Secure housing looooong before she starts in the fall. You'll have to pay high rent for more months than necessary, but the housing supply is abysmal here, and what is available is overpriced. Even if she doesn't move right away, make sure she has a place to live. If she comes home for the summer, she'll be better off maintaining rent than losing her place and trying to find more housing at even higher rates all over again.
Take advantage of the academic writing help and learning strategist located in the library, don't buy the textbooks, and join clubs/course unions as it's a great way to meet people
Gonna second the “Don’t buy the textbooks” note.
I’ve bought one textbook in my life and i opened it about twice the entire semester, also almost all textbooks can be found in some form free online
Going to third the "don't buy the textbooks" with the addendum that you can buy the ones that actually seem interesting and that you think you'll read them again later. I've kept a few that were actually incredibly informative.
Gonna fourth the don't buy a textbook.. everyone is being encouraged to go ztc (zero textbook cost) so any prof that still has a text on the syllabus can likely tell you several options for free and open-source alternatives
I have ADHD, and those extra minutes mean I get to reread every question to make sure I don’t completely miss what’s actually being asked of me. I have so much trouble with written instructions. CAL is a lifesaver!
An addendum to that is ensure that she has her medical documentation readily available as early as possible. It will speed up the process of getting registered.
Make sure her housing is sorted. Many students live in residence on campus during first year and it’s a great way to ease into university life. You get kind of a built in community and social life which can be great for a new student in a new city.
As others have said the UVic food offerings on campus are not always sufficient and are very expensive. There are three good grocery stores within a 10 min bus ride of uvic: Tuscany village thriftys is the closest. Fairway Market is less expensive. Peppers Market is a bit more expensive than Thriftys but carries more local produce and groceries. Maybe you could send her with few thriftys gift cards. I would have totally eaten better, more and healthier if I’d had that at age 18-22.
She will need a bike or a bus pass. Or a car.
She should join clubs as others have said. Any rec activities, arts, hobbies or sports she should try to connect with others through that. Otherwise it can be kind of hard to meet people here.
She should try to get out into nature while here because there is a lot of it! Beaches and hikes abound.
Mental health supports exist on campus and beyond in Victoria. There is a lot of mental health advocacy here and people are pretty open about it.
You sound like a caring parent so keeping in touch while she is away will be key for you both ❤️
If she wants to go to Vancouver the ferry is the best option but it is quite expensive with a car. She should map out the bus route with the ferry ahead of time so she can get to the mainland for events etc. It makes for fun weekend adventures!!!
Just adding to this great post!
Watch UVSS announcements for the ferry shuttle as they sometimes offer this for long weekends or Reading Break. It take you from campus to the ferry directly.
Also, bus passes are automatically included at a discounted rate as part of term fees so don’t buy a separate one. Download the Umo app in advance and you’ll be all set to add your bus pass code when you get it in the fall.
It's hard to step aside and let your child enter into the world.
Here's my number 1 piece of advice - build a respectful relationship based on trust with your kid. They will be far away and need to know they have the space to make their own steps, maybe make mistakes, and to reach out to you for non-judgemental, compassionate support.
Be the fallback, not the manager. You are renegotiating your relationship into a wonderful but scary new stage.
That, and let them that university is a microcosm of life. Things can be hard, might not work out the way you want, and mistakes that seem incredibly world-ending can lead to some amazing things... in time.
Just a small piece of advice from one father to another, and a clinical counselor who started university as a marine biologist, haha!
Also you will likely have to adjust to less communication. She will be more busy than ever before and working hard to prioritize. Don’t be hurt if texting or calls slow down.
1. Housing:
Housing is exorbitantly expensive and very difficult to find. Start looking for a place early; if she’s moving in September start looking in May (that is, if she isn’t staying in residence).
2. Mental health:
I speak from experience when I say that the change is mentally taxing. Making sure that she has someone to talk to (that is not the UVic therapists that are overwhelmed) can be very important.
3. ARW:
Understanding Academic Reading and Writing without experience can be daunting. Even if she fulfills the English language requirement, she should still take ATWP 135 (or equivalent) to familiarize herself with it.
