As the semester begins and the new year unravels another list of surprises (and hopefully not another celebrity death. You will be missed, Vivienne Westwood), it’s important to hold promises to yourself as a form of discipline. This looks different in a variety of ways: a gym membership, 12 per cent of which are sold in the month of January alone. If this doesn’t sound like music to your ears, there are always yearly reading challenges, which Goodreads provides as a popular tracking app. And, of course, there’s improving new skills to add to the resume of New Year’s Resolutions: writing, programming, learning a new language…
But it’s important to highlight the many clubs that UFV has, especially as a rundown into the new year, and the experiences they provide for community and networking opportunities. A article written for The Cascade in 2017 demonstrates this pretty well, suggesting that these clubs can help develop bonds for busy students with not enough time. While there are only so many across campus, a few will be listed here, and I encourage you to join in, check one out, and chat with a few people.
If you’re a woman interested in pursuing STEM, Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (UFV WEST) provides an open and welcoming space that seeks to empower future women in STEM and create a “better future for all – one of empowerment and opportunity that fights against systems of oppression and supports emerging leaders to shape the world,” as mentioned on their website. With a main goal in making the industry accessible to all, adding UFV WEST to your list of New Year’s Resolutions is a great way to make an impact.
The Mental Health Awareness Club (MHAC) helps build community by reducing stigma surrounding mental health, specifically for students who are, arguably, a vulnerable population. The club provides resources to additional organizations, such as Wellness Together Canada and Families for Addiction Recovery, and sets up occasional knitting activities where students can swing by and learn a skill. The only condition is that a student brings their own supplies, and the knitting can begin.
On the other hand, the UFV Health and Medicine Club promotes healthy living through active engagement and education-based impact with students on campus. Any students interested in pursuing health care and medicine are encouraged to reach out. While soaking in lessons from the classroom is important, reiterating what you have learned in an environment with dedicated students is just as important to your education.
As students, we often forget that student engagement is key to finding other career driven, like minded people who can aid in paving the way for a successful future. There’s the common belief that the beginning of a new year marks the start of a new person, and if your goal is to prove this belief true — whether to maintain discipline or see yourself transformed by the end of 2023 — then take some time to comb through all that campus life has to offer at www.ufv.ca/future-students/campus-life.
