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Get Involved
Extracurricular activities enrich post-secondary life
By Aliya Dossa
T
he life of a university student is busy enough.
The amount of studying, reading, and writ-
ing that's required can be overwhelming
— especially when making the transition
from high school. Considering this, it's easy to see
why there are students who don't prioritize get
-
ting involved in their campus's communities. Still,
there are those students who can't
imagine post-
secondary life without being immersed in all sorts
of extracurricular clubs and activities. Youthink PS
spoke with three UBC students who are actively
involved on campus to see why.
YTPS: What are some of the benefits of getting
involved on campus?
Wil Longard (fifth-year philosophy major and UBC
recreational sports team member): "To be honest, I
didn't know what involvement was before I got to
university. But when I got to UBC, some friends
asked me to play campus-organized futsal [indoor
football] and volleyball with them. I loved it. I
started to take on more leadership roles. I got out
of my comfort zone and learned so much from it
— things that I couldn't have learned in my classes
alone. I realize now that university is so much
more about the people you meet than it is about
the piece of paper you get at the end of it all."
Nirel Marofsky (third-year psychology major
and founder of campus health and nutrition group
VegUBC, which now boasts over 350 members):
"University is super time-consuming, to the point
where you can forget to take time for you. Being a
part of this community that gets students excited
about eating healthy foods is great for my own
well-being. Being involved provides an almost
family-like community where I feel included
and a part of something important. It's also great
for networking, which can open doors to future
career opportunities."
Sepideh Khazei (third-year honours history major
and campus theatre actress): "Getting involved in act-
ing was a completely new experience for me. Uni-
versity is a great time to try new things that you
would never consider doing otherwise.
It helped
me develop skills I would have never picked up in
class. And it actually helped me manage my time
better! With more commitments on my plate, I
knew I had to stay on top of things, and was even
more on top of my school work because of it."
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