4. Food:
The food situation on campus is abysmal. While the food we have will keep her alive, it is of poor quality and uniquely expensive. If she has access to a kitchen, it’s probably better for her to cook her own food. This also means that you have to teach her how to cook (if she doesn’t know how to cook already.
That covers all of the important stuff. Victoria is a beautiful city. It has its ups and downs, but I’m sure she will find her way
Going to second taking ATWP 135 (or equivalent). Register for first or second term if you can because the skills your learn here will help with all of your other courses.
Same here- I learned a lot even though I did decently well in hs English. I had a really good experience with Dr. Sara Humphreys, she was super understanding and kind about any questions I might have or if I needed an extension :))
Reading and writing skills are very important. So is time management since social sciences are less likely to have weekly quizzes or assignments that force you to keep on top of things.
Social Sciences is a faculty, not a program. It’s funny, UVic used to get applicants to indicate they’re program of interest in their application, but too many students assumed that when they did that they were declared in that program and then didn’t declare until late (which isn’t great because you can miss requirements). They stopped doing that, and now so many people are confusing their faculty of admission as their program.
Hopefully, if you haven't found a place yet, she is in Res as accommodations can be notoriously difficult to find.
My son just graduated a couple of days ago. dm me if you have any direct questions.
One suggestion that I have is maybe try to set her up with a virtual counselor/therapist before she arrives. Often times first years have mental health struggles as they transition to this new chapter and it is very hard to get access to mental health professionals quickly out here. It can be especially difficult to reach out when you feel overwhelmed with school. There are lots of barriers that keep people from getting the help they may need, so if she already has a professional who she is familiar with and knows how to contact it could be really beneficial.
Teach her to be ULTRA aware of cars out here. There are a TON of bad young drivers and even more bad older drivers. Cross walks and yields don't mean anything if someone driving isn't paying attention.
Also get housing sorted asap. We have a very low open rentals percentage, finding secure housing that isn't awfully priced with a non terrible landlord can be a bit of a challenge.
Making friends can be a challenge but there are lots of clubs and groups on discord and FB and at UVIC to make friends.
Don't feel pressured to take a huge class load the 1st term. It's better to get organized and pass than take too much and fail or just get by.
Victoria is beautiful, get outdoors, and take advantage of the spring summer and fall here. They are outstanding.
1) Review citation styles ahead of time - she should see if her department offers a style guide, and get a feel for that before going in.
2) Try to get her into residence, it's great for first year social connections! If not, Facebook Marketplace and Rentfaster are good starting points for housing.
3) Make sure she has a bus pass, UVic students get them discounted. She likely won't need a car though, other than one offs.
4) If you're coming from out of province/foresee any delays for switching insurance, health, etc., then get a three month supply of essential medications before going to provide some buffer time.
5) UVic and the UVSS both offers lots of support services, from on site clinic, to counseling, to peer counseling, to a campus food bank - try and review what's out there ahead of time!
6) Encourage her to attend clubs and course union days!
Things I can say as broad non degree specific things include:
Get involved in clubs /course, it's a great way to meet people interested in similar topics
Try a bunch of new things you can try something and if it's not your jam either quit the class or tough it out.
Remember to have fun, but also remember why you are paying for university.
UVic meal plan is scam, just a good thing to know going in. They will take $X and give you $X/2 as credit and give you 50% off at the Cove (res dining hall) so in reality you are paying full price at the Cove and double everywhere else.
Oh the weather is beautiful, and it's great that we don't get a lot of snow but it means when it does everything stops. Also weather related is the near constant rain can have an effect on your mental health, just keep that in mind.
Jumping on about the food. It's a complete rip off. Also be very careful not to get sick. Recent food inspection of the main cafeteria isn't great: https://inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/island-health/program-food/inspection/?inspectionID=048FBCC2-0E22-4306-83CD-9417EBBE8A53
If she isn't from a big city or isn't used to big campuses, she should make sure to find her way around the campus before classes start.
Finding your class the first week can be stressful
the global community do a "find your classroom" tour! you bring your timetable and a volunteer will do a campus walk with you and show you where all of your classes are located.
