Current Students

Now that we’re well into the term and back into the study routine, I wanted to take a moment to talk about mental health. While this time is exciting and busy, it can also get overwhelming and stressful. Balancing school with work, extra-curricular activities, a social life and other commitments is not easy. In honour of World Mental Health Day (October 10) and World Mental Health Month, I’m here to remind you to take some time for yourself.

If you’ve moved into new rental housing this fall, chances are everything is working out fine. For some of us, however, the maintenance and condition of the property may be becoming an issue. Household pests could also be, well, a pest. A recent Academica survey reveals that 8 per cent of student renters were dissatisfied with property maintenance and 6 per cent complained of cleanliness or pest-related issues.

I spent three months in Bali this summer interning with a non-profit organization called Yayasan Peduli Kemannusian (YPK). It’s an organization that focuses on helping people with disabilities become more independent through physical rehabilitation. Located in the city of Denpasar, YPK also offers a mobile clinic program to assist clients that live in rural areas.

I arrived in Nelson, New Zealand at the end of June, eager and excited for my internship to begin at the Brook Waimarama Ecosanctuary. For the first time, I was combining my passions for community development and the Earth. When I was searching for internship placements, stumbling upon “the Brook” was a complete accident. I now know I couldn’t have picked a better placement for what I was hoping to both give and get out of this internship.

About the Brook

To understand what the Brook is all about, you first need to understand a bit about the ecology of New Zealand.

On the journey towards truth and reconciliation in Canada, allies play a critical role. It is key for allies to bear a large share of the work of the truth and reconciliation process, including supporting, sharing, bearing witness and holding members of their own communities to account.

In True Reconciliation: How to Be a Force for Change, Jody Wilson-Raybould writes that we are in a “critical moment of transition and transformation”:

Saturday, September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. VIU is organizing activities this week to commemorate this day. And a reminder that VIU will be closed on Saturday, September 30 and Monday, October 2 to observe this day. The Nanaimo campus library is always open and accessible with your student card.

Also in this issue:

Early morning classes can be challenging when you’re not a morning person. It’s not always easy to wake up and make it to class on time, especially if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. But do not worry! With some creative thinking and a few clever techniques, you can learn how to master those early morning classes.

Read on for some tips that will help you make it through the week without missing an assignment or showing up late.

VIU’s main campus is in the harbourside city of Nanaimo. If you’re new to the area, it’s a good idea to spend some time exploring the city. One of the most helpful ways I dealt with homesickness as a new, international student was by familiarizing myself with the places around me. Even simply learning the names of a few key streets or taking long, aimless walks helped me better understand my new environment and feel a little less lost. Here are a few places to explore in Nanaimo.

Are you looking for part-time work this semester? Polish up your resume and head to two career fairs happening this week, one for on-campus jobs and one for off-campus work. To help you prepare, Ariann Sigsworth, a Career Practitioner Student, has some advice on how to stand out at a career fair.

In this issue: