#cusombuds

‘What it’s like to be a third year student”

Hello readers of the ombud’s corner!

My name is Debbie, and I’ll be taking over Juvan’s blog, and this is going to be a long post (STAY WITH ME PLEASE <3). For those who don’t know me, I am your third year rep, the one who’s always bubbly and happy (except when I’m sick) and sometimes people refer to me as the CUSnapchat girl (because my life literally revolves around it. No joke.) Anyways, back on topic – I am here today to write about my experiences as a third year student.

Introducing myself and Michael - my third year rep buddy (his hair feels like a poodle)

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in university would be to live a balanced life.  Unlike in first and second year, where I either did too many extra curricular activities, spent too much time studying, or both, I learned to prioritize and do both at an adequate amount. I tend to make it a habit of putting too much on my plate, but not only did that stress me out, I wasn’t happy at the end of the day even if I did achieve what I was aiming for in the beginning.

A page in my calendar right before final season hit me in April (last school year)

Like everyone at Sauder, I do sometimes complain about my busy life. Yet, I enjoy it. I take pride in clubs I’m involved in and I’m always trying my best to live the fullest while making it more balanced rather than being totally stressed out.

 Shout out to HeWe (Sauder Health and Wellness) and Sauder Sports for free nutritious food and fitness classes

In addition, to everyone who is reading- PLEASE PLEASE KEEP YOUR INTEREST(S). DO WHAT YOU LOVE. I stopped doing anything artsy after I came to university because I literally had no time, but I told myself this summer to make time for it, and it really was worth it. Do something that doesn’t give you a position, a name, tittle but something you enjoy, because it will be one of the richest things you gain in life.

Over the summer, I went to Central Saint Martins to take a fashion design course.

Another matter that I would like to touch upon is to be adventurous. Take up opportunities, accept challenges; fail, try again, and fail again but don’t stop trying. WE ARE YOUNG. Right now in university is a great time and place for us to make mistakes and occasionally fail. I myself hate the feeling of being rejected and failing, but I still put myself out there. One recent example is where my team got rejected for the ThinkTECH case competition held by UBC BizTech. To be honest, I was a bit sad when I received this response but after consulting with a friend, I decided to think positively: With a highly competitive applicant pool, there may be more opportunities in the future where they hold case competitions, therefore more chances to apply and compete.

Many times in life, people say “you never know until you try” and it’s true. I wouldn’t have known that I’d be a part of the CUS if I never ran for elections. I never would’ve become friends with some of my closest friends if that first conversation were never started. I never would have loved to eat chicken feet if my grandma never made me try. #randombutture There are so many things in life that are unexpected and full of opportunities if we are open to it. These are the moments that shaped who I am today, and I am grateful for these experiences.

My first presentation at Sauder (throwback to COMM 101 back in first year)

 First time at P.O.I.T.S

 First time trying day of the longboat (photo taken with some CUS BoD members)

On the topic of being thankful, I just like to thank everyone who’s made CUS and Sauder so great. I would also like to thank my parents everything and also give thanks to the amazing people that I’ve met in my life.

CUS extened family – including chairs of the service council, board of directors and execs. (Even though I’m not in the photo, I love the CUS.)

The bottom line is that we should enjoy life. This may sound cliché, but we are all students here to have a good time (alongside studying and getting a degree, of course). So, we might as well give in all we’ve got and not only enjoy what we study, but also make life happen outside of the classrooms.

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, feedbacks or just want to say hi, do let me know. I don’t bite!

 P.S. Don’t forget to follow the CUSnapchat! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE and THANK YOU!

Cheers!!

Debbie signing off.

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Yes! I, too, have late night thoughts. Often, it is about a whole lot of random things that usually don’t make any sense. However, the one tonight relates to my role as an Ombuds. 

What the heck is an Ombuds? I’m supposed to maintain equity and fairness within the CUS, mediate things, console students and make sure they’re okay. But no one even knows who I am. I have a couple initiatives that I will be promoting starting tomorrow - which I am completely excited about. It actually includes this blog as well. I love the perks, the people within the organization - but sometimes being in such a middle-man position it can feel a bit lonely. 

As Ombuds, you have no vote. And I wish I had one, but I’m impartial - sometimes I feel like without a vote, I feel, essentially that my opinion doesn’t matter. It’s tough, but this role has it’s upsides too. I love being able to help people, even if it’s the little things like supporting them, and being on the sidelines. Even as someone who supposedly is holding an important role, you can feel completely out of place. I feel super disconnected from the team - it’s not because I’m not trying, but I feel like the team doesn’t even know what I do, which makes me, even as a person overall, easily forgotten. 

With such a strong team this year, being an extreme introvert is crazy hard. I love to meet people, but it’s hard when there’s a lot of attention on me. When I have to give a report of what I did for my team, I feel anxious, I get scared because my report in all honesty, is not as extensive, impressive and amazing as the other execs. My passion project isn’t nearly *as* cool as the other board members. I’m going off on a tangent, but for those who have no idea what an Ombuds is, and it sounds completely like a weird, maybe even useless role. Chances are, I’ve probably thought that already too. But it’s not completely useless because everyone has a different mindset when it comes to fairness, and what constitutes of an equitable choice. People are often times biased when they make their decisions, and that’s what an Ombuds is there for. To catch them, and to prevent those situations from occurring.