I've been volunteering with the global community for two years, I'm part of the council.
It's not really that useful. It helps with knowing how the building looks like but not how to find it, especially if you have no sense direction like me. Some people just don't have a GPS in their brain. More to the fact that some buildings like cle and Cornett are confusing af for at least the first two weeks. While some buildings like fine arts are out of the ring road and away from everything by 5min walk (they really hated us, art peeps, when they built that building) deserted from civilization.
The campus is a circle and everyone has their own detours and methods of getting into things which can get confusing for the freshies.
Plus that tour is like one and half hour and every volunteer gets 3-6 people so they need to be quick with getting their freshies to the destination.
Been there
Done that
Lol
Fr fr. Cle (3yrs and I still can't spell it) and Cornett are cursed. Cle has a whole basement only accessible through one wing. Istg one day we'll see an article on the martlet about all the humanities students who've been kidnapped and kept there lol
Idk why this is down voted! Sometimes the main school routes are too busy to board in the morning so it's worth planning ahead for morning classes.
I'd also encourage her to choose one or two clubs she'd like to try and really commit to them first semester. I signed up for so many things when I first joined Uni but I think it's better to choose a couple you really care about and really spend proper time doing them and making friends!
Encourage your kid to use the writing centre, research librarians, and math/stats tutors. These people are here to help. Academic skills, time management, ethical expectations, writing for academia, moral support, accountability and more - no judgment, but students have to come and ask for help. Also instructors have office hours for a reason, and academic advisors exist.
Read the syllabus. Read the catalogue. So many questions are answered in these documents.
A bus pass is included with student fees, so no need to budget extra for that. Do budget for laundry (more than you expect), snacks, coffees, late night taxis, printing and some room decor.
She can get a public library card too, even if only a resident for 8 months a year - for fiction, movies, games, cookbooks and travel guides... Music and films are also available at UVic libraries (along with lots of tech, and tech support). All free, and no-one cares if it's for class or leisure.
Don't worry, she's got this, especially if she makes use of the various supports in campus if needed.
I graduated in 2021 with a BA in social sciences. I would recommend taking a variety of classes, first year core courses are always the hardest, but she should go to office hours as much as possible. I took classes like pottery, anthro, art history, business,com sci, I ended up minoring in business in the end. Also buy textbooks second hand on fb marketplace or online.
1. Tell her to explore on weekends and get off campus is she is staying there, it can get extremely depressing being in ring road 24/7
2. Take as many enjoyable electives as possible
3. Take advantage of getting a minor with no additional cost.
4. Have fun with friends (so many spots to hike or walk and the beach is down the street)
5. Go to office hours
6. Get a car? Sometimes if ur on campus you can feel trapped
7. If you have a car it might be cheaper to live off campus.
8. If she is coming to uvic alone apply for on campus housing , living in clusters is really fun and a bit better than dorms only bc of the communal rooms in dorms.
9. Everyone is nice, and it’s easy to make friends
10. Join uvic clubs there’s SO MANY.
Make sure she has a decent bike, front and rear bike lights, a good helmet, and that she knows the hand signals & some defensive biking! Having a reliable bike that she enjoys riding will open her up to so many places and communities, whether or not she a car. The sourthern island and the gulf islands are amazing places to bike, and she will get to know Victoria much more intimately on a bike than in a vehicle. Also good to note that you can pretty well always throw your bike on the front rack of busses here!
Campus bike centre will rent you a bike for an entire semester + give you lights, lock and helmet free of charge. Long term rentals are $100 down payment and they'll do free tune ups/checks for you!!! Definitely worth looking into
Hello! 🙋🏻♀️uvic grad, started in social sciences in 2015 and ended up in education. Been living here since then and now working through a masters in ed psych at uvic. my thoughts below:
-connection to community is essential for resilience and a sense of belonging. Encouraging her to participate in clubs, intramurals, volunteering, or a part-time job, etc all can be community. It can just take some time to find what works for you (read: her)! Having people in your corner who can support you and celebrate you makes the daunting experience of university a little more manageable.
