“Hi Natalie,
Where can I find parties to go to and meet new and interesting people. I hit up a frat house recently and it was an underwhelming experience in a barn of agitated, drunken, lustful people.”
Ah, frat parties. Not where I would go for intellectual conversation, but I know from my brief time in the Greek system that at least three houses have dogs and one has a snow cone machine. That was the single greatest party I have ever been to and that house, which shall remain nameless for fear of their snow cone machine becoming too popular, holds a very special place in my heart.
But if the idea of snow cone shots aren’t enough to get your butt into a frat party, then you do have true disdain for frat parties. While said parties may be full of “agitated, drunken, lustful people,” I find they aren’t generally the actual frat members, but rather the other party-goers. Granted my first-year floor had a rule where we wouldn’t go up to “check out a frat guy’s room.” But on the whole, it wasn’t a frat guy asking you to come home with him before asking your name or sticking his tongue in your ear (free additional advice: don’t do this). You’ll find drunk, rowdy, sex-crazed people everywhere. It’s university.
Any place where there’s a club atmosphere, you’re going to get that crowd. If you’re looking to get drunk in a calmer space, try a bar or pub. Go with a group or look for meet-ups in more sociable bars like Storm Crow. See if any of your friends are having a house party with their roommates — you’ll be able to meet a lot of friends-of-friends which is always fun.
Other than that, you could join a club that does some of their own partying. I think any club with some social aspect has nights out (The Ubyssey sure does). You might have to get to know people sober before getting drunk with them and you’ll never really know which ones get sloppy drunk until you do, but that’s how a lot of friendships are made.
Good luck and good drinking!
“Who are some of the best and worst profs of UBC?”
I can’t tell you that because a) everyone looks for something different in a professor, b) my experiences with professors are limited to the faculty of arts — save six science credits — and c) even if I gave you a pros and cons list of every professor I’ve ever talked to, Rate My Professor would still do it so much better.
“Natalie,
I’m graduating this year and I don’t know what I’m going to do after. I panic when I get that question, ‘What are you doing after graduation?’ It’s like everyone around me has their shit together and I don’t. What do I do?”
Honey bear, everyone who graduates feels that way a little. When you’re looking for a job, you’re wondering how everyone else is so employable. When you get your job offer, you wonder how everyone else got such a cool job. If you stay in Vancouver, you’ll wonder what would happen if you left. If you did leave, you’ll miss Vancouver. Life doesn’t just start when you walk across the stage — we’re living it now.
You’ll get a job because you’ll apply for every job you get your hands on.
Where you live will be your home, not because it’s where you went to school or where you grew up, but because that’s where you make your home.
Your dream job will always be out there, even when you think you’ve gotten it.
You’ll always be moving forward and you’ll always feel a little uneasy. That’s life. It’s not supposed to feel easy. Question everything. No one knows what they’re doing.
We’re adults. We’re the ones who thought we knew the answers when we were kids.
Seriously, you’ll be paying into your RRSPs before you even know it.
Need advice? Contact Natalie anonymously at asknatalie@ubyssey.ca or at ubyssey.ca/advice and have your questions answered!