful move out.

Get Involved

UBC also offers more than 480 courses that explore and engage the economic, social and environmental challenges surrounding sustainability. Taking some of these courses may make you think and act differently by broadening your learning experience.

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Managing stress

By Andy Gregory on January 22, 2014

Male student studying for exam

By Debbie Grove and Teresa Howell, UBC students

Managing stress and improving daily living don’t have to be daunting tasks. In fact, taking small steps can make a big difference in your life. You can start with becoming more resilient.

What is resiliency?

Resiliency is the ability to bounce back from those daily bumps in the road and the capacity to recognize your own strengths, resources and build coping strategies. It is also about increasing your understanding of how to transfer your strengths, skills and capabilities to different life situations.

Sometimes those bumps in the road wear down our resilience and throw us off course. But we can bounce back. In fact, with a better understanding of resiliency and ways to work it into daily life, we manage and respond to life’s bumps more effectively. Here are a few ways to help recognize, implement and main­tain resiliency.

    1. Get to know yourself
      • Identify your key areas of strength (e.g., social, emotional, cognitive, physical, spiritual).
      • Visualize an image, metaphor, or symbol that characterizes you.
      • Identify hobbies or interests.
      • Think of a past challenge and how you resolved it.
      • Identify one or two key goals.
      • Recognize the signs of stress that tend to wear down your resiliency.
    2. Revisit past successes

Think of a time when you encountered a problem. What did you do about it? Ask yourself what you learned about yourself then, and how you can apply it to your current situation. Examples of past strategies might include having a positive attitude, using humour, asking for help, or better planning.

  1. Stay focused

It can be challenging for students to focus on core goals when there is so much to think about and do. To stay focused, prioritize your goals, remind yourself why they’re impor­tant and set new goals if current ones are not concrete. 

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Parent and guardian rights (and wrongs)

By Andy Gregory on January 23, 2014

Mother And Daughter Meeting With Male Teacher

Adapted from an article by Kate Stone Lombardi, guidance counsellor

Parents walk a delicate line when their student leaves for university. No one wants to be a helicopter parent who hovers and swoops in at the first sign of trouble. But universities increasingly fear that parental interference prevents students from becoming independent, resilient adults.

These pointers can help parents cope with a few common issues.

 1. Dealing with the ‘dumping monster’

This means students may call home and dump all their problems on their parents. If there’s a roommate issue, parents are urged to stay out of it. More than any other generation, today’s students are used to having their own room, TV, and phone. Sharing a cramped space is not something most have experience with.

“If, at the first sign of conflict, parents call the residence or university, students don’t learn about negotiating conflict,” says Mark Thompson, director of counselling and psychological services at Colgate University.

2. Ask the alcohol question

“One conversation we do want parents to have with their kids is about alcohol and drugs,” says Beverly Low, dean of first-year students at Colgate. Parents should discuss their expectations with their students, about attending classes, drinking and driving, and study time versus social time.

 3. Why the report card never comes

Before universities started communicating electronically, grades were sent to the student’s home in the mail, and parents could intercept the envelope. That’s no longer the case. Still, there are ways for parents to see how their student is doing. At UBC, students can authorize parents to access some records and information by submitting a third-party authorization.

But the quickest, easiest way to find out your student’s grades is to just ask.

4. The time to jump in

In 2002, the parents of Elizabeth Shin sued the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for $27 million. They said the university had failed to prevent their daughter’s apparent suicide by not informing the parents of her deteriorating psychological state.

The case opened the question of liability and students’ mental health. Universities have recently become more inclined to notify parents earlier when they perceive a student to be in trouble, says Gary Pavela, director of judicial programs at the University of Maryland at College Park and author of the book Questions and Answers on College Student Suicide: A Law and Policy Perspective. But parents need not wait for emergencies. If a student seems headed for danger—academic, emotional or physical—they must intervene.

“The goal for parents is finding the right balance,” Pavela says. “One extreme is hovering over them and micromanaging their life. The other extreme is assuming that a student, particularly on a large campus, is going to find a mentor or counsellor who is going to see them as whole person and understand the dynamics of their personality.”

“There is a role for parents,” Pavela adds, “not as a nuisance but with a team approach to working with a student who may be going through a crisis.”

5. Know where to find help

Parents should familiarize themselves with resources available at UBC, including:

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Steps to success

By Andy Gregory on January 24, 2014

Students studying together

By Andy Chen and Humaira Hamid, UBC students

Many new students struggle with questions such as, “How tough are my courses going to be? Will I be able to keep up? What if I need extra help?” Good news. UBC has resources for students to build exceptional study and learning skills.

1. Use available resources

  • Professors and teaching assistants (TAs) are available after class and during office hours to help with assignments and difficult material. Don’t be afraid to ask.

2. Rethink lectures

Professors have limited time to cover course material in lectures, so they tend to focus on what’s most important. Stay on top of your reading and assignments, and consider lectures as an opportunity to review material you’ve already covered on your own. Most professors recommend studying 2-3 hours outside class for every hour you’re in class.

3. Make peace with exams

They’re unavoidable. Exams are part of university life. Prepare the best you can but don’t get discouraged by lower-than-expected grades at first. Many students need time to adjust to university life.

4. Connect and engage

Try connecting with people in your classes. Making friends or forming study groups with like-minded students is a great way to stay motivated.

5. Manage your time

When scheduling classes, consider this:

  • Is your course load manageable? Many courses include labs, discussions or tutorials on top of lecture hours.
  • Have you left time for breaks? It can be tempting to schedule courses back-to-back to get them over with. But you’ll need time to eat, socialize, and chill. Breaks are also a great study catch up time.

6. Understand plagiarism

Plagiarism means using the thoughts or words of another author and passing them off as your own. Plagiarism is not tolerated at UBC and can quickly end your university career.

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Emergency preparedness

By Andy Gregory on January 22, 2014

Confident Young Woman

By Angelique Crowther, UBC Risk Management Services

If a major emergency occurs, officials say you need be prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours, even in residence. That may sound extreme, but if you’re ready, you’ll be able to respond confidently and safely during an emergency situation.

Boil water advisory

  • Boil all tap water used for drinking, brushing teeth, pre­paring food, beverages, ice cubes, and wash­ing fruits and vegetables.
  • Tap water should be boiled for one minute. Then let it cool and pour it into a clean container.

Leak or flood

  • Inform the front desk staff in your residence immediately and let them know the source of the water leak: roof, window, pipe, washroom, etc.
  • Do not walk through water.
  • Avoid wet wires, electrical equipment and power out­lets.
  • Do not attempt to use moisture-dam­aged equipment.

Fire

  • Douse small fires with fire extinguishers, located in residence common areas.
  • For a spreading blaze, pull the fire alarm, leave the building by the nearest exit and call 9-1-1.
  • Avoid flames, smoke and fumes by staying low to the ground.
  • Do not use elevators.
  • Walk, don’t run, and use handrails as you descend stairs.
  • If you cannot safely get downstairs, go to the nearest safe area and wait for a firefighter.

Severe Weather

  • Expect power outages and phone disruptions, even for your mobile phone.
  • Avoid overhead hazards, such as tree branches and power lines.
  • Avoid glass and debris on sidewalks and roads.

Power outage

  • Keep flashlights and other emergency sup­plies nearby.
  • Do not attempt to use computers, TVs, ste­reos or other electrical equipment.
  • Avoid moving around in the dark unless you have a flashlight.
  • Do not attempt to examine, repair or open electrical equipment.
  • Keep the fridge closed in a blackout, to avoid having the contents get warm and spoil.

Intruder/crime

  • Don’t allow someone without a key to follow you into your building.
  • If an intruder appears angry or threatening, keep a safe distance away. Listen to what he or she says. Do not argue or raise your voice. Try to calm him or her down.
  • Call 9-1-1 and inform residence staff immedi­ately. Avoid remaining alone with an intruder.
  • If an intruder leaves a parcel, envelope or suspicious item behind, do not touch it. Tell a residence staff member immediately.

Earthquake

During an earthquake:

  • Drop to the floor, cover your head and hold onto something solid under a table or desk, between rows of seats or against an inside wall.
  • Wait for the shaking to stop and count to 60, to allow time for debris to fall, before moving.
  • If you’re outside, stay outside. If you’re inside, stay inside, unless there is a fire or the building is in danger of collapsing.
  • If you’re in a moving vehicle, stop in a clear area, away from falling debris, and stay inside the vehicle.

After an earthquake:

  • Apply first aid as required.
  • Do not make phone calls unless they are lifesaving, as networks will be overwhelmed.
  • Listen to the radio or TV for emergency updates.
  • Avoid entering damaged buildings.
  • Expect aftershocks and power outages.

Emergency kits

  • Make it easy to carry and easy to grab quickly. A backpack or light gym bag are ideal.
  • Include two litres of water per person, per day, for 72 hours.
  • Pack food that won’t spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods. Remember to replace food and water once a year.
  • Pack a manual can opener, flashlight and batteries, battery-powered or wind-up radio, extra batteries, spare keys, and a first aid kit.
  • Include special-needs items, if necessary, such as prescription medications, toiletries, equipment for people with disabil­ities, glasses or contact lenses.
  • Don’t forget cash, especially smaller bills and coins, for use in pay phones or vending machines.
  • Make sure you have contact information handy for people you will need to get in touch with, like relatives in and out of town.

Resources

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Money matters

By Andy Gregory on January 22, 2014

Student making online purchase

By Sam Horton, UBC student

Money is a common concern for students. If you haven’t already felt the sting from paying tuition and student fees, you probably will. Consider these tips:

Categorize your expenses

1. The necessary

These are things that you’ll need to spend money on. They include food, clothing, textbooks, study materials, bedding and shower supplies and laundry supplies.

2. The helpful

These are things that you could consider buying, depending on your budget. They include a good umbrella, sturdy walking shoes, an alarm clock, basic cleaning supplies, a bicycle and a mini-fridge. Check for deals at UBC Bookstore.

3. The fun

These are expenses you might consider on weekends or your time off. They include AMS events, going to the movies, eating at restaurants, gym memberships, buying gifts for friends and family, or taking a trip to Whistler.

Ways to save

1. Get a job

I wanted the security of a steady income stream, so I got a part-time job. I worked at the Totem Park dining room in my first year, and it helped. Not only was I making money, I was working near home and the hours fit my academic schedule.

2. Track your meal plan

Many of my friends ran out of meal plan money before second term. I only just made it to February before I was tapped out. Use the Online Service Centre to track your balance regularly.

3. Use a drying rack

I recommend investing in an inexpensive rack to dry laundry in your room. You’ll avoid extra trips to the dryer and save some serious money, too.  Let’s face it, the more you save on laundry, the more you have to spend on things that make you happy.

4. Choose cheaper

Fun activities will probably draw most of your cash, so consider your options carefully. Instead of going to the movie theatre, you could rent or download movies, or buy a UBC Film Society membership for cheap movies all year. And you probably don’t need to eat at top-rated restaurants. There are plen­ty of cheap, decent eateries within walking distance of campus. As for the gym, there are residence fitness rooms and a little-known gym in the basement of the aquatic centre that don’t require a membership. UBC Bookstore offers exclusive student discounts and savings events.

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