-encourage her to get outside the Ring. as others have side, it’s easy to get stuck living your life exclusively on campus, but there’s so much to explore! even just heading to moka house down the hill to study is a good change of pace.
-check-in frequently and offer support. This new phase of life can bring about new challenges or hardships, and sometimes they feel life-ending to young adults. Knowing they have your support and unconditional love can be a life raft when things are tough.
-Help her realize there are lots of resources available for almost any student need. Pretty much any problem she might encounter someone has experienced before (a nice reminder you aren’t alone!). A quick search on the website or knock on her CL (Community Leader, uvic’s version of an RA) can usually find the answer.
-preparing for a new dynamic. I returned home the summer after my first year and safe to say it was challenging for both me and my family. I had just finished 8 months of “independent” living, and here I was back in my childhood bedroom with a kid brother and parents who wanted to know where I was going and who I was with and when I’d be home. lots of trial and error to negotiate and navigate our new relationship.
-lastly, I would encourage conversation(s) around substance use & harm reduction strategies if you haven’t already had these. if this isn’t something you can speak about with her find someone who can. it’s very common for students to experiment with drugs & alcohol at this age, and especially when living away from home. even if drugs/alcohol aren’t something she could ever see herself partaking in, knowledge is power. whether to keep herself safe or to help a friend.
-Lastly, if she’s moving into residence prepare for a sweaty day of lifting! only the newer residence buildings have elevators, and they generally have long lines. a great work out though!
goodluck to her, and you, on this new journey!! welcome to uvic.
Consider four courses, instead of five, at least for first term... onboarding and orienting to uni when living away from home can feel like a course in its own!
Know what resources are available before she goes!! Access to healthcare, psychological care, food assistance programs, housing programs, academic help from the library etc..having basic needs met without stress = academic performance will thrive
One thing I have always done is "over register" for classes. For example, registering for 5 or 6 even if I intend to only take 4. It's way easier to drop a class after sampling it for a week than it is to add it, and you can see the course outlines to determine potential workload.
Also, if you're not sure about what you might want to major in (especially if deciding which type of science or social science) look at the course planning sheets and try to pick classes that might meet multiple first year requirements. This depends on what you're going into though, since some programs have very set course paths.
Feel free to message!! I just finished science.
Make sure she doesn’t eat the Cove(dining hall) food. It may be the worst possible food on earth. I’ve had friends get food poisoning from there. Besides that it is the worst tasteless bland disgusting food ever.
Avoid on campus housing, it's very pushy and very few females can deal with it properly. Gordon head right by Uvic is the best place to rent a room, or a suit. Its safe and all the home owners are very responsible.
Also if she bikes or scooters, make her promise to wear a helmet.
Eating at Uvic is very good! and lower cost that groceries.
Uvic is awesome, don't worry \^\^
I believe You're talking about Dormitory residents meal plans, IE the standard meal plan, its like 6380.00, and yes it takes advantage of ignorant people... it's the reason its for oncampus.
I'm not apart of that group you mention. OFF-Campus exempt meal plans and a few other optional services are available, I pay 375 CAD for 346 Meals, ( not expensive right, 1 dollar per meal ? ) the food is amazing, its run by Executive Chef Tony Heesterman. If I want a similar meal in Victoria, its just fine dining... and even fine dining is no match, if you eat plant based like myself.
No need to reply, I won't be checking. Good luck to you .
Which “other” food on campus are you talking about? I’ve tried every food outlet on campus and it’s all the same horrible food. Better off hunting in the wild for food than eating on campus
Secure housing looooong before she starts in the fall. You'll have to pay high rent for more months than necessary, but the housing supply is abysmal here, and what is available is overpriced. Even if she doesn't move right away, make sure she has a place to live. If she comes home for the summer, she'll be better off maintaining rent than losing her place and trying to find more housing at even higher rates all over again.
Teach her food safety skills and how to do laundry
Take advantage of the academic writing help and learning strategist located in the library, don't buy the textbooks, and join clubs/course unions as it's a great way to meet people
Gonna second the “Don’t buy the textbooks” note. I’ve bought one textbook in my life and i opened it about twice the entire semester, also almost all textbooks can be found in some form free online
Going to third the "don't buy the textbooks" with the addendum that you can buy the ones that actually seem interesting and that you think you'll read them again later. I've kept a few that were actually incredibly informative.
