Wrapping it up: lessons from five years at the U of O
illustration by Devin Beauregard
IN MY FIVE years at the University of Ottawa, I have been a part of things I never would have dreamed of when I first applied for admission into the university. There is no memory like watching your parents pull away in their car and realizing, for the first time, that you are an independent adult. There is no memory like walking full of excitement into residence, realizing that this is a whole new world to discover and explore. There is no memory like that first sip of beer with your roommate, and then waking up the next morning feeling like you need food or you might die—and then realizing that you can’t wait to see what else this place has in store.
It only gets better. As I leave this place, I pass on these tips to those of you who will be here long after I’m gone, in the hopes that your years will be as good as mine have been.
There are over 175 clubs, 40-some sports teams, countless campaigns, and dozens of events at the U of O. If you were to look at a list of them and say there isn’t one for you, you’re either illiterate or a liar. Get involved: you will meet friends, build your resumé, and have a great time, whatever year you are in.
You pay a ton of money to the Student Federation; stand up and say how it should be run. Every February, a new executive and Board of Administration are elected. Run, or help with someone’s campaign, if you think they’ll do a good job. Above all else, vote. You deserve to be heard.
Had a killer 101 Week? Make the next one even better. Be a 101 guide.
Like what you’re reading? Write for the Fulcrum or sit on our Board of Directors. You’ll be glad you did.
You’re in Ottawa. You can kick a football from Tabaret lawn and have it land in the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill. This is an opportunity only we and Carleton students have, and we’re closer. Get involved in politics. You don’t know the perfect mix of terror and excitement until an MP calls you and says they have two minutes to get a rundown on an issue from you before they appear on CTV.
Enjoy yourself. Specifically, enjoy yourself at the many bars within a block from campus. University is about being young, beer-thirsty, and willing to drink on a Tuesday if it means $2 half pints at 1848. Search for events, too: don’t graduate until you know what Vet’s Tour, Slurvivor, and the Jockey Club are.
Get to class (seriously). You picked your major; chances are you have some pretty interesting courses with some brilliant—and sometimes hilarious—professors. You’ll never know if you don’t go.
Finally, embrace this place. It is your home—make of it what you will. Wear the colours; go to the games; chant obscenities at Ravens; take student politics too seriously; find the things you love and do them. University is about finding out who you are and doing the things that make you happy, challenge you, and help you grow. Find those things. This is a home like no others. Make your time here count.
