First Impressions

When asked if I would like to write a student blog for Vancouver Island University, my first reaction was “Sweet! Yes! If I’m being asked to do this I must be doing something right.”

My second reaction, a few hours after the high of the initial response wore off: “Oh crap. If I do this, what do I write about? Why me!?” I was thrilled and daunted, but that’s the best thing about writing: the exhilaration and terror that come from a new project. When I started to seriously consider this blog, my thoughts went to my first impression of VIU. I’ve just begun my forth semester, but memories from my first time on campus as a student are fresh.

The bus breezed across the main road in front of me. It was August 2008, and of course I missed my bus to student orientation day, another twenty paces to the corner and I would have made it. There was a distinct defeated feeling that came when I called my mother for a ride on my first trip to university. This does not serve as an overarching metaphor for my VIU experience, rather it was an unfortunate, isolated incident.

Once on campus (having been delivered to the Woodgrove bus exchange by my wonderful mother - thanks for that!) the real terror of university set in. I had been a distance education student for high school, and was used to taking my courses while wearing fuzzy slippers and pajama pants, sitting in front of a computer, sipping tea from my favourite blue whale mug. This going to school thing was a bit of a leap.

“Damn, there are a lot of stairs!” is a truth universally acknowledged by new students, but that was my second impression. My first impression was “What am I doing here?” I didn’t know anyone, I had already missed a bus, and I certainly didn’t know what I wanted to study.* Starting post-secondary without sense of direction is certainly not uncommon, but the feelings seemed unique at the time. I thought that every other first year student had at least a clue of what they wanted to do, was more put together, and better prepared than I was. I learned that this was not the case, that many beginning students remain undecided of what they want to study, and those that do have goals still often change direction. Starting university is a time of life where it’s okay (possibly valuable) to be directionless- there’s even something a little exhilarating about it.

It bares further emphasis that there are stairs at VIU. We should not be known as the Mariners; we should be known as the Mountain Climbers.

No? Well, there are a lot of stairs, and a VIU orientation tour is spent touring as many of these stairs as possible. There’s no casual growing acquaintance with the stairs; this special, intimate relationship is established within minutes of arriving on campus. The question of what I was doing at this university was immediately replaced by the question of how I would survive all those damn stairs.

Like any new experience, the stairs take adjusting to (though I have a great deal of respect for science students, whose buildings are at the top of campus—a place that I like to think of as “the wilderness”—as an arts student I’ve never ventured that far up). Peace must be made with the stairs, and they must be endured. The dramatic view of Georgia Straight from the top floor of the library is unparalleled. For that view alone, the university’s situation on the hillside is forgiven. Some things are worth climbing for.

Taking on a new writing project is like climbing the stairs. At first it’s hard, it’s all looking to the top of the hill, rather than the step or two in front, but ultimately all that climbing results in greater fitness—and hopefully an interesting blog! I hope you stick around to hear more about my VIU student experience; I’ve come to love VIU, my program, my classes, and the people that I’ve met, and I’m excited to share some of my stories. I’ve come a long way since orientation day, if nothing else, I’ve haven’t missed another bus, and the stairs seem a little less steep.*

Thanks for reading and Happy Climbing
Kaitlyn Till

*Well, that’s not quite true. I knew what I wanted to study, but I was under the impression that a creative writing degree was not a sensible choice if I wanted to enjoy the comforts of a roof over my head, food in my tummy, and cable television. But that’s a topic for another day.
*Though the bus did break down on the Nanaimo Parkway on my way to my first day of classes. I have had many wonderful Transit adventures.