What do you do, Shane?
My job is to help you with everything about your classes, except for the actual course content. If you have questions about completing your degree requirements, understanding what those requirements are, study tips, or what to do if you miss class. I also love to help talk about how your academics can help you towards your goals, and how to come up with those goals.
What issues can a student come to you with for help?
You can talk to me about just about anything and everything. I specialize in knowing the answers to questions about policy, degree planning, or specialization selection but I’m also here to chat if you’re encountering challenges and finding that you’re not doing as well as you anticipated. If things are going really well, I’m also here to celebrate your successes. If you ever have a question that I don’t know the answer to I can connect you with the right resource.
What is your favourite part of your job?
I love talking about the value of an Undergraduate degree. These days a lot of people say that there are specific Majors you need in order to get a good job. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Lots of students don’t know that the most important thing in an Undergraduate degree is the skills you gain and the people you meet. Having these conversations, and supporting students pursue what they enjoy instead of what they feel obligated to do, is the most rewarding part of my job.
What’s the best advice you can give to incoming students/current students?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s from me, your instructor, your TA, health services, etc. we are all here to support you. It’s important to connect with us because we can’t support you if we don’t know that something is wrong. It’s a lot better to ask for help early then to ask for help when it’s too late. UBC has a lot of resources for your health, academics, career, and extracurricular opportunities. My job is to make sure that you know the resources available to you and to help you get the most out of your course planning and degree.
What's the main piece of advice you have for Vantage students?
Make sure that you enjoy your University degree. Just because your friend is doing one thing, or you’re being told to do another, doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. Find out what you enjoy in class, what you like to do in your free time, and what gives you that feeling of success and stick with it. Don’t just see University as a roadblock to the next part of your life, but rather make the most of the experience while you’re here.