I wanted to study on the west coast of Canada because of the weather, so I focused on the University of British Columbia from the start. I love that campus is so close to Vancouver. Every city doesn't have the transit system set up with students in mind but in Vancouver, UBC is the starting point for a lot of bus lines, making it super easy to get around the city. UBC Psychology is also one of the best faculties in Canada and ranked in the top 15 worldwide, which definitely helped while making my decision.
Course Curriculum :
Students (BA) are expected to take a minimum of 9 credits a semester to remain a full-time student. Course Curricula are updated all year round, this was proven to us with the introduction of COVID related course content as soon as the start of summer 2020. While research isn't necessary to graduate, there are a large number of research opportunities within the university, with lots of labs hiring all year round. Most of our professors double as researchers, so it is easy to gain insight just by making the effort and asking TAs and professors questions about their backgrounds.
Exams :
The application process was simple. They take into consideration (1) the academic background and (2) the personal profile. UBC has a portal with what they call the 'personal profile' that determines whether or not the candidate is a good fit. It includes 6-8 questions that vary each year. The profile is assessed against four criteria - engagement, leadership, detail, and voice. No, I didn't have any interviews.
Placement :
UBC hosts a variety of recruitment and job fairs in both the spring and winter semesters. There are lots of opportunities out there in the field of psychology - most students chose to go the route of grad school.
Internship :
I worked with the University as a Residence Orientation Leader and was paid $1300CAD.I have also worked in the Peer Relationships in Childhood lab at UBC as a research assistant, working under Jennifer Na who was looking into the perception of bipolar disorder and the effects of social stigma. I have also been volunteering at the BC Children's Hospital since October 2019.
Events :
UBC hosts a broad range of activities, ranging from competitive teams and non-profit organization chapters to cultural, dance, arts, and educational clubs. There are also a wide variety of events that take place: in the form of plays, socials, concerts - some free, some at additional cost. The UBC campus holds three museums (1) Museum of Anthropology (2) Beaty Biodiversity Museum (3) Pacific Museum of Earth, as well as an art gallery - all free of charge to UBC students. There is also a botanical garden, a rose garden, and a Japanese garden that can be found on campus. There are more than 7 libraries across campus all ranging in topics and faculties with their own specialties, all free to use for students. UBC has free wifi all over, fast password protected wifi for students to log into, and a free portal for all visitors to use. There is also an aquatic center, various gyms, and athletic facilities such as tennis courts, a baseball and soccer field, and an indoor and outdoor stadium used for matches and concerts.
Fees :
$1,58,294 ($1,319.12 per credit for international students).
Scholarship :
I was awarded the Outstanding International Student Award Scholarship of CAD1,000. There was no application, it was based on GPA - unclear how UBC gives these out.
Faculty :
The faculty to student ratio is 13.7, there are a lot more students vs. faculty in first and second-year introduction courses. That number decreases as you move up in your specialty, with smaller class sizes. With any large university, the faculty varies in skill. Within the psychology department at UBC, I have had the opportunity to work with a combination of graduate students (TAs) and professors who run their own research labs. Even though it might seem intimidating, most professors are easily approachable and love to talk about their research and backgrounds. All faculty members have their own office hours that we are encouraged to attend since there are not a lot of students to take advantage of this. Faculty members I thought were amazing - Dr. Kiley Hamlin, Ben Cheung, and Dr. Steven Heine.
Hostel :
I chose to live on campus in my first year and third year onwards. There are lots of housing options available on campus, ranging from single studios, one-bedrooms, four-person shared apartments, and six-person shared apartments - depending on where you are assigned and what your application indicated your preferences were. UBC guarantees housing to all first-year students when applying (pre-COVID 19; unsure about the procedure now). It is very important to send a housing application (costs $50 for two rounds) as soon as possible since the waitlist tends to be quite long for upper-year housing. There are three first-year residences, none of the rooms has kitchens, some floors might share a microwave and fridge. All three have their own cafeterias. Any student is allowed to purchase food here - but residents have a meal plan which makes it cheaper. Upper year housing has its own kitchen. Living off-campus can be expensive in Vancouver, unfortunately, the closer you want to live the higher the rent will be. Average rent close to campus tends to be around $1200 CAD per month.