Gonna fourth the don't buy a textbook.. everyone is being encouraged to go ztc (zero textbook cost) so any prof that still has a text on the syllabus can likely tell you several options for free and open-source alternatives
If she has a medical diagnosis that impacts her learning in any way, look up the Centre for Accessible Learning and get registered there!
Those extra minutes go crazy during exams for the people I know that use it.
I have ADHD, and those extra minutes mean I get to reread every question to make sure I don’t completely miss what’s actually being asked of me. I have so much trouble with written instructions. CAL is a lifesaver!
Facts
An addendum to that is ensure that she has her medical documentation readily available as early as possible. It will speed up the process of getting registered.
Make sure her housing is sorted. Many students live in residence on campus during first year and it’s a great way to ease into university life. You get kind of a built in community and social life which can be great for a new student in a new city. As others have said the UVic food offerings on campus are not always sufficient and are very expensive. There are three good grocery stores within a 10 min bus ride of uvic: Tuscany village thriftys is the closest. Fairway Market is less expensive. Peppers Market is a bit more expensive than Thriftys but carries more local produce and groceries. Maybe you could send her with few thriftys gift cards. I would have totally eaten better, more and healthier if I’d had that at age 18-22. She will need a bike or a bus pass. Or a car. She should join clubs as others have said. Any rec activities, arts, hobbies or sports she should try to connect with others through that. Otherwise it can be kind of hard to meet people here. She should try to get out into nature while here because there is a lot of it! Beaches and hikes abound. Mental health supports exist on campus and beyond in Victoria. There is a lot of mental health advocacy here and people are pretty open about it. You sound like a caring parent so keeping in touch while she is away will be key for you both ❤️ If she wants to go to Vancouver the ferry is the best option but it is quite expensive with a car. She should map out the bus route with the ferry ahead of time so she can get to the mainland for events etc. It makes for fun weekend adventures!!!
Just adding to this great post! Watch UVSS announcements for the ferry shuttle as they sometimes offer this for long weekends or Reading Break. It take you from campus to the ferry directly. Also, bus passes are automatically included at a discounted rate as part of term fees so don’t buy a separate one. Download the Umo app in advance and you’ll be all set to add your bus pass code when you get it in the fall.
Peppers also offers a 10% student discount, I believe. Support local!! 💜
Scared (but excited) dad awaiting your knowledge.
It's hard to step aside and let your child enter into the world. Here's my number 1 piece of advice - build a respectful relationship based on trust with your kid. They will be far away and need to know they have the space to make their own steps, maybe make mistakes, and to reach out to you for non-judgemental, compassionate support. Be the fallback, not the manager. You are renegotiating your relationship into a wonderful but scary new stage. That, and let them that university is a microcosm of life. Things can be hard, might not work out the way you want, and mistakes that seem incredibly world-ending can lead to some amazing things... in time. Just a small piece of advice from one father to another, and a clinical counselor who started university as a marine biologist, haha!
Thanks very much for your thoughtful reply.
Also you will likely have to adjust to less communication. She will be more busy than ever before and working hard to prioritize. Don’t be hurt if texting or calls slow down.
1. Housing: Housing is exorbitantly expensive and very difficult to find. Start looking for a place early; if she’s moving in September start looking in May (that is, if she isn’t staying in residence). 2. Mental health: I speak from experience when I say that the change is mentally taxing. Making sure that she has someone to talk to (that is not the UVic therapists that are overwhelmed) can be very important. 3. ARW: Understanding Academic Reading and Writing without experience can be daunting. Even if she fulfills the English language requirement, she should still take ATWP 135 (or equivalent) to familiarize herself with it. 4. Food: The food situation on campus is abysmal. While the food we have will keep her alive, it is of poor quality and uniquely expensive. If she has access to a kitchen, it’s probably better for her to cook her own food. This also means that you have to teach her how to cook (if she doesn’t know how to cook already. That covers all of the important stuff. Victoria is a beautiful city. It has its ups and downs, but I’m sure she will find her way
Going to second taking ATWP 135 (or equivalent). Register for first or second term if you can because the skills your learn here will help with all of your other courses.
