Future Students

There is so much going on at college or university that finding time to study, participate in extracurricular activities, work and socialize can seem like an impossible schedule to keep up with.  Four Vancouver Island University students shared their tips for balancing school, work and fun.

It’s that time of year again. Another group of Vancouver Island University graduates are getting ready to cross the stage and head off into the real world – or into graduate programs.

What’s the secret to success in your university studies and beyond? How do you avoid burnout? Why should you try a different type of class? How do you figure out what’s next? Here’s some advice from recent graduates and alumni.

We’re at the end of another semester. For some, this means escaping into the summer months before returning in the fall, for others it means sun-filled days spent indoors … still on campus. But for close to 500 students, that the day is soon approaching when they will file down the aisle, with tassels bouncing, towards the convocation stage. Brimming with smiles, tears and memories of long days and longer nights.

Sheldon Scow has a love/hate relationship with school.

“High school wasn’t a great experience for me – I didn’t believe in myself and I was pushed along so the teachers didn’t have to deal with me the following year,” says the 26-year-old, of Dene and Kwakwaka’wakw descent. “As a young man, that hurts your pride.”

After high school, Sheldon spent eight years working as a chef and battling depression and alcoholism, until one day he experienced a rude awakening.

“My best friend cut me out of his life,” he remembers. “He was tired of watching me struggle.”

Tuition and textbooks, rent and parking passes – oh my!

It can feel a little daunting being a post-secondary student when considering the bills. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources and approaches that can help you get through school without breaking the bank. Of course, it can be easy to miss out on opportunities if you don’t know where to look. Check out these tips to help you get the best bang out of your student bucks.

We start thinking about what we want to be when we grow up long before we have even taken our first step inside of a school. Perhaps we are influenced by what our parents or Uncle Bob does, or we are genetically predisposed to be better at certain things. However, as we cross the path from child to young adult, the route isn’t always as clear anymore.

There is often pressure placed on us in Grade 12 – whether it comes from our family, society or ourselves – to have our life map drawn out before we graduate high school. Truth is, most of us don’t know what we want to be when we “grow up.” Even when we think we have it figured out, things can change.

After high school, Elijah Vesprey enrolled at Vancouver Island University (VIU) to pursue his passion in the culinary arts. Once he was in the program, he quickly realized it wasn’t where he was meant to be.

At Vancouver Island University, education is a much richer experience than simply sitting in a lecture hall, taking notes and hitting the books in the library.

There is no better place to spend summer in Canada than Vancouver Island. It is the southern-most point in Canada, which provides a climate that makes a visitor want to “do everything.” With a combination of rainforest and agriculture land, it is full of broad vistas and some of the oldest forests in the world.

School is almost finished and you’re ready to go out and find the perfect summer job. Want to ensure you get the most out of the experience? VIU’s former Lead Student Ambassador, Caitlin Mangiacasale, shares some tips to take your summer job from mediocre to marvellous.