My name’s Nadia. I met Melinda when I was a fraidy little seventeen year-old with scattered ideas of where to take my higher education. After a series of spot-on evaluations, Melinda encouraged me to work as hard as I could in Grade 12 to achieve the average I needed for acceptance into the Writing program at the University of Victoria. I’m so thankful for that support and guidance. Now, I can proudly say that I made it into the most competitive Writing program in Canada. Without Options, I wouldn’t have known it existed! It’s difficult to understand your career aspirations at a young age, but Options put everything in valued perspective for me.
To start, I’m part of the luckiest 1% in the world in that I’m pursuing higher education at the University of Victoria. And, in all honesty, I’m attacking third year with the fear that my degree will land me a job as a cat food quality controller. Which, I am told, is completely normal. Although I was immediately accepted into the Writing program, I floated through Sociology, Anthropology, Fine Arts and Theatre in first year. Since then, I’ve dropped and picked up classes, changed and re-arranged majors and today I’m officially registered as a Writing major with a minor in Political Science. Go me.
I lived in residence during first year, which was both entertaining and tiring. I was surprised and comforted by the hysteric scramble for new friendships during the first week. My room was small (my fault for trying to stuff my entire life in it) but livable. Residence food was dangerously delicious but I soon began to resemble a blimp and split my free gym pass in half from overuse. I also learned that perfectionism is a lost cause in university. Try to finish every reading. Just try.
I moved off campus for second year with three girls that I met in residence. We left the search for housing until the end of summer and the result was expensive, shag-carpeted, far from campus living. Second year was hectic; I joined the Peer Helping program. It made campus less intimidating and revealed hidden useful resources. This small community provided new relationships and an on-campus job. Keeping myself busy with volunteering and dynamic classes maintained my health and happiness.
The beginning of third year was tough. University life can become isolating if you’re not involved or surrounded by bad influences. I took to writing alone in my attic room which inevitably led to a diet of Kim Chi, deflated grades and insurmountable grumpiness. In second semester I moved into a house with seven other students and started exercising my mental, social and physical strength again. Surrounding myself with driven, fun, positive people has lifted my spirits and my grades. My program is providing more challenges and competition, temporarily alleviating my fears of a future career with IAMS.
University has treated me fairly well so far. Knock on wood.