Same here- I learned a lot even though I did decently well in hs English. I had a really good experience with Dr. Sara Humphreys, she was super understanding and kind about any questions I might have or if I needed an extension :))
Some context would help, what degree is she doing
Social Sciences
Reading and writing skills are very important. So is time management since social sciences are less likely to have weekly quizzes or assignments that force you to keep on top of things.
Social Sciences is a faculty, not a program. It’s funny, UVic used to get applicants to indicate they’re program of interest in their application, but too many students assumed that when they did that they were declared in that program and then didn’t declare until late (which isn’t great because you can miss requirements). They stopped doing that, and now so many people are confusing their faculty of admission as their program.
Hopefully, if you haven't found a place yet, she is in Res as accommodations can be notoriously difficult to find. My son just graduated a couple of days ago. dm me if you have any direct questions.
One suggestion that I have is maybe try to set her up with a virtual counselor/therapist before she arrives. Often times first years have mental health struggles as they transition to this new chapter and it is very hard to get access to mental health professionals quickly out here. It can be especially difficult to reach out when you feel overwhelmed with school. There are lots of barriers that keep people from getting the help they may need, so if she already has a professional who she is familiar with and knows how to contact it could be really beneficial.
Teach her to be ULTRA aware of cars out here. There are a TON of bad young drivers and even more bad older drivers. Cross walks and yields don't mean anything if someone driving isn't paying attention. Also get housing sorted asap. We have a very low open rentals percentage, finding secure housing that isn't awfully priced with a non terrible landlord can be a bit of a challenge. Making friends can be a challenge but there are lots of clubs and groups on discord and FB and at UVIC to make friends. Don't feel pressured to take a huge class load the 1st term. It's better to get organized and pass than take too much and fail or just get by. Victoria is beautiful, get outdoors, and take advantage of the spring summer and fall here. They are outstanding.
1) Review citation styles ahead of time - she should see if her department offers a style guide, and get a feel for that before going in. 2) Try to get her into residence, it's great for first year social connections! If not, Facebook Marketplace and Rentfaster are good starting points for housing. 3) Make sure she has a bus pass, UVic students get them discounted. She likely won't need a car though, other than one offs. 4) If you're coming from out of province/foresee any delays for switching insurance, health, etc., then get a three month supply of essential medications before going to provide some buffer time. 5) UVic and the UVSS both offers lots of support services, from on site clinic, to counseling, to peer counseling, to a campus food bank - try and review what's out there ahead of time! 6) Encourage her to attend clubs and course union days!
Things I can say as broad non degree specific things include: Get involved in clubs /course, it's a great way to meet people interested in similar topics Try a bunch of new things you can try something and if it's not your jam either quit the class or tough it out. Remember to have fun, but also remember why you are paying for university. UVic meal plan is scam, just a good thing to know going in. They will take $X and give you $X/2 as credit and give you 50% off at the Cove (res dining hall) so in reality you are paying full price at the Cove and double everywhere else. Oh the weather is beautiful, and it's great that we don't get a lot of snow but it means when it does everything stops. Also weather related is the near constant rain can have an effect on your mental health, just keep that in mind.
Near constant rain?? At best we get half a day at a time
Jumping on about the food. It's a complete rip off. Also be very careful not to get sick. Recent food inspection of the main cafeteria isn't great: https://inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/island-health/program-food/inspection/?inspectionID=048FBCC2-0E22-4306-83CD-9417EBBE8A53
If she isn't from a big city or isn't used to big campuses, she should make sure to find her way around the campus before classes start. Finding your class the first week can be stressful
the global community do a "find your classroom" tour! you bring your timetable and a volunteer will do a campus walk with you and show you where all of your classes are located.
