What Are You Looking For?

It’s November! How the hell did that happen?

I can remember the first three weeks of school clearly and suddenly someone said the word midterm and the next month and a half flew by me without me even noticing.

Finals are coming up sooner than I’d like them to and it feels like half the year really is just about over. With all this weighing us down, it may not really feel like the time to start anything new but, in fact, now more than ever is the time to find something that can allow you to destress in the midst of all the madness.

Clubs and course union days occur twice a year every year. Once at the beginning of first semester and once more at the beginning of second semester.

This year the first clubs and course union days took place on September 12th and 13th and the upcoming one will take place on January 9th and 10th. That being said, club and course union days (though a valuable method of introducing students to groups they might be interested in) are not the only time to learn about fun extracurriculars.

Chances are, if you’re interested in something, there’s probably someone else out there who is also interested in that. If there isn’t already an existing club out there for that interest, it’s a great time to start thinking about starting your own club!

Do you enjoy podcasts, music shows, or live radio? Maybe you should look into opportunities at CFUV, the campus radio station. They take on volunteers all year round, train you to work in their studios, and can even provide the opportunity to work on their existing shows or take part in the creation of new ones. 

Are you an environmentalist? Do you enjoy being informed about food waste and how to consume in a more sustainable way? Do you like free food?! You might be interested in getting in touch with the Community Cabbage. The Cabbage is all about food redistribution and food literacy. They participate in food “rescues” on Wednesdays, cooking nights on Thursdays, and free serves on Fridays.

Interested in photography? Maybe it’s a passion of yours that you don’t get to take part in as much now that you’re busy with school! Maybe you’re new to Victoria and don’t know where the best spots to shoot are. Check out the Photography Excursion Club! UVic PEC plans and arranges excursions to different locations on Vancouver Island and the group goes out together to shoot.

The mindset in the club is all about exploring and having an adventure and less about having a “professional” camera. You can learn from each other and make friends along the way.

The list goes on and on! Everything from the UVic Swing Dance Club to the Muslim Student Association to even the Pokemon Club exists at UVic. A full list of all UVSS sanctioned clubs running this year is available here.

Don’t get too caught up in the rush to finish university! Taking a moment to stop and look at what’s going on around is worth it, believe me. Tell me all about your hobbies, favourite pastimes, and passions down in the comments.