Soooooo UBC?

[Highlander]

My time for choosing university I looked around in England and I have some choices but I also looked at UBC and I quite like the look of it particularly the History course at the Okanagan campus.

Any advice or help?

[Metcarfre]

How much money do you have?

The Okanagan is nice in the summer but bitterly cold in the winter, when you'll be in school.

Good skiing, though.

[Graham]

If you're looking at the UBC website, and seeing all the pictures of Vancouver, please not the Okanagan Campus is also nowhere near Vancouver.
Here's a map.

Still!
It's a good place.

[Matt]

well, it's a good place, as long as you don't mind temperatures fluxuating between 40 degrees in the summer and -30 degrees in the winter.

-m

[Highlander]

I like a little variation in my weather I know Okanagan is a long way a way but the history course there is way more interesting. SAD FACE!

[Mad Madam Mimm]

go to a history course in a town where there is much history. York, Bath, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cambridge etc.

[Highlander]

I have looked in all these places I'm still just taking a cursory glance I the look of York in particular, this is just an option I wanted to explore.

[Kathleen]

UBC Okanagan is actually an upgrade of the Okanagan College, then Thompson Rivers University, then bought by UBC.
What does this mean? It's a university college that's been upgraded to University Status, so it's got the stigma of a second class school attached to it.

Does this matter? It depends what you want to do - the technical programs are very good at some Colleges turned Universities (Vancouver Island University has really good technical programs, to name an example I can think of), but if you want a traditional degree, I think your money would be better spent at a 1st tier university in BC. That means UBC (Vancouver), SFU, UVIC or UNBC. All these schools were incorporated as Universities and have a bit more cachet. UNBC though, while a good school, is small and new, so doesn't have the same level of reputation yet. Best money is on UBC (proper), SFU or UVIC if you're looking to come all the way to BC to study.

Note: I went to UNBC and I think the quality of education was actually better than at SFU (where I went for a year) because the classes were smaller and you could work with professors even as an undergrad. I got great mentoring. That said, if you're looking to do a history degree, you'd be better off doing it at another school. I know UNBC's specialties, and history isn't one of them.

[teambates]

I'm an Okanagan student. It's nice, as it's small enough that you can have real access to profs and the cost of living is okay. Also, it's beautiful here. The downsides are that it's not as well-resourced as the Vancouver campus and there is near constant construction on something or other.

I'd be willing to answer any questions you have about it. =D

[teambates]

double herp derp

[SilPho]

You'll have a blast wherever you go, picking the right course is the most important choice to make. If the courses are essentially the same then the choice can be made based on location and other stuff.

[House MD]

Come to norwich, it's a damn nice city, pretty historical and one of the 'apparantly' better history courses

[Highlander]

I'm really looking for a medieval Europe/ anglo saxon/ viking/ military history based course

[Lord Chrusher]

UBC Okanagan is actually an upgrade of the Okanagan College, then Thompson Rivers University, then bought by UBC.
What does this mean? It's a university college that's been upgraded to University Status, so it's got the stigma of a second class school attached to it.

Does this matter? It depends what you want to do - the technical programs are very good at some Colleges turned Universities (Vancouver Island University has really good technical programs, to name an example I can think of), but if you want a traditional degree, I think your money would be better spent at a 1st tier university in BC. That means UBC (Vancouver), SFU, UVIC or UNBC. All these schools were incorporated as Universities and have a bit more cachet. UNBC though, while a good school, is small and new, so doesn't have the same level of reputation yet. Best money is on UBC (proper), SFU or UVIC if you're looking to come all the way to BC to study.

Note: I went to UNBC and I think the quality of education was actually better than at SFU (where I went for a year) because the classes were smaller and you could work with professors even as an undergrad. I got great mentoring. That said, if you're looking to do a history degree, you'd be better off doing it at another school. I know UNBC's specialties, and history isn't one of them.

UBC Okanagan is in Kelowna; Thompson Rivers University is Kamloops and previously was Cariboo College before being University College of the Cariboo.

I am being a bit of an academic snob but I dislike the name university being tacked on to all these collages. I think it is misleading to use the same name for institutions such as UBC Vancouver, UVic (I went there for my BSc) and SFU which offer professional degrees and have large research programs and the glorified collages.

Two some what contradictory things to keep in mind. The quality of the department you are in has a lot of effect on your experience.* However, most people, at least in Canada, end up switching majors at some point.

A good person ask about this sort of thing would be Brad. I would guess that for medieval British history somewhere in Britain would be better that somewhere in British Columbia.

* Especially true if you have any interest in graduate study.

[Highlander]

Yes I am coming to this conclusion. UBC was the first thing that came up when I typed medieval Europe history. I am still tempted to do a gap year in Canada though

[Keab42]

Come to norwich, it's a damn nice city, pretty historical and one of the 'apparantly' better history courses

UEA is a concrete nightmare with the most confusing floor numbering scheme in the world.

[TheRocket]

Yes I am coming to this conclusion. UBC was the first thing that came up when I typed medieval Europe history. I am still tempted to do a gap year in Canada though

You should probably note that it is very difficult to just go somewhere for a year. A lot of countries ( I think Canada included) have a 6month max stay, unless you have a visa. Which can take months or years or never to get.

[guidance]

Hey its my time to start applying to universities too. From what ive seen of UBC I think its a good school, I dont know about moving to another country for it but I have no idea how to live alown.

[Highlander]

You should probably note that it is very difficult to just go somewhere for a year. A lot of countries ( I think Canada included) have a 6month max stay, unless you have a visa. Which can take months or years or never to get.

Yes I know I think Imma try get a company to sponsor me, it'll make it much easier to get a year on a visa. My dad's pretty high up in appatito the meals on wheels service and I think they do have a company over there...

[Lord Chrusher]

I think you can get a working holiday visa for a year. How do you think they get all those Australians to work in Whisler?

[Drinnik]

Yes I am coming to this conclusion. UBC was the first thing that came up when I typed medieval Europe history. I am still tempted to do a gap year in Canada though

You should probably note that it is very difficult to just go somewhere for a year. A lot of countries ( I think Canada included) have a 6month max stay, unless you have a visa. Which can take months or years or never to get.

Isn't it easier if your moving between countries in the Commonwealth?

[TheRocket]

Are you talking UK to Canada? Absolutley not.

Working Visas are AMAZING to get in Canada during the ski/snowboard season like Lord C said. Except from what I hear you are confined to the mountain, do crap work and live in crap quarters with crap compensation. You gt a beautiful veiw every day, but be sure a very cold winter vacation is what you want

[Highlander]

I ski like a drunken hippo

[TheRocket]

Better than me. I loathe skiing, and snowboarding I am just a potatoe at. Last two times I went snowboarding I got hit in the head with the chairlift, then I couldn't stay on the Tbar so I caused a huge line of angry people so I ended up just returning my board and pouting in the lodge. Haha.

My whole family skis or boards, I bring my camera and take photos of the mountains

[Highlander]

Photographing is awesome

I want to do the Clarion west writers workshop. that's in Seattle so not too far a way. that lasts about 6 weeks so I need to find something work like for the other 4 and a half months. I can then off sod home for the rest of the year to do some more work.


EDIT: Oh shit Clarion West is in Seattle. So can you travel to Canada from the states