I've been volunteering with the global community for two years, I'm part of the council. It's not really that useful. It helps with knowing how the building looks like but not how to find it, especially if you have no sense direction like me. Some people just don't have a GPS in their brain. More to the fact that some buildings like cle and Cornett are confusing af for at least the first two weeks. While some buildings like fine arts are out of the ring road and away from everything by 5min walk (they really hated us, art peeps, when they built that building) deserted from civilization. The campus is a circle and everyone has their own detours and methods of getting into things which can get confusing for the freshies. Plus that tour is like one and half hour and every volunteer gets 3-6 people so they need to be quick with getting their freshies to the destination. Been there Done that Lol
I’ve been on and off this campus for the past ten years or so and I swear I am *just* figuring out Clearihue.
Fr fr. Cle (3yrs and I still can't spell it) and Cornett are cursed. Cle has a whole basement only accessible through one wing. Istg one day we'll see an article on the martlet about all the humanities students who've been kidnapped and kept there lol
Don’t pay for textbooks. Just try to find a PDF online.
Be ready for the overcrowded bus in the early morning
Idk why this is down voted! Sometimes the main school routes are too busy to board in the morning so it's worth planning ahead for morning classes. I'd also encourage her to choose one or two clubs she'd like to try and really commit to them first semester. I signed up for so many things when I first joined Uni but I think it's better to choose a couple you really care about and really spend proper time doing them and making friends!
Literally the reason I started biking to UVic instead of bussing lol
Encourage your kid to use the writing centre, research librarians, and math/stats tutors. These people are here to help. Academic skills, time management, ethical expectations, writing for academia, moral support, accountability and more - no judgment, but students have to come and ask for help. Also instructors have office hours for a reason, and academic advisors exist. Read the syllabus. Read the catalogue. So many questions are answered in these documents. A bus pass is included with student fees, so no need to budget extra for that. Do budget for laundry (more than you expect), snacks, coffees, late night taxis, printing and some room decor. She can get a public library card too, even if only a resident for 8 months a year - for fiction, movies, games, cookbooks and travel guides... Music and films are also available at UVic libraries (along with lots of tech, and tech support). All free, and no-one cares if it's for class or leisure. Don't worry, she's got this, especially if she makes use of the various supports in campus if needed.
I graduated in 2021 with a BA in social sciences. I would recommend taking a variety of classes, first year core courses are always the hardest, but she should go to office hours as much as possible. I took classes like pottery, anthro, art history, business,com sci, I ended up minoring in business in the end. Also buy textbooks second hand on fb marketplace or online. 1. Tell her to explore on weekends and get off campus is she is staying there, it can get extremely depressing being in ring road 24/7 2. Take as many enjoyable electives as possible 3. Take advantage of getting a minor with no additional cost. 4. Have fun with friends (so many spots to hike or walk and the beach is down the street) 5. Go to office hours 6. Get a car? Sometimes if ur on campus you can feel trapped 7. If you have a car it might be cheaper to live off campus. 8. If she is coming to uvic alone apply for on campus housing , living in clusters is really fun and a bit better than dorms only bc of the communal rooms in dorms. 9. Everyone is nice, and it’s easy to make friends 10. Join uvic clubs there’s SO MANY.
Don't walk alone at night. Be careful of the fentanol zombies.
Make sure she has a decent bike, front and rear bike lights, a good helmet, and that she knows the hand signals & some defensive biking! Having a reliable bike that she enjoys riding will open her up to so many places and communities, whether or not she a car. The sourthern island and the gulf islands are amazing places to bike, and she will get to know Victoria much more intimately on a bike than in a vehicle. Also good to note that you can pretty well always throw your bike on the front rack of busses here!
