I have finally come to the end of my year
abroad and am sitting in my half packed up kitchen, surrounded by suitcases and
organizational chaos. I have 2 days until I get kicked out of my UBC
accommodation and have to be on my way. I feel so happy and settled here; it
seems surreal that I won’t be coming back and that I won’t see half of these
people ever again.
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| Sunny walk on the beach for my 21st birthday, with Vancouver in the background |
This week has been a hectic mix of
deadlines, life admin and emotions - so trying to collect my thoughts and write
a final summary blog is a bit of a struggle. I have had an absolute ball here
in Canada and ironically it is because of this that I’m finding it so hard to
say goodbye. I have found such a strong niche here and felt a sense of community
and belonging that I never felt at UCL.
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| Everyone in their UBC 'Thunderbird" T-Shirts for the big Homecoming football game |
Academically, I have had the freedom and
ability to pursue the topic areas that really get me out of bed in the morning.
I’ve got stuck into forestry, sustainable agriculture, plants and soils. (I
have just submitted my module options for UCL next year and was sad that I
won’t have the opportunity to pursue these subjects further when I get back
home). My professors’ enthusiasm and support, the communal and caring classroom
environment, and the continuous assessment structure have enabled me to thrive
and caused my self-confidence to grow. I
have spent limited time sitting alone in libraries, have read hardly any dense literature, have had an amazing number of contact hours and have not felt
particularly stressed at any point during the year. Yet, I feel like I have
learnt more than I did in either of my two years in London, have achieved
grades of almost all 80% or above and have managed to have time to do 5 million
other non-academic things as well.
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| View from a hike in Sqaumish, just an hour north of Vancouver |
Socially, I have met an absolutely
wonderful group of people: both local and international. I think perhaps the
type of people that choose to go to UBC are a self selecting group, but I guess some of it also comes down to luck. I have formed such close friendships here with
people scattered all over the world. They are what have made UBC my home away
from home, and it’s hard to accept that we must now all go our separate ways.
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| Standing in front of the UBC sign before the Exchange Club end of year gala |
In terms of the location, I have loved the
UBC campus with its beautiful walkways, its own gorgeous beach and adjacent
forest. Vancouver has been a great city to explore and its proximity to some of
the most glorious, wild and expansive landscapes has been truly unique. The
overarching attitude towards getting out and adventuring has been amazing to become
part of and I have spent numerous happy weekends hiking and exploring with
everyone.
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| Views from the Rose Garden on Campus |
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| A weekend hiking in Whistler |
I’m going to miss the whole experience so
much – I wish I could do it all over again and wouldn’t hesitate for a second
before recommending it to someone else.
Bye UBC, Vancouver
and Canada – you’ve been a blast!