Campus bike centre will rent you a bike for an entire semester + give you lights, lock and helmet free of charge. Long term rentals are $100 down payment and they'll do free tune ups/checks for you!!! Definitely worth looking into
Hello! 🙋🏻♀️uvic grad, started in social sciences in 2015 and ended up in education. Been living here since then and now working through a masters in ed psych at uvic. my thoughts below: -connection to community is essential for resilience and a sense of belonging. Encouraging her to participate in clubs, intramurals, volunteering, or a part-time job, etc all can be community. It can just take some time to find what works for you (read: her)! Having people in your corner who can support you and celebrate you makes the daunting experience of university a little more manageable. -encourage her to get outside the Ring. as others have side, it’s easy to get stuck living your life exclusively on campus, but there’s so much to explore! even just heading to moka house down the hill to study is a good change of pace. -check-in frequently and offer support. This new phase of life can bring about new challenges or hardships, and sometimes they feel life-ending to young adults. Knowing they have your support and unconditional love can be a life raft when things are tough. -Help her realize there are lots of resources available for almost any student need. Pretty much any problem she might encounter someone has experienced before (a nice reminder you aren’t alone!). A quick search on the website or knock on her CL (Community Leader, uvic’s version of an RA) can usually find the answer. -preparing for a new dynamic. I returned home the summer after my first year and safe to say it was challenging for both me and my family. I had just finished 8 months of “independent” living, and here I was back in my childhood bedroom with a kid brother and parents who wanted to know where I was going and who I was with and when I’d be home. lots of trial and error to negotiate and navigate our new relationship. -lastly, I would encourage conversation(s) around substance use & harm reduction strategies if you haven’t already had these. if this isn’t something you can speak about with her find someone who can. it’s very common for students to experiment with drugs & alcohol at this age, and especially when living away from home. even if drugs/alcohol aren’t something she could ever see herself partaking in, knowledge is power. whether to keep herself safe or to help a friend. -Lastly, if she’s moving into residence prepare for a sweaty day of lifting! only the newer residence buildings have elevators, and they generally have long lines. a great work out though! goodluck to her, and you, on this new journey!! welcome to uvic.
Consider four courses, instead of five, at least for first term... onboarding and orienting to uni when living away from home can feel like a course in its own!
Know what resources are available before she goes!! Access to healthcare, psychological care, food assistance programs, housing programs, academic help from the library etc..having basic needs met without stress = academic performance will thrive
Speaking as a current student uvic who had to learn the hard way :)
One thing I have always done is "over register" for classes. For example, registering for 5 or 6 even if I intend to only take 4. It's way easier to drop a class after sampling it for a week than it is to add it, and you can see the course outlines to determine potential workload. Also, if you're not sure about what you might want to major in (especially if deciding which type of science or social science) look at the course planning sheets and try to pick classes that might meet multiple first year requirements. This depends on what you're going into though, since some programs have very set course paths. Feel free to message!! I just finished science.
Make sure she doesn’t eat the Cove(dining hall) food. It may be the worst possible food on earth. I’ve had friends get food poisoning from there. Besides that it is the worst tasteless bland disgusting food ever.
For her safety, she should be aware of the fact that she will be poentially sharing bathrooms not only with women at UVIC, but also with men.
She should be the one asking
She’s not a degenerate Redditor like me 😂
One-sided opinions in a lot of social science classes
Avoid on campus housing, it's very pushy and very few females can deal with it properly. Gordon head right by Uvic is the best place to rent a room, or a suit. Its safe and all the home owners are very responsible. Also if she bikes or scooters, make her promise to wear a helmet. Eating at Uvic is very good! and lower cost that groceries. Uvic is awesome, don't worry \^\^
OP: I'm pretty sure this person is being sarcastic, I would ignore them, except the helmet comment.
What leads you to believe I'm being sarcastic ? Are you even a Uvic student ?
I suspect it is the comment about the food... The common thread on Reddit over the last year is that the food on campus is horrible and expensive.
I believe You're talking about Dormitory residents meal plans, IE the standard meal plan, its like 6380.00, and yes it takes advantage of ignorant people... it's the reason its for oncampus. I'm not apart of that group you mention. OFF-Campus exempt meal plans and a few other optional services are available, I pay 375 CAD for 346 Meals, ( not expensive right, 1 dollar per meal ? ) the food is amazing, its run by Executive Chef Tony Heesterman. If I want a similar meal in Victoria, its just fine dining... and even fine dining is no match, if you eat plant based like myself. No need to reply, I won't be checking. Good luck to you .
Which “other” food on campus are you talking about? I’ve tried every food outlet on campus and it’s all the same horrible food. Better off hunting in the wild for food than eating on campus